Page 82 of Wonderstruck

I froze.

Scouts?

Mypulse quickened, but Itried to keep my expression neutral. “Uh, yeah. I’m aware.”

Burton leaned back in his chair, crossing hisarms. “Good. That’s good. And it’s a hell of a good thing you’ve been on your game.” He knocked his head to the side, his smirk settling. “I didn’t tell you, or any of the guys last week because I didn’t want it to get in your heads but… there were scouts in the crowd last week.”

I felt my eyes widen, and my spine turn to steel.“Seriously?”

He nodded. “And one of those scouts wasfrom Knights.”

The words hit me like a slapshot to the chest.

The Knights. TheQuebecKnights. Mygrandfather’s team. My dream team.

“And?” I asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“They were impressed.” Burton’s facesoftened, a rare smile tugging at his lips. “Very impressed.”

Relief and pride flooded through me. I’d beenliving for the hope that someday, somehow, I’d make it. That all the early mornings, gruelling practices, and late nights would pay off. And now, for the first time, it felt real.

“So impressed that he wants to set a meetingwith you.”

My head fell into my hands. Was this reallyhappening? There was no way. I silently wished for Tristan to start going at it on his electric guitar, in the hopes that it would wake me up from whatever lucid dream I’d stumbled into whilst sleeping in.

ButI peeked between my fingers and saw myskates, the navy carpet of Burton's office. Then my ears picked up on his heavy breathing and I knew I was still here.

Oh God. This was happening.

I sucked in a breath before meeting his stareagain, my hands sliding to cover my mouth. “You’re not fucking with me?”

Burton huffed a laugh before relaxing his backagainst his chair. “No Finn, I’m not fucking with you.” He flailed his arms again. “The scout collared me after the game and asked me to tell you that he liked what he saw and that he’d love to talk with you about your future. Of course I let him know that you haven’t stopped talking about the Knights since we saw you for your scholarship interview, and when I told him about your Grandpa, he was even more keen to talk to you.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Burton clapped his hands together, sitting upstraighter. “You don’t have to say anything. You earned this recognition. Lap it up.” He eyed me. “Just keep your grades up as promised. I take it from what Proffesor Sawyer told me that you're doing good?”

I nodded quickly. “I am.I’ve been working with…”Aurora.God I couldn’t wait to tell her aboutthis. “My tutor.”

“Good. Keep it up. Don’t let me down,Rhodes.”

I stood, my legs feeling a little unsteady as Iprocessed everything. “I won’t, Coach. I promise.”

In the span of ten minutes, it was like someone had thrown open the curtains on my world. Everything felt lighter, warmer—like I could actually breathe. And if facing hard truths, accepting them, and knowing in my gut that hockey was and always would be my life, then I’d hold onto that feeling as hard as I could.

Because for the first time in what felt likeforever, my life wasn’t just bearable. It wasgood.

chapter twenty one

help me hold on to you

The sun was just starting to set over the city when I met Rory outside Flo's and we began our walk back to the apartment. I silently prayed that Tristan had gotten my texts about tidying up the remanets of last nightsbenderas he called it, because walking her into a living room full of beer bottles and stale pizzas crusts would surely end whatever this was in a heartbeat.

“La Dame aux Camélias.”

Her voice lifted me out of my prayer session. “Huh?”I mumbled, looking down at her as she walked beside me.

“For your midterm.” The strawfrom her latte slipped between her lips, before she let them glide open again. “It’s a novel by Alexandre Dumas."

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