Page 30 of The Penalty

Blake’s eyes are wide, and heat zips up my neck to my cheeks. Maybe that was too much information for our first day as roommates. I need to learn when to stop.

“Amazing. You win. I mean, we still need to hear Anna and Blake’s stories, but this sounds like a winner to me. Did you get his deets so you can hook up with him again, or is he just going to be future fodder for your sexy dreams?” Georgia asks.

“No. Definitely never happening again. That’s a hard no.” My brains are as rattled as my thoughts from the vigorous shake of my head. I got so caught up in the story I almost forgot who Devlin is. And that information is far too intimate for this fledgling friendship.

“Too bad. You could have introduced me to one of his hockey player friends. I’m not a skater, but I’d share the ice with one of them any day.”

“My brother plays.”

Her whole being lightens up at my offhand remark. Her big blue eyes sparkle, her blonde curls look even shinier. If that’s possible. “Really? I’m going to need you to introduce me.”

“Ew. Not my brother.”

Her curls bounce as she shakes her head. “Well, no. That might be weird. But there’s an entire team to get to know. I’ve tried out a couple of the football players, and I even dated a soccer player for a coupe of months, but sexy hockey player is at the top of my TBF list. Preferably with all teeth currently intact.”

“TBF?” Anna asks, looking about as confused as I am.

“To be fucked. Obvi.”

Hearing all the dirty thoughts spilling from Georgia is a little jarring when you compare it to her perfectly demure designer outfit but, I love it. She’s my kind of people.

“My brother doesn’t like me near his hockey friends. Ever since...” I trail off.

“Ever since what?” Anna asks.

I tilt my head up to inspect the ceiling. It’s flawless, not a single crack or tiny bug to fixate on.

Georgia snorts. “Honey, if I listened to everything my overprotective brothers told me to do, I’d be wearing a nun’s habit right now. And honestly, I’ve never been into LBDs, much less BBDs. I’m fond of a little color in my wardrobe.”

I may have just met the girl, but I cannot picture her in chaste nun’s clothing, that’s for sure.

“I guess I can snag us tickets for the first game of the season. It’s October seventh, if you can wait that long.” Beau can’tobject to me attending one of his games. He doesn’t need to know the real person I’m there to watch.

“Excellent. It’ll give me time to do some research.”

“Hockey research? I can fill you in on the rules if you’d like. I may not be into the game, but I’ve been dragged along to enough of them over the years that I could hold my own against some of the most avid fans in a trivia game.”

She laughs again. “Not that kind of research. Unless you’re familiar with the Lakeview players. I’m going to dig into their social media. Check out their pics, see if they any of them are off limits. I am not a cheater.”

“Gotcha. Anna, Blake, want me to get you tickets too?” I turn to them. Might be fun. A bit of a bonding experience with my new housemates.

Anna laughs. “No, thanks. The only sports match we’ve ever gone to is Quidditch.”

“Respect.” I nod. “Okay, Georgia. It’s a date. I’ll snag some tickets.”

Chapter 10

Emotional Support Defender

Dev

The last few weekshave crawled by as if time decided to mess with me. And JJ seems to have latched on to me as if I’m his emotional support defender. That guy can not take a hint.

Tonight’s season opener couldn’t come soon enough, but here we are at last, and I can not wait to get out on the ice. Hopefully, I can pour some of the guilt and frustration that’s been riding me out on the ice. Practice is great and all, but there’s nothing like a game to work through things. It’s been my coping mechanism ever since I was lucky enough to find the sport. Who knows where I’d be right now if it wasn’t for Coach Neeland introducing me to hockey? Nowhere good.

I’m relieved Beau headed to the arena early to deal with captain business. There’s some shit going on with the team right now. It’s keeping him busy enough to consume hisattention. The relief is a double-edged sword. It makes the knot of guilt residing in my chest press against my heart in an even tighter vise. I’ve been spending a lot of time on campus, so I don’t have to look my best friend in the eye, which only compounds the feeling. The things I did to his sister. He’s given me his trust and his house. He’s the most important person in my life, and I betrayed him. It doesn’t matter that I was in the dark about her identity at the time. Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the bro code.

I clock Beau sitting on the bench having a chat with Cole. He was a mere blip on the radar of the team last year. Newly transferred to Lakeview with a murky past, but he kept to himself. This year some girl drama seems to be coming back to bite him in the ass. Not ideal for the team, but it’s keeping Beau’s attention occupied at the moment. Between him and that cocky freshman Hail, I’m a little less worried about my best friend catching on to me.

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