She leans into my side. “Yes. But you shouldn’t be late for practice. So go. Score lots of goals.”
I chuckle. “It’s practice, babe. I save my scoring for the real thing.”
She elbows me playfully. “Ha, ha. Just go do your thing. I’ll see you tonight.”
I’m still smiling as I get into my truck.
And as I drive through the city to the stadium.
And it’s all because of Winter.
Who I can’t hook up with. One, because she’s my housemate, and two, because she’s Winter. We were always fire and gasoline. And judging by our fight earlier, nothing’s changed.
I need to stay focused on getting out of my slump, not fantasizing over a woman who’s leaving in six months and who I can’t be with anyway.
I’m fucked.
CHAPTERSEVEN
Winter
Wearing an ankle-length black skirt, aqua wraparound sweater, and strappy, open-toed shoes, I hustle into The Riverway.
“Winter!!!” Peyton calls out as she throws her arms around me. “I’m so glad you made it!”
Before I can answer her, Ashley Hill makes it a three-way hug. “Yay, the three of us together again!”
I pull back and smile at them. Peyton and Ashley, my two best girlfriends since we were in diapers.
No matter how far away I feel from my old life, Peyton and Ashley never fade into the past. They’ve been on my side from the beginning, and I know they always will be.
Peyton’s cream shirt contrasts with her dark hair perfectly, and Ashley’s purple tie-dye shirt and short skirt look great against her hazel eyes and auburn shoulder-length bob. I’m taller than both of them, and my naturally slim stature contrasts with their curvier figures. I always envied them their curves, and they wanted to be tall and thin. It’s human nature, I think, to want what we can’t have.
“We’ve got company tonight,” Peyton says. “Scott and Oliver are here. Already drinking.”
I laugh. “I could use a drink or two myself, to be honest. Maybe we should join them and get good and drunk.”
“Oh my God, let’s do it.” Ashley grabs my hand and pulls me toward the back table. “I want to know everything that’s going on with you. I feel like we haven’t really talked since you became a star!”
Peyton walks on my other side. “Ash and I sat in the front row at your show on Broadway and just kept poking each other, saying, ‘Can you believe that’s our best friend up there?’ I remember when your mother had you auditioning for that baby commercial. Seems like just yesterday.”
Ashley and I look at her and burst out laughing. “You do not remember that!” Ashley says. “You were a baby, too!”
Peyton shrugs. “It’s a legendary story around here. I feel like I remember it personally.”
Peyton’s big brother, Oliver, rushes me when I reach the table. He picks me up, and her boyfriend, Scott, hands me a beer while I beg for Oliver to put me down.
“Haven’t seen you in forever, Ms. Allen.” He kisses my cheek, and as he returns me to the ground, Scott greets me before Ashley wraps her arms around me in another hug.
“Welcome home,” she says to me quietly. “I know you didn’t want to leave Manhattan, but maybe the time away will be good for you.”
I look into her hazel eyes, nearly the same color as Peyton’s but with a dash more pain. Ashley would understand what I’m going through. My situation was different than hers, but we both know what it’s like to deal with abuse. I trust her. I just don’t want to talk to anyone about what happened to me.
We all sit down, and I take a big sip of my beer.
“And guess who we texted?” Oliver says with a sideways glance at me. “Our hockey friend.”
Peyton turns on Oliver. “You should have known better than that! No inviting Hunter here tonight. I went over this with you!”
