Jessa
WHAT? That’s amazing!
Chloe
You didn’t reach out to them?
Jessa
Seriously, I didn’t do anything. Maybe they just reconsidered? Or someone told him he was lowballing you? Does it matter? CALL THEM. Accept it. This is your dream, Chloe.
I set the phone down. Stare at the letter.
Someone fought for me. Someone told Stratton Publishing that I was worth more than five thousand dollars and a crushing timeline.
But who?
By six o’clock, I’ve accomplished exactly nothing productive.
I showered. Made coffee. Stared at the publishing letter for an hour. Scrolled Instagram (mistake). Tried to sketch (bigger mistake—everything I draw looks sad). Made more coffee. Stared at the letter some more.
The apartment is quiet. Too quiet. Jessa’s still out—she texted that she’s meeting with an interviewee and won’t be home until late.
So I’m alone with my thoughts and a frozen pizza and the TV that I turned on for background noise.
Except it’s not background noise anymore.
Because it’s a hockey game.
Blue Ox versus Chicago.
And there he is.
Number 7. Brody Kane. On the ice.
The camera follows him for a moment, and I forget how to breathe. Yeah. He still has that effect on me.
I pick up the remote, my thumb hovering over the button to change the channel. I should turn it off. Really, I should. But…
He’s in his defensive position. Skating with that focused, controlled power I saw against Vancouver. Except something’s off. When the puck comes his way, he makes the hit against the boards, but the puck is passed off.
The ref blows the whistle, and Brody skates to the penalty box, looking fierce.
The camera zooms in on his face.
And he looks absolutely wrecked. Dark circles under his eyes. Jaw tight. A darkness in his expression, one I don’t recognize.
No more Mr. Candy, clearly.
The announcer’s voice cuts through my spiral. “Kane’s defensive game has been brutal this past month.”
The color announcer says, “Yeah, but he’s racking up penalties, and now Chicago has a chance to score. He needs to learn to balance if he hopes to stay an asset to this team and close the deal on his contract renewal.”
My throat is tight. Eyes burning.
I know exactly why he’s playing as if he’s got nothing to lose.
Maybe because he’s already lost everything?
