“Cool. Thanks for dealing with that,” I say, waving over my shoulder to the reporter.
Kellan chuckles. “It’s not a problem, man. Coach should have known better than to stick you in front of a reporter.”
“Yeah, but if I plan on playing after this, I should probably try harder.”
“Nah, there are a lot of players out there who won’t do interviews. You’ll be fine.”
As soon as we step outside, I see her. She’s got a big smile on her face as she talks to Cora. She must feel my eyes on her because she turns and looks right at me, her smile growing.
Without second-guessing anything, I walk right up to her and drop my bag as I pull her into my arms. Leaning down, I cover her lips with mine, pulling her in for a kiss.
As I kiss her, everything falls away.
This.
This is what I’ve always wanted with her. This is how I’ve dreamed of ending every game, every night, everything.
twelve
Things with Wyatt are confusing. After the kiss last night, my stomach felt like there was a swarm of butterflies inside of it. Part of me wanted to explore it to see if there was more, but the other part is scared to death about these new feelings.
So I took the coward’s way out. I congratulated him on his game and told him I needed to get home. Like the gentleman he is, he took me home himself, leaving me at the door with a chaste kiss. He didn’t question why I had to go home. He accepted it without pressuring me to come in or trying to convince me to stay out later.
He’s basically everything I’m not used to, which makes him dangerous. He’s the type of guy I could fall in love with. The one I should have been with from the beginning. I guess what they say is true: you have to find the wrong one to really appreciate the right one.
There’s only one small problem. The right one is fake.
That’s the crux of it all. I enjoy being around Wyatt too much. I need to keep my distance if I want to keep my head straight.
If I were smart, I would end this whole thing before I get hurt. I can’t do that to him, though. He put his neck on the line to save me that night at the party. He stepped forward and claimed me without a second thought to help save my pride. The least I can do is hold up my end of the bargain. If he needs a fake girlfriend to keep other girls away from him, I’ll be the best damn fake girlfriend he has ever had.
“Hey, Lyla. You want to hang out today? Marla and I are going shopping.” Amber’s nasally voice pulls me from my thoughts.
I look around and see class has been dismissed. I don’t even remember most of what was discussed.
I offer her a small smile. Amber isn’t as bad as the rest of the girls I used to run with. She is part of the same nursing program I am, which bonded us a bit more than the others. She’s a follower, though. I think that’s what hurt me most about her betrayal.
She wanted to be there for me. I could tell when she would offer me a smile or a small wave, but she didn’t want to stand by me because of what the others would think about her. Honestly, I feel bad for her. I hope for her sake that she loses that people-pleasing attitude and starts to stand up for what she believes in.
“Thanks for the offer, but we both know that they only want to be my friend again because of who I am dating,” I tell her as I pack up my things.
“I know, but I miss hanging out with you anyway. Does it really matter why they are being nice again?”
I look at her sadly. “You deserve better. I do too. The difference is I see how they are now and refuse to subscribe to it.I understand that you are doing what you need to do, but I can’t be part of it anymore.”
She nods. “I understand. You were the only one I truly felt I could be myself with. It won’t be the same without you.”
“I hope you find better friends after we graduate. Take care of yourself.”
She goes left as I turn right outside of the classroom. My heart hurts for her, but she made a choice I never asked her to make. It showed me who she is right now, and that’s not someone I want to be associated with.
My phone rings in my pocket. I almost don’t answer when I see his name. My feelings about him are still so jumbled in my head. Temptation wins out, though.
“Hey,” I answer.
“Oh thank God. I thought you were out of class, but I wasn’t sure. I need your help. Can you please come to the practice rink? I know you usually study during this time, but I need you.”
His voice is low and sounds a little frantic. It has my anxiety ramping up.
