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“Well, we don’t.” She parks and zips up her coat. “We support girl power.”
With that, she turns off the truck and hops out. An icy wind sweeps into the cab, and I shiver for a split second. Considering her words. Girl power is important. The romance industry is dominated by women, and yet, I don’t help anyone. I don’t talk to anyone.
I figured out a way to market my book, and when it blew up, I shut down.
That’s not verygirl powerof me.
But at the same time… what if I don’t have the capacity for it? What if writing these twisted characters and pushing it out into the world made me tired and bitter, and then my life just kept imploding more and more?
What if there’s only so much I can do, and being nice is the first to go?
What if I’m not a nice person?
I follow Melody into the arena, to a special booth where an older man greets her by her name. He scans her phone, then turns to me.
“I don’t think we’ve met, young lady.”
“Aurora,” I say.
“Knox Whiteshaw’s wife,” Melody interjects. “He was the recent trade.”
The older man waves her off. “Yes, yes, the people who come through can’t stop yipping about him. Not undeserved, your husband has a killer wrist shot.”
“I’ll make sure to pass that along.” Because I specifically remember helping him with that when we were thirteen and fourteen. He was miserable at those technical shots. Slap shots? No problem. Snapshot? Not as good but not anything to complain about.
And now look at him.
My phone rings on our way upstairs. Dad’s face fills my screen, and I motion for Melody to go without me. “I’ll meet you up there.”
“Okay,” she says softly.
“Hey, Dad,” I say. “What’s up?”
“I got a phone call today.” His voice is tight, and he skips our usual greeting. “I just need to know what you’re involved in, kiddo.”
“What?” My heart gives a thump, and I close my eyes. Now’s not the time for myheartto be reacting like this. I lean my shoulder against the wall. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Do you need help? Are you…?”
“Am I what?”
“Are you betting on the games?”
My vision goes white-spotted. I slide down the wall and sit hard. “Dad, what? No, I’m not?—”
I mean, I am. But it’s the only way to try and foil this stupid betting fraud, to put some skin in the game. I mean, it’s not like I know what the outcome is going to be. I just have what Luke tells me to get Knox to do.
And I have.
Well, I’ve tried.
“I’m not addicted to gambling or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I whisper. “Who called you? What did they say?”
“It was a man concerned about you. He said you’ve been using your friendships with the guys on the team to get favorable outcomes. Aurora, I don’t have to tell you that that isillegal.”
What?
“No, Dad?—”
