Page 16 of The Save

"See? Idealist." Chase rose from his chair and walked to the window, leaning back against the sill with his hands in his pockets. "When you were in high school, what was your plan?"

I folded my arms across my chest. "To get good grades and go to a good university."

Chase held out his hands. "And look, you've accomplished it.” He paused a moment, and I started to fidget with the strap on my backpack. “Do you want to know what my plan was, Maddie?”

“Madelyn."

He ignored the correction. "My plan was to make it to the NHL." He gave a dramatic look to the right and then to the left. "Does it seem like that worked out for me?"

I pursed my lips.Nope. It did not.I didn’t say it out loud.

Chase’s expression sobered. "Some of us aren’t built for school, and we've known that since kindergarten. Some of us pushed through because it was what we had to do in order to do the thing we really wanted, which was to play hockey.

“All of those guys out there—your friends—they don't play for a university team because that was their plan. All of them wanted to play Juniors. All of them wanted to make it to the AHL. All of them wanted to be drafted by a professional team by now.

"This is their backup plan. Madelyn. So if any of them are desperate to get a B or even an A in calculus, I'd be more than happy to support them in that. But I can tell you right now that none of them probably give a shit."

I drew a deep breath, working to slow my pulse. "Well, maybe theyshouldgive a shit." I couldn't believe I was swearing in front of a faculty member, but he did it first.

Chase breathed a laugh. "Yeah. Well, my goal is to get them on the ice. Let them do the thing they love. After this, they're not going to have nearly as many opportunities."

My mind spun as a piece of the puzzle that was Chase Wilson clicked into place. He hadn’t gotten everything he wanted. In high school, he’d sailed through. He’d been the hockey star, he’d gotten the girl, he’d moved out and become a legend—the guy who was going to make it big.

I cleared my throat. "But these guys are going to need to provide for themselves."

"You don’t think they can provide for themselves with a C in calculus?” Chase asked dryly. “You know them better than I do. Do you see any of them going on to win a Nobel prize?”

My jaw tensed.

Chase pushed off the windowsill. “These restrictions are meant for administrators to feel good about themselves. They're not meant for the players." He dropped back onto the couch andpicked up his notebook. “So. What would you like to recommend to appease Lamont and get Rory and Axel back on the ice?”

Chapter

Seven

It wasthe kind of bright spring morning that made youwantto believe in possibility. Crisp air, pale sun, wet pavement steaming like the earth itself was sighing in relief. I would’ve soaked it in had I not been trying to outpace Garrett. He’d stayed so late at Tash’s capitalism study group that he’d crashed on our living room couch.

“Maddie! Wait up!”

I didn’t. But since he was six-foot-four and had legs like a giraffe, he caught up anyway.

“Hey.” He slid into step beside me, breath clouding slightly in the air, messenger bag slapping his hip. “Heading to class?”

I nodded. “Yep. Bright and early.”

He grinned, catching his breath. “I have to cross campus to get home. Mind if I walk with you?”

I did, actually. But I lacked the social cruelty to say so outright. I looked him over. His clothes were rumpled, but he didn’t look too dishevelled. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

“Oh, for sure. That couch is comfy.”

“Your feet must’ve hung over the edge.”

“No, it’s the perfect length. The arm is at the perfect place for my knee crotch.”

I snorted. “Please don’t ever say that again.”

His grin only widened. “Next time I could?—”

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