Page 42 of Just My Puck
I feel like I’ve just gone to war. Actually, that’s not too far off. I almost had to fight a kid for the last ice-skating rink set. Thankfully, his mom said he couldn’t have it, so I didn’t have to.
Sadly, there was no Raptors-branded set, but I’m planning to grab some Raptors stickers and keychains from Rise & Grind to customize it.
After paying for the box, I exit this behemoth of a store and find the girls tucked into a corner of the coffee shop across the street. I order myself a latte and join them.
“You made it!” Beth says, standing to give me a hug. “I can’t believe it.”
“You were pretty fast too,” Marissa adds. “Did you find what you wanted?”
I nod, a smile spreading on my lips. “I did.” I grab the box out of the plastic bag, careful not to tear the gift bag they gave me to wrap it at home. Nearly vibrating with excitement, I show the girls. “Caleb loves building these. I was thinking I could buy some Raptors stickers and stuff to customize the box.”
“I love that idea,” Marissa says. “You can totally take whatever you want from the coffee shop. Actually, I should tell Jenna about this—she’s the PR manager. Maybe they could do a collab and bring an actual set to life.”
“That’d be awesome.” I hug the box to my chest. “I hope Caleb likes this one. It’ll be a little homemade, but it’s the only idea that came to me.”
“Don’t worry,” Beth says. “I’m sure he will love it. From what you’ve told us, it sounds like the perfect gift.”
I nod, stowing the gift and lacing my hands around my mug. As I sip my latte, my thoughts drift to Caleb and how he’ll react when he opens my gift. I see him beaming, then wrapping his arms around me, his clean cotton scent infusing my senses.
“You like him, don’t you?” Marissa asks with a gleam in her eye.
My cheeks catch fire, and I glance away. “No. Why? Who?”
She and Beth exchange a knowing look.
“Caleb, of course,” Marissa says.
I swallow hard, staring down at my mug. “Sure. I mean, I like him, but not in that way.”
“It’s fine if you do,” Beth says. “Our lips are sealed.”
I sigh, biting my lip. “Okay, I guess I do feel something for him, but it’s hard to pinpoint what those feelings are. Could just be some kind of Stockholm syndrome, you know?”
Marissa scrunches her eyebrows. “Isn’t that when you’ve been kidnapped?”
I shrug. “Yeah, but you know what I mean. He’s taken me in, introduced me to his friends. We’re living together, and he’s so nice all the time.”
“Savior syndrome, maybe?” Beth suggests. “Not sure if it’s a thing, but it certainly fits.”
“Yes.” I nod. “That sounds more accurate. So, yeah. I don’t know if it’s a bad case of savior syndrome or if it’s something more.”
“It’s kind of exciting, though,” Marissa says, clapping her hands. “I’ve never seen Caleb with anyone before. Even when we attend galas or charity events, he always brings one of his sisters as his date, or his mom.”
“Yeah,” Beth says with a small frown. “That’s true. He’s the most mature guy on the team, though, so it’s a shame. I’m sure he’d be a great boyfriend.”
“I agree,” Marissa says, twirling her coffee with a spoon. “I don’t know why he’s not dating, but when we were playing Pictionary, there was definitely a vibe between you two. And not just on your end.”
“Really?” I blurt out, my cheeks warming. I know I felt a spark, especially with that hug and all those fleeting glances, but I convinced myself it was just me.
“So true,” Beth says to Marissa, then turns to me with a smirk. “Andyou were wearing his jersey. That’s always a big deal to players.”
“It is?” I frown. “Why?”
“It’s like a ‘claim’ thing, you know? To show the world that you’re his girl and vice versa.”
“Wait a second. Thousands of people wear his jersey.”
“But they don’t know him personally,” Marissa says, popping a forkful of her chocolate cake in her mouth. “That’s the difference.”
