Page 79 of Exes That Puck
“Cool. This weekend then.”
This weekend is in like two days. And Zeke has an away game. “Okay.”
“I’ll message you here. See you later, Kare.”
“Okay. Bye.”
When the call ends, I stare at my phone screen, feeling flustered and confused. Did I just make a massive mistake? I want Zeke—I know I want Zeke—but seeing Josh’s face brought back feelings I thought I’d completely buried.
Twenty minutes later, Payton bursts through the door, immediately launching into details about her spy mission on Tori’s date.
“She ordered the salmon, he got pasta, they split dessert—which is a good sign, right? Sharing food means—” She stops mid-sentence, studying my face. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head, then change my mind. “Do you remember Josh?”
“Josh?” She thinks for a moment. “You mean your ex? From freshman year?”
“We Face Timed.”
Payton basically screams. “What!”
“It sounds worse than it actually was. He just called to say hi and told me he’ll be in town this weekend. He asked to see me.”
“What!” She screams again. “But I thought you and Zeke were—”
“We are. I mean we’re not.” I run my hands through my hair. “I don’t know why I said yes. I should cancel.”
Payton sits on her bed, facing me fully. “Maybe you shouldn’t cancel. Maybe this will be good for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, maybe you should see if what you’re feeling with Zeke is real or just... familiar.”
I consider this, my mind spinning. Josh represents the person I was before Zeke—less complicated, less intense. Being with him was easy in a way that being with Zeke never has been. But easy doesn’t always mean right, does it? And what Zeke and I have now feels different from before. Healthier. More intentional.
But what if Payton’s right? What if I’m just falling back into old patterns because they’re comfortable?
“Plus,” Payton continues, “didn’t Zeke date Ava’s best friend from high school?”
I look at her sharply. “What about it?”
She shrugs. “Isn’t her best friend going to want to check in on Ava while she’s here? You know, be supportive during her breakup?”
Jealousy flashes hot and immediate in my chest. I hadn’t thought about that. Of course Ava’s friends would want to see her, support her through this difficult time. And if one of those friends happened to be Zeke’s ex...
I don’t say anything, letting Payton fill the silence with more details about Tori’s date until we finally turn off the lights. But as I lie in the dark, my mind races between two very different possibilities for my weekend, and I’m not sure which one scares me more.
29
The PR seminar takes place in a sterile conference room that smells like stale coffee and disappointment. The facilitator, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes, starts with the basics.
“Rule one: apologize without using ‘but.’ The moment you add ‘but,’ you’re making excuses.”
She has us practice writing apologies for hypothetical scenarios. When it’s my turn to read mine aloud, I keep it simple, “I’m sorry for letting my emotions affect my performance and my team. I take full responsibility.”
No buts. No explanations about Liam being a dick or the pressure getting to me. Just ownership.
The community skate afterward is exactly what I need. Little kids wobbling around on the ice, parents cheering from the stands, pure joy without the weight of competition. I spend most of my time helping kids lace their skates and showing them how to stop without falling.
