Page 43 of Ice Princess

Another player’s jersey?

A lightbulb goes off in my head.

“Does that help?” April watches me nervously, as if she can sense that I’m about to wreak havoc and she’s not sure she made the right choice.

I nod and get back to work, while internally twirling my villain moustache and rubbing my hands together in glee.

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

GUNNER

I’m packingmy gym bag with everything I’ll need for the game tonight when my phone chirps beneath the covers of my bed.

At first, I dismiss it.

Then I recall telling Rebel to text me if she needs a ride to the game. When I offered, I knew deep in my heart that Rebel would rather paddle upstream with a toothbrush than get in a car with me.

However, I rush to pick up my phone on the off chance that she’s taking me up on my offer.

A glance at the screen makes all the blood rush straight to my head.

ItisRebel.

I straighten my shirt and brush down my shaggy hair as if she’s in front of me. With a deep breath, I unlock my phone and navigate to my message app.

REBEL:I’m picking out my outfit for tonight’s game.

I stare at the message, taking it apart and looking underneath it to find a hidden meaning. Rebel doesn’t strike me as the type who’d ask a guy for his opinion on her clothes. Maybe it’s a test?

Determined not to fail, I type back.

ME:Whatever you choose will look good.

REBEL:You mean that?

ME:Yeah.

REBEL:What are you wearing tonight? I want to coordinate our colors.

I read and reread her message, but it makes no sense the first, second or third time. What does she mean by ‘coordinate our colors’? I’ll be wearing the team jersey… along with all the other Lucky Strikers.

Before I can figure out what to text back, Rebel sends me another message.

But this time, it’s a picture.

She’s standing in what appears to be her bedroom. Filmy pink curtains and tall white closet doors are in the background.

Her hair’s twisted into two long braids with some kind of cloth woven into the braid. She’s wearing a bathrobe that’s exposing one of her slim shoulders. Did she just get out of the shower? My torrid brain conjures images of Rebel, water and steam.

I force those thoughts away and focus, instead, on her rosy cheekbones and soft pink lips. She’s holding up a blouse and a jacket to her collar. At first, I dismiss the outfit. I meant it when I said she’ll look good in whatever she wears.

I start to type back:I like this one.

But before I press ‘send’, something stops me.

Bothered, I navigate back to the picture and expand the image across my screen so I can get a better look at that jacket. Like all Lucky Striker’s merch, the team’s logo is stitched in the front, while the player’s number is on the sleeve.

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