Page 12 of Power Play
“Yes. You’re skating like someone put nails in your jockstrap.”
I huff out a laugh despite myself. “She looked so…” I break off, shake my head. “Never mind.”
But I can’tnotmind. She looked likeeverything.
In that dress, with her hair all loose and flowing down the velvet skin on her back, the neckline daring and the way she laughed. God, the way she laughed when I whispered that we were about to present “the least prestigious award known to mankind”, it was perfect. For about three minutes.
Then Little Miss Tabloid Girl waltzed up, latched onto my arm like a barnacle, and acted as if we were on a date.
Sophie stepped back like the ground wasn’t safe anymore.
And I let her.
I didn’t go after Sophie. I hate that part.
I skate the next drill like a man possessed and put two more pucks straight into the net with enough velocity to make Coach raise an eyebrow.
“Better,” he mutters.
Murph the Mascot is on a break today. Murphy the Mopey Bastard is in.
After practice, I shower quickly, tug on my hoodie, and head out, hoping no one stops me. Of course someone does.
“Murphy!” Ollie barrels down the hallway, grinning, a towel draped over one shoulder. “You coming to Mia’s later? She’s making nachos and Dylan promised to be emotionally available.”
“I think I’m out tonight, mate.”
Ollie frowns. “Younevermiss nachos.”
“I’m in mourning.”
“Oh. For Sophie?”
I glare.
He holds up his hands. “Okay! I’ll stop. But maybe go talk to her? You looked as though you were about to propose mid-gala and then she disappeared faster than a goalie at a pub quiz.”
“She saw me with someone else and assumed the worst,” I mutter. “And I didn’t fix it.”
“Well, you’renotdating anyone else, right?”
“No!”
“Then tell her that. Or better yet,showher. Don’t be an idiot, Murph.”
“Harder than it looks,” I grumble. He punches my arm, grins, and jogs off. I should text her. I pull out my phone. Stare at it and then lock it again.
Coward.
Later that night, I’m alone on my couch with a half-eaten takeaway and a repeat ofBake Offthat Sophie once mocked me for rewatching. I don’t even like this episode. The meringue collapsed and the whole tent reeked of regret.
But I can’t sleep.
I can’t stop thinking about the look in her eyes when she told me at game night, ‘It didn’t feel like a bad idea.’
It didn’t. Itdoesn’t. Unless I mess it up again. I rub a hand over my face and finally grab my phone and open my messages.
Murphy: You looked beautiful last night. I’m sorry that moment got ruined.
