Page 116 of Wild About You
Scarlett snorts and then her gaze scans the ice. Tyler keeps looking up into the stands to the seat next to me.
He plays it off by smiling at me right after, but I know he’s checking to see if Everly is here. It breaks my heart to see him like this. Everly and her mom are spending the day together, so I haven’t had a chance to talk to her and see where her head is with everything. I thought they were coming to the game. We saved them seats, but we’re minutes from puck drop and it doesn’t look like they’re going to make it.
“How is he?” Scarlett asks.
“Quiet,” I answer. “He barely spoke last night or this morning. He won’t say that he hopes she stays because he doesn’t want to sway her decision, but he’s going to be sad if she goes.”
Scarlett gives me a reassuring smile. “It isn’t just him. I have never seen them all look so dejected over something non-hockey related.”
“I thought it was just me projecting.”
“No. They’re really upset. Some of them just because they feel bad for Tyler, but they all got pretty attached to that little spitfire.”
“Me too.”
Scarlett reaches over and squeezes my arm.
When the game starts, I settle in. Watching the guys play I forget about everything going on until Everly takes the seat next to me.
“Hi. You’re here.” I move my coat off the armrest to give her more room. “We thought you might have left already.”
“Left? No, I’m not going anywhere.” She says it all with such teenage indifference like we all haven’t been stressing over her decision all day that it makes me laugh.
“You’re staying?”
“Y-yeah,” she says slowly, giving me a curious look with a small smile.
“Really?! For good?”
The small smile on her face falls. “At least until graduation. After that it depends on if I get into college or not.” She looks down at her hands quickly, then back at me. “I’m sorry. I know it’s weird having the tag-along little sister hanging—”
I lunge for her and throw my arms around her shoulders. She freezes at my outburst, but then laughs. “I guess you’re not mad.”
“No. I’m so glad. Have you told Tyler?”
“Not yet.” She shakes her blonde head.
“But your mom…”
“She still isn’t one hundred percent on board, but I told her about all the things you and Tyler, and the guys, have done for me.”
“And that convinced her?”
She bobs her head side to side. “Not exactly, but when I showed her my report card, she was shocked. I’ve never had all As and Bs before. She’s here. She’s getting popcorn.”
I hug her again. I can’t help myself. Tyler is going to be ecstatic, and I guess I am too.
A moment later, Everly and Tyler’s mom, Stephanie, shuffles down the aisle and takes the seat on the other side of her daughter.
She hands Everly a drink and our eyes meet. I give her a polite smile. One decent decision doesn’t undo all the hurt she’s caused, but it’s a start.
I find Tyler coming off the ice from his shift and taking a seat on the bench. A glimmer of happiness crosses his face when he sees Ev, and something else when he sees his mom.
“Is this the first time she’s seen him play?” I lean closer to whisper.
Everly nods. “Since he was like fifteen or something.”
“Wow,” I mouth the word.
