Page 23 of The Captain's Curfew
I shoot her a look.“I’m thedrama queen?”
“You are literally stomping around like a tortured prince in a period drama.”
I take a slow breath, clenching my jaw.“You need to fix this.”
Violet leans forward on her elbows, smirking.“Why?It’sgreatPR.You should be thanking me.”
I stare at her.“Youwantme to be a meme?”
She grins.“It’s too late.You already are.”
Practice is a nightmare.
Guys grin at me everywhere I turn like they’re in on some inside joke.CJ nearly falls over laughing when he skates up beside me, phone in hand.
“Dude.Dude.”
I ignore him.
“Logan.”
I keep skating.
He slides in front of me, blocking my path.“Youhaveto see this.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Oh, but youdo.”
Before I can escape, he holds up his phone, showing me a tweet with a slow-motion edit of me knocking a guy into the boards.It’s overlaid with some romantic indie song, and the caption reads:
He’d body-check the world for her.
CJ isdyinglaughing.“Man, you’re not even a hockey player anymore.You’re alove interest.”
I snatch the phone from his hand, scrolling through the comments.I instantly regret it.
I need him to ruin my life, respectfully.
The way he glares??It’s giving ‘grumpy boss who secretly has a soft spot for his sunshine girl’ vibes.
Violet, blink twice if you’re okay.
If Logan doesn’t pick her up and carry her out of the rink in a protective boyfriend moment, I’m suing.
I shove CJ’s phone back at him.“This needs to stop.”
He slaps me on the shoulder.“Oh, buddy.It’sneverstopping.”
By the time I get home, I’m running on fumes.I need food, sleep, and one night without the internet reminding me that I’ve been turned into some kind of hockey romance trope.
But the moment I walk through the door, Violet grins at me from the couch.
“So, how’s my favorite viral sensation?”
I exhale sharply.“Violet.”
“Logan.”
