Page 71 of Jaded

“You’re like . . . their hero,” Olli says, his voice low. The corner of his mouth flicks upwards in half a smile.

“What?”

“They love you,” Olli murmurs, gaze holding mine. “Youarethe representation of Day River.”

“No, I’m not.” My gut churns uncomfortably. “You’re thinking of my brother.”

Jesseis Day River. The golden boy of the people, who came from dirt and darkness, same as the rest of us, but shone so much brighter.

Got out.

Not me. Never me. He was always so much better, and I lived in his shadow. Even before Syd came along, something in me knew hockey was never more than a pipe dream.

Jesse bet on himself. Olli bets on himself every day.

I’ve never had the balls.

“No, I’m not.” Olli shakes his head slowly. “Because you’re the one who’s still here. Still fighting.”

My breath snags. My eyes slide down the sharp curve of his cheek to the soft bow of his lips. And without warning, I’m remembering how it felt to have those lips pressed against mine. To part them with my tongue.

I want to do it again. To taste him, to breathe the scent off his skin. To drag my lips down the column of his throat, press his hard, warm body between mine and the brick—

I lean in, so his breath whispers against my mouth. So I hear the catch in his sharp inhale. So I smell strawberries—

My phone buzzes against my thigh.

“What the—” Olli jerks in surprise.

I stutter backwards. “Shit.”

We both laugh. Awkward. Olli’s eyes aimed at a fire escape over my head, mine at the ground as I dig my phone out of my pocket. It’s a text. From Syd.

What’s going on with the Ice Out?

My brows furrow tight in confusion.

“Everything okay?” Olli asks, and his hand half lifts, then drops back to his side.

“Yeah. I think?” I’m already typing back to Syd.What does that mean?

Syd: C’mon. I know you were there. What happened?

My heart beats too fast, but I’m not sure if it’s the text war with Syd or what occurred immediately before it. Almost occurred.

Me: Really don’t know what you mean.

Syd: People are saying there were a bunch of Dingoes there!

Me: Who said that? How do you know?

My eyes narrow in suspicion.

Me: Who do you know who’s at the Ice Out?

Syd: It’s all over social media. I don’t have to know anybody.

I look up at Olli, and the way he’s looking back at me, brows furrowed in a comical inverse arch of confusion, I know I’m giving him some kind of terrifying look. “Well, I don’t know what you did, but you did something.”

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