Page 132 of Stick It
“Convincing?” Kyle fills in, huffing a quiet laugh. “Yeah. I’m sure she did.” He shakes his head, another soft chuckle escaping. “Bench bunny suddenly sounds a lot more fitting.”
I grimace, turning away to stare absently out the window. Even now, the thought of him—of anyone—referring to her that way pisses me off. I hated it when Selena did it, although telling her to stop only made her do it more, but the thought of all that shit starting all over again pisses me off. Even though it shouldn’t. Dylan’s true colors have been revealed now.
And I should be fucking done. Done with her. Done with this tangled mess of emotions gnawing on my gut any time I think of her, scent her bodywash in the bathroom, spy her from across the room.
“I hate that it had to happen this way,” he says a while later as we pull up to a lookout spot halfway up the mountain that overlooks Blackstone. Lights sparkle against the night sky, the lights of civilization competing with the stars above. “But at least now you know the truth.”
The truth. The word tastes bitter in my mouth.
And yet, something in his voice gives me pause.
Had to happen this way.
I frown, turning those words over in my head.
“Didyouput together that video?” All the pieces slot into place. Our conversation the other week. Running into him in The Stanley right after that kiss with Dylan, The lack of surprise when the music cut out right before third period. “You did, didn’t you?”
There’s no contrition on his face. No guilt or shame. Equally, there’s no smugness either. He just stares expectantly back at me. Waiting.
“Why?”
“Because I need you to see—all of you to see—who she is. She doesn’t care about you. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s trying to fracture the team from the inside so when scouts come, she looks like the best one of us on the ice.”
My brow furrows, but I don’t say anything.
He shakes his head. “I didn’t even share the worst of it, man.”
“What do you mean?” I ask almost nervously. How can there bemore?
He hesitates just long enough to make my pulse spike. Then he pulls out his phone, taps the screen, and turns it toward me. The video plays, shaky and grainy, but clear enough. Dylan and Coach.
Coach’s hand on her back, lingering just a second too long. Dylan standing too close, her expression one of joy and affection I’ve never seen on her before. Coach hugging her on the front stoop of his house, late enough at night that the lights inside glow through his windows.
“I don’t—” I cut myself off, unable to say any more.
Kyle sighs, the sound heavy. “Apparently she was sleeping with her old coach too. It’s just what she does.” He shrugs casually, like he’s not destroying every single image of the girl I thought I knew. “She might be a great player—I’m not disputing that—but she’s got some serious issues.”
The recording he’s taken plays again, and I stare at the screen in shock. Every muscle in my body is locked up tight.
She played us. Lied to us. And we fell for it.
Anger flares hot in my chest, burying away whatever was left of the doubt I’d been harboring. I look up at Kyle, my jaw tight. “We need to tell the others. They need to see this.”
Kyle nods, his expression solemn. “Yeah. They do.”
40
JAX
“There must besome sort of explanation.”
The words fall out of my mouth before I can stop them, shattering the silence that’s been weighing down the locker room like a fucking tomb since the rest of the team piled out, heading to The Stanley to celebrate our win. Unsurprisingly, no one stopped to ask if we were coming, probably sensing that we weren’t in the mood. Even Ethan didn’t try to muster the enthusiasm to go, even though usually, if the team is out, he is too, wanting to keep an eye on everyone and make sure no one celebrates too hard.
He hasn’t said a word since we got off the ice. Even now, his arms are crossed as he sits on the bench farther down from me, his jaw clenched so tightly I swear I can hear his teeth grinding.
Griffin doesn’t hesitate. “Of course there is.” His tone is firm, leaving no room for doubt. I glance his way, wondering how he can be so confident. He saw what I did—what the entire arena did.
I want to believe him, but my mind won’t stop churning. Dylan told us she had issues with her old team. That they didn’t get along. But she also dated Lucas. What if there were others?What if, once she burned bridges, she just started fresh at a new school—new team, new guys, new game?
