Hockey With Benefits(89)

I typed back.

I’ll expect a matcha latte every day now.

He read his phone, and the side of his mouth lifted up.

Cruz: Not a problem.

A shadow flashed over his gaze.

Cruz: You okay? For real. I wasn’t lying when I said you looked wiped this morning.

I could tell him about Kit’s text, but a stubborn part of me wanted to deny it, block it out. That was my mom doing her thing, trying to get to me. Boundaries. I refused to give her a rise about whatever bullshit she was saying regarding me.

Mara: I was at Angela’s all night. Sure I’ll be there tonight too.

Cruz: I’m sorry. That’s heavy.

Another shadow flickered over his face, but the professor began calling on us. We needed to pay attention.





Wade approached me later in the week.

I was leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs to meet Cruz when he called my name.

Zoe was the only one in the kitchen. She grabbed her soup and gave me a little smile before leaving.

“Hey, uh.” He raked a hand through his hair, his head shifting around. “Angela’s not been returning anything from me. I called her Sunday, but she sent me a text saying she was heading out of town with some friends. That’s been it. She did a post on Insta yesterday about studying for the week, but it was a vague post. I know she hangs out at the hockey house, and I don’t know the current status of you and Styles, but have you heard anything?”

Angela had called every day this week, and a lot of those calls were me listening to her cry. I’d been at her dorm room both Tuesday and Wednesday nights, late. I hadn’t talked to Labrowski. I didn’t know what he knew or if he was being there for her. Cruz and I hadn’t talked a whole lot this week except for class where he and Barclay were now sitting by us. It was a permanent change. Cruz brought me another matcha latte, but with a breakfast sandwich instead. No bagel. And after class, he grabbed my bag before I could. He also took off, before I could take it back. He waited for me outside, and refused to hand it back, carrying it to my next class.

My throat tightened up, but, “I don’t know. I saw Cruz in class, but he’s been busy. We’ve not really talked much.”

He eased back, nodding, but his shoulders slumped. “Yeah. Yeah. But, if you do hear something, could you let me know? If she’s giving me the draft, then it is what it is. You know?” He tried to smile, but it fell flat.

“You really like her.”

His head jerked up and down in a stiff nod. “I do. I wasn’t expecting it, but she’s nice. She’s not what I thought she was, knowing she hangs at the hockey house so much.”

“I thought she was a party girl at first.”

“She’s kinda the opposite. Shy and I don’t know. She was different. Is different.”

My throat tightened up all over again because I hoped hoped he’d still think that if he found out what happened to her, because what happened to her wasn’t on her. Everyone is foolish and naive in their lives. I touched his arm. “If I see her, I’ll let her know you’re thinking about her.”

“Thanks. Yeah. That’d be nice.”

I headed upstairs and was just going inside when my phone buzzed.

Thinking, hoping it would be Cruz, I pulled it out.

It wasn’t.

Leander: My bro’s on a tear. Watch your back.

Me: What do you mean?

Leander: I know what happened. He ain’t going after Styles. Too big of a hockey god. He’s going after you. He got drunk last night and started talking. Half the house hates you. Half says to leave you alone. He said you gave the police a video or something. I don’t know what was on that video and don’t want to know, but he’s pissed about it.

Me: Why are you letting me know?

Leander: Because I figure I owe you. You intro-ed me to Susan.

Me: Thanks for the heads-up.

He didn’t reply after that, but my phone lit up again.

Gavin Miller calling.

I answered. “Hey.”

“What the fuck, Daniels?”

My heart sank. “What do you know?”

“I know Flynn is saying Cruz threw a couple punches at him, and then you made up some recording, saying that a chick was accusing him of touching her or something?”

I was not surprised that’s how Flynn was twisting it. “I can’t tell you what’s on the video because it’s not for me to tell, but yes, a girl is on it telling about what he did. And yes, the police saw it and I’m guessing that helped with him being charged.”

“He’s saying you orchestrated all of this. That you got Cruz worked up, said Flynn touched you too.”

“No. I had nothing to do with that.”

My door opened, and Cruz walked in. It took one look at me before his face got tight, real tight. He clipped out, “Who are you talking to?”

“Miller.”

He came over and took the phone from me. “I just walked in, but I heard enough that you’re getting seriously twisted information if you’re blaming Mara for any of this shit. I don’t know what your brother is saying, but he showed up and he started throwing insults as his greeting. Yes. I wasn’t having it, so we had words, but it was only words until he threw a bottle at me and threatened me. I saw the chick with them, saw the state she was in, and he and I had a different sort of exchange. Your boy’s all the way in the wrong here, and I’m telling you right now, right here, that if he doesn’t shut his fucking mouth, the entire hockey house knows what really happened. He should be a lot more scared, if you get my drift. Do you get my drift, Miller?”