Page 56 of Slapshot
“Vivian and I get each other. She’s one of the first real friends I’ve ever had. And Dylan, my ex, well… as much as I’d like to put that on him, I’m the one who lit the match.” Her blue eyes briefly meet mine. “I cheated on him. I know how awful that sounds. No, not just how awful it sounds—how awful it was. He was spending weekends with my roommate and lying about it, and I just needed to know how he really felt.”
My heart is hammering in my chest. “So, you cheated on him?”
“I wanted to get his attention. I needed to know if he cared. So, yes, I went to the multicultural house and made out with a lacrosse player right in front of his roommate, knowing it’d get back to him.” She glances at me through thick lashes and haunted eyes. “Do you hate me?”
“No, of course not.” I am definitely thrown though. I never would have pegged Kaitlyn as someone who’d cheat.
“I kind of hate me for it, so I get it if you do too.” Her voice breaks and she pauses, closes her eyes as if she’s trying to regain composure, and then says, “I almost cheated on a test and then cheated for real on my boyfriend. Cheaters are the worst.” Tears pool in her eyes and one slides down her cheek.
“Almost cheated on a test? I thought you said the reason you got kicked out of your last school was because you got caught cheating.”
“A friend of a friend sent me the answer key. I didn’t use it, I swear. I wanted to. I was failing philosophy. And I might as well have because the email showing he sent it to me was enough to get me kicked out.”
“I’m sorry. That sucks.”
“It’s super embarrassing. Of course everyone assumed I had and I didn’t bother correcting them.”
“Why not? You shouldn’t have been punished for something you didn’t do.”
“What’s the point? Once people have a certain image of you in their mind, it’s hard to convince them otherwise.” She finishes off the wine and then smiles sadly as she wipes under her eyes. “If I were you, I’d probably get out now.”
“Is that why you told me? To see if I’d run?”
“Maybe.” Her voice is small.
I take her into my arms. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Does it scare me a little that she might try to blow things up, including my heart? Definitely. But I also want to prove to her that there are people who will believe her, and who will be there no matter how hard she tries to push them away.
17
Kaitlyn
On the day of the career fair, Lex walks me over to the event on the way to his morning classes.
“What time is your interview?” he asks as we stop outside of the building. Students are pouring inside in their suits and dress attire.
“Ten. I think I’ll walk around and talk to a few other companies, try to calm my nerves.”
“You’re going to be great.” He squeezes my hand. “Have you talked to your dad?”
“No.” I shake my head. “He texted to let me know he was here and see if I wanted to grab dinner, but we have practice.”
Lex nods thoughtfully. I can tell he wants to ask more, push me to open up about my dad, but he doesn’t. That’s one of my favorite things about him. He holds my hand and just lets me be. I know he’s here if I need him, and I appreciate it, but his devotion isn’t conditional.
“Do you want me to walk you in?”
“No, I think I got it from here.” I palm his cheek, resting my thumb on the cleft in his chin, and give him a quick chaste kiss. “See you later, handsome.”
Companies are set up around the large conference room. Folding tables covered by cloth banners take up nearly every inch of the four walls. Middle-aged men and women with big, friendly smiles stand ready to greet eager prospects.
Clutching my portfolio with my printed resume and samples for the interview, I fall into the crowd and scan the banners, looking for companies I might want to talk to. I don’t really have a backup plan if I don’t get the internship with Hawthorne. Vivian offered to let me crash with her at her parent’s summer house in the Hamptons.
Maybe by then I won’t even need a job, but I still think I want one. I’ve enjoyed working with the hockey team. And even though Coach Keller hired me because of my dad, I’ve proven to the team and myself that I am capable of doing a good job. For the first time, I feel like I have a tiny piece of the hockey world that’s my own.
Dalager Sports is easy enough to spot even if my dad’s dark hair and tall stature weren’t familiar to me. They have a huge banner with the logo and a line of students waiting to talk and push resumes into his hand.
I approach him slowly, cutting through the line and coming up on his side. His gaze darts to me and then back to the student he’s talking to. It must take a second for him to realize who he’s seen, but then he looks back to me and his mouth pulls into a grin.
