Page 43 of Of Pucking Course

I quickly type a reply and change the subject.

Me: It’s all good. You ready to annihilate the Demons tonight?

Del: Fuck yeah. Playoffs, here we come

I check the time. I’m due at the arena in four hours, so I should try and get a nap in to rest up before the game.

I down the rest of my protein shake and walk through the living room to the guest room, where my bed is now.

I shut the door and fall into bed, that guilty feeling still lingering inside of me. I close my eyes and hope that a few hours of sleep will make it go away…but deep down, I know it won’t.

Chapter 14

Dakota

Sophie’s big blue eyes are teary as she holds my hand across this small table at Bella’s coffee shop.

We’ve been nursing coffees and pastries here for the past hour while I worked up the nerve to tell her what Jake did the night before the reception.

Now that I have, it feels like a giant invisible weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It’s definitely not easy to talk about…But I feel a million times better now that I’ve told my best friend.

“That bastard.” Sophie sniffles. She squeezes my hand. “Are you okay?”

I nod. “I am now.”

She lets out a shaky breath and scoots her chair next to me, then hugs me.

“Dakota, I’m so sorry he did that to you.”

I close my eyes and hug my best friend tight.

She pulls away and holds my shoulders, looking me in the eye. “Does anyone else know what he did?”

I shake my head. “I was so embarrassed. I didn’t want to tell anyone.”

She nods like she understands. Her big blue eyes are pained and teary. She grabs a napkin from the table and wipes her eyes.

“I won’t say anything, I promise,” she says.

“I’m going to tell Ingrid, Maya, and Bella when we meet for lunch today,” I say. “They’re my close friends too. I don’t want to keep them in the dark.”

Sophie nods right as Bella walks up to us, a plate of croissants in hand.

She smiles. “Something to snack on…” Her smile fades when she sees our faces. “Are you two okay?”

Sophie and I look at each other. I turn to Bella. “There’s something I need to tell you over lunch. Ingrid and Maya, too.”

“Where are we meeting for lunch?” Bella asks.

“Would it be okay if we just go to Sam’s place?”

Bella nods. “I’ll get takeout. I’ll text Ingrid and Maya. We’ll all meet you there in an hour.”

She leans down to hug me. Her thick, gold-brown hair, which is tied up in a messy bun, tickles my cheek. I’m always surprised at her strength. At five-foot-three, she’s a couple of inches shorter than me and petite, but she possesses the strength of a Viking when she hugs.

When she releases me, she looks me in the eye. “We’re all here for you, Dakota. Whatever you need.”

Sophie nods. Emotion clogs my throat. I’m so lucky to have such supportive, amazing friends.

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