"Double date with Sebastian Thornhill. Never thought I'd see that day."
"You guys know each other?" I ask him.
"Vaguely. Elite campus circles." He pulls me closer. "But yeah. Tell them yes."
"You're going to like them. They're disgustingly in love."
"Like us?"
"Worse than us."
"Impossible."
He kisses me to prove his point, and I let him, because honestly, he might be right. We might be the most disgustingly in love couple on campus.
And I'm finally okay with that.
Chapter 12
Carter
The next twoweeks are tense but good.
My father hasn't made good on his threat yet, probably waiting to see if I'll crack, but he's also not backing down.
I've started the loan process for Maya's expenses. It's not ideal, but it's workable and she's been amazing researching scholarship opportunities, looking into public school options, refusing to let me feel guilty about any of it.
"I'm proud of you," she tells me during one of our nightly calls. "For choosing yourself. For standing up to him."
"I couldn't have done it without Lennox."
"Good. That's what partners do. They make you brave enough to be yourself."
Lennox and I are solid. Better than solid. We're figuring out how to actually be a couple the mundane, daily stuff alongside the intense feelings.
She comes to all my games now, sitting in her usual spot, cheering loudly. My teammates have accepted her presence, some even joking with her before games.
I go to her newspaper office sometimes, watching her work with the same fierce focus she brings to everything. She's brilliant and driven and mine.
It's perfect.
Until my father shows up at the championship game.
It's the biggest game of the season. Scouts everywhere. NHL contacts. Media coverage. The works.
And Richard Lynch is sitting front row, center ice, impossible to miss.
Coach pulls me aside before the game. "Your father's here."
"I noticed."
"He's brought scouts. Big ones. Teams that have been expressing interest in you." Coach looks uncomfortable. "He's also been talking to them. About your 'focus issues' and 'personal distractions.'"
My stomach drops. "He's actively sabotaging me?"
"He's expressing concerns. But yeah, effectively sabotaging." Coach puts a hand on my shoulder. "Play your game. Show them who you really are. That's all you can do."
I try. I really try.
