It doesn’t bother me. I’ve been in the headlines several times now—first with my rise to the league then with my accident. People are curious creatures and tend to fixate on people, bands or celebrities for a million reasons. I can’t please the masses, so I decided early on to live my life by my own terms.
“This is so weird,” Riley says, ducking her head and shuffling as fast as she can out of the nursing home.
I open the car door for her. “They probably saw the news about my deal with the Lucky Strikers.”
“I don’t think that’s it. No one was smiling. They were all… judgey.” Riley swings her legs into the truck. “I’ll google your name just in case.”
I stretch my arm over the car door and smirk down at her. “That rolled off the tongue. How often have you googled my name, Riles?”
I expect a sharp comeback, an insistence that she would never do such a thing.
Instead, Riley’s face turns shockingly white.
My good mood evaporates.
I straighten instantly. “What is it?”
Riley looks up slowly, “Layla called us out in her podcast.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
RILEY
“Everyone knows Nathan Campbell as the hockey golden-boy. He had a rollercoaster of a journey. Once, he was at the height of his career, even dubbed ‘The new Chance McLanely’.
Then his car got totaled during that winter storm incident. And now, he’s built himself back up to the point that he just—I mean this is fresh off the press here—he just got signed with the Lucky Strikers team which is Chance McLanely’s comeback team.”
In the video, Layla presses a button and a recording of cheers and applause breaks out.
“But what most don’t know is that Nathan Campbell is not just the victim of an accident, but the victim of a sadistic, obsessed fangirl who’s been stalking him for years. Let’s get into it.”
Laughter breaks out.
I pause the video and look over at Nat.
“You think this is funny?” I scowl.
“It’s a total reach,” Nat says, shaking his head.
I try to un-pause the video.
Nat reaches over and gently pushes the phone down. “Riles, stop.”
“If you don’t want to hear it, I’ll put in my headphones.”
“Layla is being petty. Don’t give her the attention she’s looking for.”
“Even if I don’t listen, everyone else will. You and Chance McLanely are stirring the pot now that you’re on the same team. The entire sports world is watching you.”
“Trends come and go. Tomorrow, the ‘sports world’ will have something else to discuss and no one will be paying attention to Layla’s podcast.”
I scowl at the screen.
‘A sadistic, obsessed fangirl’.
It’s exactly what I feared Nat would call me if he found out I’ve been into him since I was twelve.
How does Layla know about my old crush?
