Page 40 of Puck You
“What about faster or—”
“Oh, don’t even go there,” Caroline interrupted.“You and Grace were neck and neck during sprints.”
I was playing devil’s advocate for the sake of pushing Grace’s buttons.The womenwereexcellent hockey players.Their record was proof, and their performance today a reminder.None of this ridiculous back-and-forth had ever been about skill level or who deserved what.It had always been about ensuring my success on the ice and increasing my chances of going pro.
“We can all agree strength and size doesn’t automatically equate to skill level,” Lydia said.
“That applies off the ice as well,” snickered Landon.
A chorus of laughter rose from the group.The sound was a shock to my system.I looked around the rink, surprised at the sense of ease I felt being surrounded by players from the women’s team.Even with Grace just a few feet away, I was more relaxed than I had been in weeks.Had I been sabotaging myself this whole time, or was this just the calm before the storm?I looked to my left and caught Grace watching me.
“Do I have something on my face?”I asked.
“The look of a smug asshole who thinks he’s better than everyone.”
At her words, a tingle of excitement shot down my spine.Iknewshe wouldn’t be able to make it through today without insulting me, especially after I’d teased her about the handsome comment.
“So much for being civil.”
“The truth can be a hard reality,” she said.
“Is that why it took you so long to admit that I’m handsome?”
Grace scoffed.“Are you ever going to let that go?Everyone thinks you’re hot.It’s not your looks that are the problem.”
“Oh, yeah?Then what is?”
“The stick that’s clearly still lodged up your—”
“Why don’t we channel all of this energy into something more productive than bickering?”suggested Lydia.The right winger had finally managed to pull herself into a sitting position, her discarded helmet lying a few inches away on the ice beside Grace’s.
“What do you mean?”
“Showing off and trying to best each other in practice today was a productive way to channel your negative feelings for one another,” she explained, eyes darting back and forth between me and Grace.
Who did she think she was, our therapist?
“A competition could be a good idea,” Caroline said.“Clearly, you both feel the need to prove the other wrong.Sebastian thinks he’s the best, and Grace thinks he’s a sexist prick.”
“No one said sexist,” I pointed out.
Grace chuckled.“Oh, I’ve definitely called you sexist.Justnot today.Or to your face.”
I rolled my eyes and turned to Caroline.She had a point.There was tension between Grace and me, a tension that had the power to cause more trouble than we’d already gotten ourselves into.Maybe if I was focused on beating Grace, I’d be less focused on how angry I was about the article.Or how badly I wanted to sleep with her.Or that stupidPuck Yousign.
“What about a bet?”I proposed, Caroline’s voice playing in mind.Sebastian thinks he’s the best, and Grace thinks he’s a sexist prick.“Grace, do you remember that man from the gala?The one I was speaking to before you ran into me?”
She sighed.“What does this have to do with anything?”
“That was Elijah Peters.He’s a close family friend and a very wealthy alumnus of Dallard.He’s going to make a large donation to the men’s hockey program at the end of the season.”I paused for dramatic effect.“If you can match or better my stats for the season, I’ll convince him to split the donation between the men’s and the women’s teams.”
The annoyance on her face melted away.She glanced between Caroline and Lydia.There seemed to be some sort of silent communication taking place.Behind them, Kent watched in clear fascination.He pushed himself up from the ice and onto his skates.
“How do you know he’ll agree to that?”Lydia asked.
“He’s very close with my family.If I ask him to split his donation, he will.Plus, he met Grace at the gala.I could tell he liked her.”
“What kind of stats are we talking here?”Bryce asked, chiming in to the conversation.I hadn’t even noticed him at the edge of the rink, leaning against the barrier.Given that we’d barely exchanged more than a few words since our conversationon Halloween, I assumed this was his way of letting me know that everything was good between us.
