“We have to get ready for tonight. I heard from Jayden that Mack will be there. You have to look like a billion bucks if you want to get him back.”
Gen’s head whips to look at the newcomers. “Are you saying that I don’t look good right now?” She bites out with a glare that could incinerate her friend on the spot.
“Of course not!” The other two squeal.
“Anyhoo,” Gen turns on her heels, looking at us over her shoulder. “Free word of advice if you want one shred of a chance to pass the first round of selection and get to dance your soloin front of Carole and Lexi. Go shopping and come dressed in something presentable. The unwashed look you two have got going on isn’t the style we go for in this town. And you two, don’t waste your time with these two hopeless charity cases. Carole and Lexi will eat them for breakfast.”
“Jeez, do they wear pink on Wednesdays?” Jodie snorts as Gen saunters away with a pep in her step after her hostile parting words.
Sam shakes her head. “Yeah, her mother missed a golden opportunity when she didn’t call her daughter Regina.”
I roll my eyes. “We had mean girls in Hemlock Beach too. But in the South, mean girls smile at you and say stuff like,bless your heart. They hide their poison under a thick layer of sugary kindness.”
“Oh, you won’t see much kindness from that one. Genevieve Bergen might come from one of the richest families in the state, but at the fancy private schools she attended before college, they taught her anything except manners.” Talia says.
Sam agrees. “Yeah, that girl is as rude as she is self-centered. Since she broke up with her long-term boyfriend, she’s been even bitchier than usual.”
“That’s true. To be honest, Mack isn’t an asshole.” Talia muses. “He could do a lot better than Gen.”
“Girls, you gotta bring us up to speed. Who is Mack?” Jodie asks.
I swear my best friend is the nosiest person in the world.
“Macklin Shayba,” Talia offers. “Is one of our hockey team’s rising stars. He’s the Cove Knight’s left winger and was the player with more points in the whole league last year. He’s a little cocky, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy. Tucker says he trusts him and he doesn’t give his trust away that easily.”
I’m getting confused. “Who’s Tucker?”
“Tucker is the starting goalie on the hockey team and Talia’s big brother.” Sam explains.
“Yes, and the biggest pain in my ass too.” Talia snorts. “But if you come out with us tonight, you’ll meet them all. The whole town is going to be at the County Fair on the pier.”
Jodie rubs her hands together, a devilish smile on her pretty face. “Awesome. I like hockey players. I think our car ran out of gas in the right place. After we get our numbers, let’s go get cleaned up and take a nap before it’s time to go out.” She wraps her arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer, planting a huge kiss on my cheek.
Hockey players are hot. Or at least, there was one in my biology class last year that I had a secret, hopeless crush on. Of course he was popular and didn’t even know I existed, but he sure was nice to look at.
“Let’s go.” I smile, pushing that thought to the back of my mind.
Star Cove might be the fresh start I need. There’s no point in thinking about the life I had to leave behind.
CHAPTER SIX
FLIRTING
COLSEN
“Come on, man. Drink up.” Tucker slams a shot glass full of clear liquid in front of me, making the contents slosh all over the table.
“What the fuck did you even order?” I ask him, eyeing the shot glass suspiciously. “I thought you were our designated driver tonight, anyway.” I can’t help the accusation in my voice as I glare at my teammate.
Tucker is one of my best friends on the team, but I’ve been worried about him for the past year or so.
He started last year as usual, partying, hooking up with a different girl every weekend and planning one prank after the other.
Then our former team captain’s sister moved into Luke’s condo on campus and Tucker got a huge crush on her.
When Bex didn’t seem to notice but started dating our starting center Jamie Hart, Tucker didn’t take it very well.
“Dude,” I grab his wrist before he can take the shot glass to his mouth. “Are you ok? Remember what happened last time you overdid it with the booze at the art center opening last year?”
