He hums. “You’re certainly not what I expected.”
“People say that a lot,” I reply, keeping my smile razor-edged.
He doesn’t even blink. “Tell me, do you actually play hockey? Or is it just for the content?”
“I’m captain of the Lakeview women’s team,” I say. “We’re ranked second in the division right now. I’ve been on the ice since I was five.” What a ridiculous question. Would he ask that if I were a guy?
“Hm.” His lips twitch in something that might be a smile if it weren’t so condescending. “I suppose there’s a kind of novelty in that.”
I squeeze the stem of my glass so hard it digs into my hand. “I’m glad you find my lifelong passion novel.”
The moment stretches. Then someone calls his name, and he excuses himself as if I’m not even worthy of his criticism.
After I roam around shooting brief anonymous videos for a day in the life post, I scan the room, searching for Beau. He’s across the room, close to the hallway leading to the restrooms. It’s like he was trying to escape his current conversation.
I’m skirting the edge of the room when his father’s voice catches my attention. It’s imprinted in my brain now, disdainful words echoing on repeat. He’s speaking in a low, confidential tone, talking to a man with a face flushed from too many drinks.
“... he’s always been good at hockey, but it’s a hobby. He knows that. He’s well aware of his duty. The family business is where he belongs. I’m already getting him ready to take over the GMH partnership as soon as he graduates.”
It takes me a second to breathe again.
Hockey? A hobby? Everything in me twists. I don’t even think. I just head in the direction I last saw him. A woman in a flowy black gown gives me a dirty look when I brush past her in my hurry.
Beau’s smile is strained, and his eyes keep flicking toward the hallway as he talks to a small group of people. I tug on his arm.
His annoyance shifts to relief after he turns to spot me. “Luna?”
“Take me home.”
“What?”
“I want to leave.”
His smile falters. “I can’t just bust out of here like that. I’ve got to stay at least until my father makes his speech.”
I step closer. “Did you know your dad is telling people that hockey’s just a phase for you?”
His whole body stiffens. “He is? What a dick.”
“He said you’ll fall in line. That the game is beneath the Whitakers.”
His jaw tightens. “That is what he thinks. It’s not what I think, though.”
“So, you’re going to declare for the draft?”
He swallows hard. “It’s complicated.”
“No. It’s really not. Either you love this or you’re pretending. Do you know what I’d give to be in your shoes? To be able to make hockey my professional career? But as a woman, I don’t get that opportunity. A startup pro women’s league with only six teams is a pipe dream. But you have the talent and the opportunity.”
“I love hockey, but I also have responsibilities.”
“To who?” My voice cracks. “To the family that doesn’t even respect you enough to take your dreams seriously?”
“Luna.”
“No. You don’t get to shut me down with a vague tone and sad puppy eyes. Do you want this life? Really?”
He rubs a hand over his jaw. “It’s not about what I want. It’s what I have to do.”
