Page 3 of The Penalty

That gets my attention. “What? I only have one year left. You can’t pull me.”

“You’ll be transferring to Lakeview, where your brother can keep an eye on you.”

I shake my head, gripping the desk until my knuckles ache. “No. All my friends are there. I know the professors.”

“And look where your friends have gotten you? Disgracing our family name, failing economics. You’re not going back.”

“But...” The nausea is back again, twisting my insides into knots.

“There are no buts. It’s already done. I’ve arranged for Lewis to send all the paperwork.”

And there it is. My future settled with a few words to his lawyer. My years at Cornell wiped away like they meant nothing. I was finally going to be able to take the animation elective I’ve been aiming for my entire time at the school. What a waste.

“You’ll take an online course this summer. I’ve hired you a tutor to make up that economics credit you failed, and you’ll still graduate on time.”

He turns his laptop back around, dropping his eyes to his keyboard, fingers punching the keyboard with harsh, staccato clicks. And just like that, I’ve been dismissed.

“Dad, please.”

He doesn’t look up from his screen, so I stand up, trudging out. My stomach growls at me and I look up, glancing toward the kitchen. Nope. I can’t face our chef Shelley right now. She’d be so disappointed if she saw me in those articles.

I sigh, swiping a hand through my hair and making my slow way up the back stairwell. I don’t want to run into anyone else,especially not my mother. If she’s even here. I doubt she wanted any part in my disgrace. Leave father to deal with it and move on with her life. Gloss it over next time I see her or save it for later to send a targeted dig at me during a future argument.

Maybe Beau is home. He might drive me crazy sometimes. He might be overprotective and the standard I can never live up to, but I still love my twin. It’s not his fault our fucked-up world has such gross double standards.

I guess there is one bright spot in this disaster. I’ll get to see him more often now that we’ll be going to the same school. Hell, maybe I can live with him. That has both pluses and minuses. Pluses, hot hockey boys, minuses my brother monitoring my love life. Definitely no hockey boys. Bad idea all around.

Chapter 2

Unwanted Visitors

Dev

“Lakeview, Lakeview, Lakeview!!!” Theentire team is chanting as we crash through the front door of the hockey house. I’m going to miss these guys so fucking much. Saying goodbye to Woodsy, Seb, and Jacks hurts. I’ve been playing with them since my freshman year, and they fought their way into my life, getting closer to me than anyone else. At least I’ve still got Beau.

“Dev, man.” Beau is slurring his words as he slings an arm around my shoulder. His blue eyes are glassy, hair slipping out of its usual smooth style. I guess getting drunk might make it easier. Numb the sense of loss as our closest friends head off to live their dreams. But that’s not my thing. Not after the things I saw growing up.

“What?”

“It’s just you and me now.”

It’s true. We’re like a band breaking up after years together, but instead of making kickass music, we’ve been playing stellar hockey. Our tightly meshed team could almost read each other’s minds.

“Yeah.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

I shrug. What else is there to say? There’s nothing we can do to change the facts. Their lives are moving forward.

Everyone is reluctant for the night to end, but at least it’s only the team tonight. Usually there would be a gaggle of random college students hanging out in this place, wrecking Beau’s house. Girls trying to sleep with us. Not in the mood for that.

“What are you up to this summer, Lucy?” Our sophomore goalie, Jenson, comes bouncing up to me. Apparently, he thinks he’s going to slide right into the spot Jacks is leaving behind. Intrusively friendly. Entitled to personal details I don’t share easily with anyone.

My right eyebrow heads straight for my hairline, and I cross my arms over my chest, leaning back in my seat.

Beau laughs. “JJ, my man. If you’re looking for a conversation, you’re nattering at the wrong defender. You have not earned the right to more than single word responses from Lucy. Take it easy on him. He’s shy.”

I roll my eyes at him. It took a while, but he earned one of the limited places of trust in my life.

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