“Well, what?”
“Are you going to look at your phone or aren’t you?”
As he says that, my cell buzzes from my pocket. I pull it out and see an incoming text message from Adam. I look at him, and he’s got his phone in his hand, that heart-fluttering grin a bit broader and even more devastating. Although there’s something else there, too. A little tremble that tells me he’s as nervous as I am about where this conversation is going.
The fact that he’s on edge too is enough to give me the courage to tap the screen and open his text. It’s a link to an article in the online version ofUSA Hockey Magazinewith today’s date.
“College Hockey Standout Admits Reason For Transfer Was Sexual Assault Allegation.”
The hairs on my arms and at the back of my neck stand on end. The headline makes it seem like Adam was guilty. And why would he talk to someone from a big publication likeUSA Hockey Magazinewhen he wouldn’t talk to that jerk from the student newspaper? “I don’t understand.”
“Read it.”
I scan the article. It lays everything bare: Adam’s bisexuality, the assault allegation, the investigation that proved it was false, and the deal with the school and the NCAA that led to Adam’s transfer. There’s even quotes from Adam, Coach Keller, and someone from the Barons who says what a promising future Adam has and how much the team is looking forward to having him join them after graduation.
The only thing missing is the name of the person who made the false accusation. Chase’s name. It ticks me off that he gets off scot-free. Gets to continue living his life without one iota of the disruption Adam has had to deal with. But I guess I understand why Adam kept him out of it. There’s probably all sorts of legal stuff involved. What I don’t get is why he said anything to anyone at all.
I swipe the screen, making the article disappear, and shove my phone back into my pocket. “You talked to the press.”
He nods. “We were going to send out a press release, but I convinced the PR guy from the Barons that it would have more impact if I told my story myself. He suggestedUSA Hockey Magazinebecause he’s tight with one of the reporters there, and he set up our interview.”
“I thought you wanted to keep this quiet.”
“So did I, at first. But once that douche canoe from the school paper started sniffing around, I started to wonder what I was so afraid of. I’m not ashamed of being bi. And I didn’t do a damn thing wrong. My ex is the villain in this story, not me.”
“I glad you finally realized that.”
“I might not have, if it wasn’t for you.”
“Me?” It comes out like a squeak. “What did I do?”
“Well, you and your big mouth did set this whole chain of events in motion.”
He says it with a smile, but it still hits home, and now it’s my turn to grimace. “Don’t remind me. If I hadn’t said anything to Hannah—”
“Stop. She’s your sister. It’s not like you blasted my past all over the evening news.”
“Still, I shouldn’t have told her something you told me in confidence. I’m sorry.”
He leans forward and props his elbows on those thick hockey thighs. “And I’m sorry I walked away without giving you a chance to explain what happened.”
“I guess that makes us even.”
“I guess it does.”
Puffs of our breath hang between us in the cold night air for a few seconds before I work up the nerve to ask the question that’s probably on both of our minds.
“So what now?”
27
Kolby
It seems to take hours for Adam to answer. When he finally does, his words are soft but steady.
“I know they say you can’t go back—”
My stomach takes a nosedive.
