Page 25 of The Do-Over Girl

And somehow, I feel more dissatisfied right now than I did before I called her.

* * *

Hunger forcesmy eagerness to arrive in the dining room first for breakfast. I forgot what the Saturday meal schedule is, so I head to the kitchen where the food is, out of necessity. The cuckoo clock chimes, announcing that it’s eight o’clock as I push through the door. It takes all my cool not to stop short. Then some reserve of cool gets burned in my effort not to jump in and punch Steve-fucking-Oliver in the face.

He’s sitting at the kitchen table with Kali, laughing and looking at her like he wants her for breakfast.

“Good morning, Nash,” Mrs. Pike says. “Congratulations on last night.”

I turn to her, and it takes me a second to realize she’s talking about the game.

“Thanks. The team deserves all the credit, but it does feel good to win.” I eye Kali, and she meets my stare for a blink before looking away, down at her plate.

“I’m surprised you’re up so early,” Steve says. “You came in late.” He looks at Kali. “You, too. Out celebrating?”

“Something like that,” she says, and I catch the small smile on her face, though she doesn’t mean to share it with me.

Steve gives me a big smile like a kid who just got a star from his teacher. Maybe he did. I glance back at Kali. She’s busy stirring her coffee for no reason.

“What are you doing today, Kali?” Simple innocent question, right?

Her spoon clatters to the table, and she doesn’t answer because Steve is happy to jump in like an overzealous student too excited to bother raising his hand as he shouts the answer.

“We’re going to a writers conference in Portland today and tomorrow.”

“We’re not staying overnight,” Kali puts in, finally meeting my eyes.

Despite the tick in my jaw from the sudden tension, and my need to squelch the instinct to lunge at Steve, pick him up by his button-down shirt front, and toss him out the back door, I manage a smile—though it might look more like a snarl when it gets to Steve.

I nod. “I have practice with the team.” I return my gaze to Kali, studying her until she looks back up at me. “Glad you’re getting back into writing that novel, Kali. I know it’s something you always wanted to do.”

“That’s right, she—” Steve starts.

Kali interrupts him, giving him an impatient look. One point for the home team. If I were keeping score. Which I’m not because that would be juvenile. Which I’m not.

“Thank you, Nash. Your support means a lot.” Her eyes hold mine for a couple of beats to emphasize her sincerity, and the buzz that goes through me isn’t altogether unpleasant.

I nod, grab a muffin, and on my way out the back door, I give Mrs. Pike a one-armed hug. “Great job on that bake sale, Mrs. P. The guys raved about your cookies.” She swats me and laughs, then promises there’s more where they came from as I push through the screen door. I listen for the satisfying clack of the door closing as I walk down the driveway and head to the rink.

* * *

Today,I lace up my skates for the first time, sitting in a chair outside the locker room with Rink looking on.

“You sure you want to skate?”

I glance up at him and give him the finger before I go back to lacing. “I’m not a fucking out of shape with a dad body like you are, old man.”

He snorts. “No kidding. I’m talking about your injury—you cleared—”

“I’ll be fine Rink. What are you afraid of? I’m not going to sue you if I get hurt. I practically own the fucking arena as it is.”

He gives me the finger this time. “Can’t a friend be concerned about your health and well-being?”

“Sure. My shoulder’s fine. If I don’t skate, I’ll go crazy and have a mental breakdown. There—you satisfied?” I stand, and with the skates on, I tower almost a foot over him.

“Shit. Maybe I should put on my skates just so I won’t feel like a pipsqueak.”

“I’d pay to see that.”