Page 38 of My Last Dance

He stood on the machine next to me. “I’m sorry. Truce?”

I shrugged, refusing to look at him. “What are you sorry for?”

“I thought…I mean…” He raked a hand over his messy hair. “I didn’t want people to connect you to the zam crash. And I didn’t understand what you meant in the closet. I thought you meant, like, it was just a kiss, we’re not anything. If I knew you wanted a…” He trailed off and looked around before whispering, “If I knew you wanted a relationship, then I wouldn’t have…” He let out a frustrated noise. “Please look at me, Piper.”

I punched the treadmill to stop. My hands flew to my hips as I turned to him. “Then you wouldn’t have what?” I demanded.

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Wouldn’t have what?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

His mouth gaped open, but no words came out.

“Doesn’t matter anyway.” I hopped off the treadmill and breezed away from him.

“Well, can we have a do-over?” I felt him trailing behind me. “Please,” he whispered.

As much as I wanted that, I knew it’d be a bad idea. Besides, I already made my decision. I couldn’t go back on what I’d alreadydone. “Why? I’m filled with venom, aren’t I?” I asked casually. I spun around to face him and stared straight at his sternum. “Cody asked me out,” I blurted out.

His face went slack. “What? Fitzy?”

I trained my face to remain neutral, giving nothing away. “Yes, Cody Fitzgerald. He’s asked me out a couple times. I finally told him yes.”

“But…” His face scrunched in disgust. “He’s my teammate.”

I shrugged as if saying, not my problem.

“And he’s a dick.” He tugged at his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Piper.”

“You didn’t,” I said simply before strutting off.

_________

Cody Fitzgerald was, in fact, a dick. We lasted a month before he bragged to his team that I gave him a blow job in locker room number six during a zam between periods of their game. In actuality, I was a virgin who’d never even laid eyes on a dick, but I was not about to admit any of that to Kappy.

I only found out about Cody’s bragging because of Mer, who found out through Colt. When I went to break it off with Cody, he mysteriously had a black eye. I never asked how or why he got it, but in the back of my mind, I knew who was responsible.

After that, Kappy and I eventually slid back into calling each other names and poking fun at each other, but it was a little different because I learned his tell. He’d get this little gleam in his eye, as if saying,c’mon, play along with me, and I’d roll my eyes and struggle to stop smirking at him.

7. ALWAYS A WAY OUT

2011

The summer I turned eighteen was when the pain in my legs became intolerable.

One day after practice, Kappy, who’d taken a job as a janitor at Centre Ice right after he graduated, burst in the locker room pushing a mop and large garbage can, nodding along to whatever song he was listening to on his ipod. By some saving grace, he didn’t notice me, so it gave me a minute to clear the tears and snot from my face.

As soon as he turned in my direction, he did a double take before pulling out his headphones. His mom forced him to get rid of his mullet for graduation, so he sported a short haircut for the first time since I’d known him, making him appear taller, and unfortunately, even more my type. “Sorry, thought everyone left.”

“Should still knock,” I mumbled miserably.

“What’s wrong?” His eyes drifted over my face, making me feel way too seen.

“Nothing. I’ll be out in a second, can you just give me a minute?” I asked, straining to keep my voice even.

“You’re crying.”

“No, I’m not,” I said through gritted teeth.

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