Page 13 of The Fake Date Agreement

“Not unless you’re having the worst luck in the world,” Reid says.

“That’s me,” I mutter, feeling sorry for myself.

“It can’t be that bad.” Reid nudges my shoulder, and I yelp as I go flying.

“Shit, sorry.” He saves me from smashing into the plexiglass surrounding the rink. Smiling apologetically, he leads me over to a bench closest to the ice. “Come sit. What happened?”

He leaves his arm around my shoulder, and I’m weak enough that I lean into it. Tonight has not been easy. He’s handsome, warm, and smells shower fresh with a hint of sweet peppermint. I need this. “My boyfriend cheated. That’s why I was on the kiss cam. Today is our sixth anniversary, and I came to surprise him because he never misses watching you guys play, and he was kissing another girl.”

“He cheated onyou?” Javier looks like he can’t believe it.

His disbelief makes me feel a tiny bit better.

My eyes water as I nod. “He was probably cheating for a while from the way he kissed her. And I…” My voice breaks. “I fell down the stairs, and then the lock broke in my bathroom stall, so if I smell, it’s because of stale pee when I was on the floor trying to get out.”

“You don’t smell,” Reid reassures me.

“Thanks.” I probablydosmell, but he seems nice enough to lie about it so I won’t cry.

“Did he hit you?” Caleb is glaring as he leans on his stick.

I frown at him. “Marc? Why would you think he hit me?”

He gestures to my face. “You’re squinting.”

Because the world is still a big fat blur out of my right eye. “One of my contacts fell out when I knocked myself out in the bathroom.”

He stops glaring. “How’d you knock yourself out?”

I look away. “Um, just trying to get out.”

Like an idiot is how I knocked myself out.

Javier is smiling slightly at Caleb. “Weren’t you?—”

“Let her finish the damn story,” Caleb interrupts and nods at me. “Then what happened?”

“That’s it.” I sigh. “So if I got hit in the head with a puck, it wouldn’t surprise me. They say bad things happen in threes.”

“The puck would be four,” Javier says thoughtfully.

I sniff. “What?”

He counts off on his fingers. “Cheating would be one, locked bathroom is two, the lost contact and knocking yourself out would be three since it happened at the same time. If you got hit with a puck, that would be four. Maybe even five. I forgot the fall down the stairs.”

Caleb stares at him. “I’m sure she really appreciates you listing out her night of hell for her, Jay.”

Javier winces and aims an apologetic smile my way. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean?—”

“It’s okay. And you’re right.”

Reid walks off, returning with a handful of tissues he offers me.

I take it gratefully and blow my nose.

He cocks his head as he leans his hip against the plexiglass. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

“About what?”

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