Chapter one
Laur
The warm August sun shines bright on campus in Frostburg, Michigan. Somehow the summer flew by. In a few weeks, the West Michigan Wyverns hockey team will start their normal practice schedule. Meanwhile, my palms are perpetually sweating with anxiety as I prepare to lead the Wyverns’ Student Marketing and PR Program for my senior year.
Out of the kindness of her heart, Bren, my cousin, best friend, and previous leader of the program, helped Libby and me conduct interviews over the summer before her sad departure. Bren literally bounced with joy when she received the opportunity to work in the PR department for the Red Wings NHL team a few months ago. She barged into my room and jumped on my bed, waking me up way too early. I’m just glad she left me with my new best friend Libby I met here at West last year.
Last season was unforgettable. The Wyverns made it all the way to the Frozen Four. Even though they didn’t make it to the championship game, the team was H-O-T,hot. Not to toot my own horn, but the marketing and PR team went above and beyond last season. We published articles inUSA Hockey Magazine, ran contests for signed posters raising an insane amount of money for our new main charity—the Nick Bellinger Foundation—and sold custom jerseys and calendars, both of which SOLD OUT! The hockey team quickly became the most popular crew on campus.
My heart races with excitement. All the new members of my marketing and PR team are finally here. An enormous smile overtakes myface knowing I’ll get to introduce some of the new members to the hockey team today!
We selected two new sophomores and one new junior to join the small but mighty team. The new members have a much more diverse background outside of hockey, which I think will work to our advantage. Libby and I both have family ties to the sport—we practically bleed hockey—so I think the diverse background will really work to our advantage with getting even more engagement outside of just the school.
One of the sophomore girls, Raven, doesn’t have any big connection to hockey, but has a great social media background with fashion and fundraising. My heart practically leaps out of my chest when I reviewed her application, eager for someone with extensive fundraising experience to join our team. She even transferred from another school to take the opportunity!
The sounds of skates and pucks scraping against the ice fill the air as I lead the girls into the arena while the guys are practicing. They trail behind me like precious, innocent little ducklings. Coach spots me and signals to give the team five more minutes.
Warmth fills me as my eyes find Lucas Donato—the captain of the team and my hotshot sexy boyfriend—in the sea of players on the ice. No matter how many times I see Lucas play hockey, my heart flutters every time I see him in his element.
After a few drills, Coach blows the whistle for the team to circle up and pauses practice, letting us have our planned interruption. I swoon as Lucas Donato tells the team to listen up at the introductions and instructions from me. He gives me a wink as I open my mouth to start my spiel, but someone else speaks up first.
“Hi, Luc.” Raven interrupts in a coy tone. Raven, the ironically-blonde sophomore transfer, stares bright-eyed at Lucas, a flirtatious smile curling her freshly glossed lips.
A knot forms in my stomach. I’m used to girls gawking at Lucas, but this is the last place I expected to witness it.
“Raven?” Lucas’ beautiful golden-brown eyes fill with recognition and confusion. How does he know Raven? She called him Luc. It’s clear they know each other well . . .
Nausea threatens to consume me, but I keep my cool as I introduce the new girls, including Raven, and give the hockey team a quick rundown of interviews we will be conducting over the next few weeks.
Before I turn to leave with the rest of the girls, Lucas grabs my arm and pulls me to him. Jaw clenched and nostrils flaring, he steams with frustration.
“Lauren, how the hell is my ex-girlfriend part of your PR and marketing team? And why the hell is she?”
My heart plummets into my stomach. Lucas only has one ex-girlfriend that I’m aware of. I don’t know her name or age, but I do know she wanted him to give up hockey . . . they broke up his freshmen year because of it.
How did I not know that Raven Matthews, the new sophomore lead onmyteam, was his ex-girlfriend?
More importantly, how the hell am I going to get through this season with my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend not only working closely with me but being around him 24/7? I just started finally working through my own past relationship trauma . . .
Now, I have no hope that this season is going to be less stressful, less traumatic, or less dramatic than last season.
In fact, I have a feeling it’s going to be the exact opposite. It seems like one of my precious ducklings isn’t so innocent.
AFew Months Earlier
Chapter two
Laur
Summer in West Michigan is going to be heavenly. Last summer, I was a depressed mess with the loss of my brother, confining myself to my parents’ house in Morgan, Illinois. I’ve never spent the summer away from my hometown. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to a summer just actually doing something and being somewhere other than the middle of nowhere, where there’s one stop light and the closest Target is a half hour away.
With preparing to take over as lead for the Wyverns Student Marketing and PR team, I know I have a lot of work ahead. My stomach twists and turns with nerves, knowing I’m about to take the reins. Bren was the best leader the team could have asked for. Luckily, she will be around long enough to help Libby and me review applications.
Both horrified and honored by the amount of printouts, Bren, Libby, and I sift through the piles of applications in the living room. The applications seem never ending. Luckily with three of us, we can divide and conquer—each of us taking a third of the applications and selecting our top twenty. From there, we’ll collectively agree on twenty to interview.
“How many more do you have left in your piles?” Libby groans, “We’ve spent so many hours already today.”
Twenty out of five hundred didn’t seem like much, until I remember the various rounds of interviews. The knot in my stomach sinks lower.
