Page 60 of Halftime

He didn’t look embarrassed, the way he should. He shook his head, like he was my professor. “Your handwriting is shitty.”

I stalked over and slammed my notepad closed. “Thanks for sharing that totally unwanted opinion. Now get the fuck out.”

Instead, he leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head. “What’s wrong?”

I was not interested in talking. “Go away.”

“Not ’til you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Who says anything is wrong?”

“You and I got more ice time last night than we’ve had all year. We won against a team who’s ahead of us in the standings. You went to be with your girlfriend, and I didn’t expect to see you again until tonight. Instead, you come back here without your girl and go for a run. A run you didn’t need. I’ve spent enough time with you that I know how you work, Hunter. What’s wrong?”

I flopped down on the bed. Might as well tell him. It wasn’t going to be a secret. “Faith and I broke up.”

Cooper dropped his casual pose and sat upright. “What the fuck is it with you two? What happened? Was it the phone thing? Honestly, it’s like you want to end up dead in a tomb.”

“The phone problem didn’t help. But it was mostly a picture of me with Raylene.”

Cooper stood up. “I should get extra credit for this. I’ll talk to her. You didn’t do anything.”

I held up a hand. “Actually, I did.”

Cooper’s eyes widened.

“No, not that, shithead. But I’m the one who broke up with Faith.” That was what happened, right? I’d been upset, and I didn’t remember everything I said.

Cooper looked pissed, but he wasn’t the one with his heart broken. “After all the work I did to get you two together? You just tossed it?”

I nodded.

He almost said something flippant, I could see it. Instead, he stayed quiet, watching me. “Why?” This time, his voice was low and searching. This time, he was really asking.

I stared up at the ceiling. “Her dad cheats. And he’s a sports agent, and he travels, and he tells stories about all his clients and how they cheat. That’s what Faith grew up with. She’s suspicious. She’s always going to suspect the worst.”

Cooper sat back down. “Okay, her dad’s a shit. But last night, I screwed up your phone, and you didn’t cheat. I can probably get everyone at the party to back that up.”

I appreciated it. “I know. I thought about it. But what about next time?”

“Is there going to be a next time?” He sounded shocked, which was totally stupid, because he knew better than anyone what it was like to be a successful hockey player on this campus.

“There won’t be a time while we’re playing hockey that we don’t travel? That bodies aren’t offered, and people don’t take pictures and come on to us? There won’t be one time where there’s no way to prove that I didn’t say yes to an offer?”

I could see it sinking in. He shook his head slowly.

“One of these days, Faith is going to find something or hear something. And she’s going to suspect the worst, and I won’t be able to prove my innocence. I see that coming. I don’t know when, but it’s coming. It’s like playing Russian roulette. I can’t always beat the odds.

“How many times am I going to have to prove that I’m not a fucking scumbag? How’s that going to work?” Faith asking if I’d cheated with that expression in her eyes like she really thought I was that kind of douchebag hurt. A lot.

“Fuck.” Cooper was finally catching up.

“Fuck is right. Eventually, it’s going to make whatever we have ugly. I’d rather just cut the cord now.” I wished my voice hadn’t broken when I said that.

Cooper stood up. “Get dressed. You’ve run yourself into the ground, now it’s time to drink yourself into oblivion. Unless…” He had a thoughtful look, and for a minute, I thought he might have a solution. “What if she got you a cock cage?”

I gaped at him.

“It’s a chastity device.” He said it like he thought the issue was that I didn’t know what the fucking thing was.

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