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The ride home is filled with chatter—luckily nothing too deep. I think I shared enough for one lifetime just on our walk around the river. I don’t even know what came over me. I’m usually such a private person. Yet there I was, just rattling on about my issues like Hunter was a dang shrink.
As we pull in front of my house, I reach for the door, but his hand on my arm stops me.
“Wait.”
Looking at him, I frown. “What?”
“Okay, so this is going to sound nuts. And it is probably crazy. But hear me out.” He pauses. “You want to find a way to get back at your family for cutting you off. And I…well, I just want to get it through Paige’s head that I’m moving on and that she doesn’t have forever.” He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “How pissed would your parents be if you and I got together? Not only got together, but also started showing up at fancy events that they used to be invited to?”
“Really pissed,” I whisper. “I’m sorry, but I don’t really understand where this is going. Especially when it comes to Paige.”
“Say we fake date. It’ll piss your parents off, and it might get Paige to finally smarten up.”
“Or it’ll do the opposite and make her hate you,” I deadpan. “You could lose her altogether. Come on, bro. You can’t possibly think that would work.”
“Don’t call me bro,” he says quickly. “And since we broke up, we’ve had an agreement that we can do what we want. I’ve just never flaunted who I’ve been with in her face. But when she saw us together, something shifted. I guess because it’s you, and she’s always been insecure when it comes to you, Sutton. And since then, she’s been texting and calling me a whole lot more.”
His words cause an ache deep in my gut as I imagine her calling and texting him and them meeting up. Of course, that’s what they are doing. And it’s none of my business.
So, why do I feel like it is?
“Just think about it, okay?” He gives me a small smile. “I mean, what the hell do we have to lose, right?”
“I will,” I say before my eyes widen. “Wait…what about your parents?”
He flashes me a boyish grin. “You just leave them to me, okay?”
“All right,” I say slowly. “This night just got really weird.”
“No kidding.” He laughs before pushing his door open and coming around to my side to open mine. “I’ll text you tomorrow to plan our next practice. Until then, at least think about what I said, okay?”
As I get down from his truck, looking at him, I almost feel like we’re supposed to hug good-bye or something. But that would be awkward. So, instead, I stuff my hands into my pockets and bob my head up and down. “Will do. Night. Thanks for dinner and the ice cream. Even if you did try to drown me.”
“First off, you’re welcome. Remind me to never bet against you again because I’d probably be a broke fucker by the time we went out to eat a few times. Second, you were ankle deep, brat.” He laughs. “Good night, Sutton.”
“Good night, Hunter.” I turn away from him and head inside, hiding the stupid-ass grin on my face.
Fake dating isn’t something that happens in real life—is it? And even if it is, it has disaster written all over it. But still, I’m considering taking him up on his offer.
And a part of me knows it has nothing to do with getting back at my parents and everything to do with spending more time with someone I hated a few weeks ago.
10
Hunter
Ifinish gearing up for practice and check my phone, seeing a message from Haley,thanking me. Earlier today, my sister’s dorm flooded, and she showed up on my doorstep with her bags. The last place I wanted my baby sister was in a house with my two best friends, but she had nowhere else to go. Replying with a short message, saying that it’s no problem, I tuck my phone away and get ready to head out of the locker room.
“I still think it’s so cool that the foundation we are raising money for is O’Brien’s. Kinda makes it suck less that we have to do this dancing shit on top of class and hockey.” Watson looks shocked while he talks. “Honestly, I only just learned he’d started the foundation a few months ago. But I think it’s so fucking awesome of him.”
“Hell yeah, it is. That’s O’Brien for you, making lemonade out of lemons—or however the fuck you say it,” I answer. “You know, he took the small amount of money his grandmother had left him and the money from selling her house and started One Wish,” I say, bragging up my friend.
I can’t even be mad that his foundation is what landed me in the position to work with Sutton because it’s an incredible thing he’s doing. From what I’ve heard, his upbringing was awful. And I guess this is his way of healing himself—by helping other kids who are in similar situations as he once was.
“That’s sick,” Watson mutters thoughtfully. “Already knew he was a badass dude, but this proves it even more.”
“Acrazybadass,” Link adds, laughing.
He, Cam, and Brody are best friends. And I don’t think anyone who’s ever skated on the ice with Brody O’Brien would disagree that he’s a tad mad at times. But he’s a good dude. I know we all on the team miss the hell out of him.
