Page 22 of Lucky Sucker

Once the teammates left, I was being propped up at his side, otherwise I might’ve fallen to my knees, and I really didn’t want to make it a habit of falling to my knees in front of Luke, I suppose his nickname was Lucky, but he wasn’t going to be getting that lucky.

“You want to come with me?” his voice on the peripheries of my panic attack, soothing as they entered my ears. “You’re shivering.”

“I’m—” I let out through bated breath.

Now in front of me, both hands on my shoulders, rubbing my arms. “Thank you,” he said. “I meant what I said about inviting you to the party, and we’ll figure out how I can pay you back for this. I seriously owe you one, a huge one.”

Even though I was looking him in his eyes, I wasn’t engaging. “Ok.” I nodded, placating myself into submission. “I guess I’ll talk to you later then.” Because right now, I needed to go and lie down in bed. I didn’t have any more classes today, but I had planned on being around campus, so it didn’t look like I was staying in my room all the time.

“Wait. Can I kiss you?” he asked. “People are watching, and I really want to make sure they know I’m not—you know. I just want to show people that those posts were just bullshit, really.”

It wasn’t my first kiss, but the question gave me butterflies, and almost like it was the first time I was going to be kissed. “Yes,” I said, as if I was in a dream and nothing was real. Which I would soon discover was false.

The kiss was soft, his wet puckered lips pressed against what I could only imagine were my shock dried lips.

It was a kiss that was seen by the entire campus, one way or another, people saw it, and I had to see it for myself. At home, in the safety of my room, I stared at the photo in the campus community site. My brain didn’t even immediately register the person standing opposite Luke, and everyone in the comments of that picture had no clue who I was. Which was good to hear.

10. LUKE

Coach sat me down in his office, a firm look on his face as he slowly nodded. It was a long moment of silence, and by now the entire campus knew about me and Wren, which I really hadn’t wanted to spring on him, but when people are cornered, we fight to get free.

“I don’t know what to say,” he started with. “Somehow, it makes sense, you were young, and you’ve never dated, you’ve always been first in, last out. It’s why you’re the captain. Your team respects and trusts you. I was disappointed in you, Luke, when I saw it. But now, it makes sense. And I hope we don’t get any negative publicity about it, otherwise it could fall within the guidelines for disciplinary action.”

I understood the extremities of it. “Coach, you have no idea how much this team means to me. It’s my family. I don’t know who got those screenshots, but I’ve deactivated that account now.”

“Good. It’s a start. And Wren, I’m supposed to believe the two of you hit it off,” he grumbled, clearly suspicious, which he had every right to be. “You better be kind to him; he’s a sweet kid.”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to make sure he’s ok” Although I had let him leave alone. I should’ve brought him with me, but he had insisted on leaving. My teeth clenched, grinding a little to think about how he must’ve been so anxious all the way back to his place. I was already failing at this fake boyfriend stuff.

Coach rapped his knuckles on the desk twice. “Ok, and I’m gonna email the webmaster or whatever to get that post removed,” he said. “I wanna see you in here early with the team. So, don’t go wild for Jack’s birthday this evening.”

“Got it, Coach.”

Grabbing my bag from the floor, I swung it around my shoulder and as I left the office, I noticed Owen, peering out from the locker room. He vanished inside, as if I hadn’t already seen him.

“Hey,” I called out.

Owen was laced up in some old boots, unable to get too far. “Oh, hey, Luke,” he said, kicking the blade against the protective flooring. “I thought that was you in Coach’s office. He give you hell?”

In the blades, Owen was taller than me but only by an inch. He was one of the juniors, taking up the defense for the team. I couldn’t place the emotion on his face, but it looked like I’d caught him in the act. “No, we squared it all away,” I told him. “You good?”

“Me? I’m great. I was gonna head out on the ice while it’s empty. Gonna do some timed sprints.”

“I’m good, I’ve gotta see someone,” I said. “You’re sure you’re good.”

“Yeah, man. You think you’re gonna be suspended or something for a bit?” he asked.

He had to have been the one who took those screenshots and posted them. He’d wanted to be captain; he threw his name out a lot last season. It didn’t make sense why he would try and do it this way, considering once I graduated, he was a shoo-in for it, everyone like Owen, but now, I didn’t know if I could trust him. I didn’t know who I could trust right now.

Owen smirked, only biting into my thoughts about him being the one who knew what I’d said, and someone who would’ve searched my profile from all that far back.“Well, good luck,” he said, patting me on the shoulder and leaving to go to the rink.

I didn’t say a word; I had to keep my thoughts to myself right now. Anything I said could’ve fractured the team, and that wasn’t the right space we needed to be in before the season began. We had to be a strong team, and when the time was right, the answer would come to me. I would know who had tried to destroy my reputation.

* * *

Laid in bed, I stared at the ceiling. I’d texted Wren a couple of times already, and not even one of them had been responded to. I didn’t even know where he lived so I could physically check in on him. I feared I’d acted too haste with the entire plan. And now, it was the early evening, and he was expected to show up in an hour.

—I haven’t been ignoring you.Wren messaged me finally.

---