Page 81 of Heart Check
“I’m going to talk to Mr. Lewis about you,” Sabrina says with a grin during a lull.
I blink, old visions of being reported for sabotage dancing through my head. “What?”
“He’s the Spirit Committee adviser. I want to see if we can work with you to create merchandise for the other athletics programs too! Would you be down for that?”
When I recover from the shock, I can’t nod quickly enough. It’s the perfect project to take on. I can’t imagine how much I could make that way—how good it would look on my grant and college applications.
That kind of thing might actually put me on the map.
And even if I’m the one who took the final shot, as Dawson might say, it would’ve never happened without his help. I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for him. He introduced me to Sabrina. He brought me into this circle.
Without him, would I have even been able to create any of this? Felt like I could be a part of this community?
Then a cheer erupts from the students around me, everyone turning like flowers toward the sun.
The team’s here.
30.HARPER
When the hockey team poursout the doors of the locker room in a flood of blue, my heart hammers right out of my chest. All I want is to see Dawson. To congratulate him on that goal—on his win—to make sure he’s okay—
The desperation is undeniable. I can’t possibly pretend I don’t have feelings for him anymore.
I just have to hope he still has feelings for me, too. That Noah was wrong. That his bracelets mean something.
Fans carrying bouquets of flowers block my view, and I keep bobbing back and forth, trying to get a clear view of Dawson’s face. My heart twists in my chest. I wish I had some flowers.
Next time,I promise myself. There has to be a next time.
“Customers!” Marissa hisses from the other side of the table, and I do my best to snap back to attention. But my eyes have locked onto one pair of broad shoulders through the crowd, and I can’t look away. It’s like the moment he emerged from the crowd at the small business fair, but there’s no way he could sneak up on me now. It’s like every cell in my body is attuned to his presence.
I want to run toward him, but we’re swarmed by customers, and he’s not coming my way. I frown, staring after him, willing him to take a step toward our table. To show me he hasn’t given up on us.
Alex is beaming ear to ear, gripping the hand of an equally smiley Max. Max keeps miming like he’s swinging a hockey stick, and I think he’s reenacting Alex’s goal. I can’t help smiling—he deserves that celebration and more.
Ryan’s surrounded by a circle of fans, everyone trying to get close enough to touch his jersey or get him to recount a story. He tosses his glorious blond locks and holds out a bicep to squeeze, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to suppress my smile.
I don’t spot Noah. Either they never let him out of that penalty box, or he’s sulking in the locker room somewhere. Both are fine by me.
The players move aside enough for me to finally catch another glimpse of Dawson. He’s talking to a man I don’t recognize, one who’s wearing some kind of sporty jacket with an unfamiliar insignia. It looks like a little hockey puck. Not ours, not Northview’s…
It must be a scout. The Steel? My spirits leap, an overwhelming hope buoyant in my chest. Thank God someone saw him play like that. It’s everything he’s been working toward all these years, and no one deserves the opportunity more. I know that for sure now.
“You okay?” Marissa raises an eyebrow at me.
I roll my eyes, searching for a snarky comeback—I’d like to seeherstay focused under these circumstances—but then her eyes glaze over and her mouth drops open.
I turn back to Dawson to see a tall woman has joined him and the scout.
“That’s Sophie Ko,” Marissa hisses.
I blink. “Who?”
I’ve never seen Marissa so close to murder.
“Sophie Ko of theIndependent.” She’s half out of her seat. “If I covered sports, she’d be my role model. I mean, she already kind of is. She’s the only woman reporter on the sports section, and she won an award last year after she did that piece on the football team. I’d love to pick her brain sometime.”
We’re both watching just as intently as we followed the game on the ice an hour ago.
