Page 31 of Pucking Matt
“Yeah, well,” I include. “Nobody made us eat the sushi. It was pretty disgusting though.”
Harvey's silent for a long moment, processing. His eyes are darting back and forth, like he's replaying every interaction with Amber in his head. Finally, he shakes his head. “Matt, this is messed up. Why didn't you tell me?”
I shrug, aiming for nonchalant but hitting somewhere closer to guilty. “Didn't want to drag you into it. I didn’t know you’d be interested in her. But now that you've invited her to the game and the party, I don’t know.”
Harvey nods slowly, pushing his plate away. “Yeah, I get it. Thanks for looking out for me, I guess.”
“So,” I say, breaking the heavy silence that's fallen over our table. “What are you going to do about the invite?”
Harvey runs a hand through his hair, looking conflicted. “I don't know, bro. I can't just uninvite them, that's not cool.”
I nod, understanding. “Yeah, that would be a dick move. Maybe just... keep your distance at the party? I can run interference if you want.”
“Or we could just ghost them. Stop going to the Grind Stone. I’ll block her number.”
“Damn, you’d do that for me?” I joke, sort of.
He nods, finally digging into his food.
I shake my head. “Nah, don’t do that.”
“Why not?” he asks, confused.
“You have Jen’s number too?”
He nods.
“Perfect. I need you to do something for me.”
Chapter 9
The bass of Doja Cat's latest hit thrums through my tiny apartment as Jen and I get ready for the hockey game. I'm perched on the edge of my bathtub, carefully applying eyeliner while Jen hogs the mirror, contouring her face with the precision of a plastic surgeon.
“I can't believe we're actually doing this,” I say, trying to keep my hand steady. “Going to a college hockey game like we're, you know, normal college students.”
Jen pauses her makeup application to shoot me a look. “Yeah. I would love to be a normal college student. But you have to admit, this is kind of exciting.”
I can't help but grin at her enthusiasm. It is kind of exciting, even if the thought of seeing Matt there makes my stomach churn. But I push that thought aside. Tonight isn't about him. It's about having fun, about reclaiming a bit of the college experience we've missed out on.
My phone buzzes, and I see a text from Riley.
Riley: Everything set for tonight's plan?
I smirk, thinking about the surprise I have in store for Matt.
Amber: Operation Humble the Hockey Star is a go.
Riley: Fuck yes. Text me the aftermath. I want all the juicy details.
“What are you smiling about?” Jen asks, eyeing me suspiciously in the mirror.
“It’s not Harvey,” I say in defense. I want to leave an open loop there in case something is there.
Jen doesn't look convinced, but she lets it go. “Okay, well, hurry up with that eyeliner. We don't want to be late.”
An hour later, we're walking into the hockey arena, and I'm immediately overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The place is buzzing with energy, students decked out in team colors, the smell of popcorn and hot dogs filling the air.
“Okay, I'll admit it,” I say to Jen as we find our seats. “This is pretty cool.”
