Page 14 of Facing the Line

“Um.” I bite my lip at Jonas’s question and shake my head. “Not sure. I think I need…”

A friend. A shoulder to cry on. Someone to listen. But I say none of those things, letting my voice trail off instead, because his eyes dart over my shoulder and back to my face. He’s not really listening. I guess I’m just supposed to say I’m fine and move on.

Clearing his throat, Jonas steps away from me. He opens his mouth, but before any words come out, Cooper appears at his elbow.

“Hey, man.” His voice is low and I strain to hear. “We should all go out, try to make the best of everything that happened tonight.”

Jonas nods, clearing his throat. “Yeah. Where are you thinking? And if you say The Cactus?—”

“Naw, probably O’Bryan’s. It’s the team favorite. They need us right now.”

“That’s for sure.” Jonas glances around at the hockey players surrounding us, and it’s like he’s forgotten I’m standing in front of him.

Without looking at me, Cooper pats him on the shoulder and walks away.

Jonas’s deep brown eyes lock on mine, and he jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “I should probably go. Maybe we can catch up later?”

My heart sinks, and I swallow, willing some steel into my voice so it doesn’t waver. “That tracks.”

He blinks. “What does that mean?”

I wave my hand at the crowd. “Your team comes first. Go do what you gotta do.”

Before he can protest, I spin on my heel and walk away. Tears prick my eyes, and I stare at my feet on the concrete as I book it out of here. Out of the arena and away from stupid hockey players.

Hockey players like my dad, who doesn’t care enough to tell me he’s coming, send a text to see if I’m going to the game, or ask if I want to grab a bite or a coffee after. He didn’t even find me to say hello but went straight to the college hockey bigwigs and Hunter. Did he forget I go to school here, too?

Probably. He forgets birthdays and hasn’t bothered with school events in years. Never once made it to a high school track or cross-country meet. Conflicts too much with his hockey schedule. I swipe at the tears that spill over on my cheeks.God, Hadley, don’t ruin your makeup over it.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised my dad doesn’t care, although it still hurts. But what smarts more is the way Cooper and Jonas ignored me. I know I’m Hunter’s little sister, but I thought it was more than that. I thought I was part of their group. Cooper could have invited me, too. And Jonas…

Pushing open the door to the hockey arena, I take a breath of fresh air, my tears cooling on my cheeks. I didn’t drive tonight because I didn’t want to mess with finding a new parking spot for my Range Rover. Parking for Freshmen is a nightmare.

Besides, the hike will do me good. It’s only a few blocks. If I was dressed for it, I’d run back to my dorm. Maybe I will get on the treadmill later and work out my frustrations later. For now, I keep up a brisk pace even if my boots aren’t made for walking.

If I’m being honest, I’ve thought about Jonas way more than I should. I know he’s bad news, but until tonight, I let myself forget. I had been entertaining ideas…fantasies, really. It’s the two of us in the library after dark…we can’t resist the pull between us, and I end up spread out like a buffet for him on one of the study tables…

I shake my head to clear out those thoughts. He lured me in, being so damn nice lately. But tonight he showed his true colors again. Sports stars will always put their team and their game first. My gut tells me Jonas would never cheat on someone like Zane. But I also thought my dad would at least acknowledge he has a second kid at Harrison, and I was wrong about that. I can’t trust my feelings. I need to stick to my no jocks rule. It’s the only way to stave off disappointment.

Maybe what I need is a hookup. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I call Kendall.

“Hey babe!” Her voice is welcoming in my ear. “What’s up? How was the game?”

“Ugh.” I don’t want to get into it all right now. “Not great. You up for going out?”

“Always! What sounds good tonight?” she says, and god bless her for being the best roommate in the world.

What am I in the mood for? Not a jock, that’s for sure. “What’s the best place to meet random guys?”

“Girl, we are hot college women. Any bar on campus will work for that!” Laughter colors her tone, and despite my disappointment, the corners of my mouth turn up in a smile. “How about The Cactus?”

Even though she can’t see it, I shake my head. “No way. I don’t feel like getting hepatitis. Too gross.”

“Good point.” She hums over the line. “Henry’s?”

“Perfect. See you in ten?”

“I love your faith in me, but it will be more like thirty minutes to get presentable.”

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