Page 13 of Devious Obsession
We get to our section and head down the stairs. We’re just off-center, to the right of the penalty boxes. The group keeps going lower, and lower, until they file into the first row.
Holy shit.
“Did these tickets cost anything?” I ask Thalia. “The student area is free, but that’s…”
Not close to here. Nowhere as good as these seats either.
She chuckles. “Violet and Willow are both dating guys on the team, so they pulled some strings for the first game. Don’t worry—after this game, we’ll be slumming it in the student section. Unless we find guys to date who want to hook us up…”
I snort.
We take our seats, and I’m on the end. Which is totally fine, but I’m still fucking reveling that I’m this close to the action for my first game. I listen to Thalia chat with the other girls about the dance team and whatever practice they have coming up. That usually keeps her out of the apartment late some nights, but I’m glad she’s finding her footing here.
Unlike me.
The players skate out onto the ice to begin their warm-ups, and one of the Crown Point Hawks players points to one of the girls in our row as he skates by.
“That’s Greyson Devereux,” Thalia explains. “He and Violet are together.”
“Who else should I know?” I ask, leaning closer to her.
She hums and looks around. “Um, Knox Whiteshaw is the center, he and Willow are dating. Those four are seniors. Miles, his brother, is a junior. He’s the goalie.”
My gaze goes to the goalie, covered head to toe in gear. He seems comfortable catching the pucks flying his way, dropping them out of his way almost as soon as they touch his glove, or batting them aside with his stick.
“They had two seniors graduate last year who were starters,” Willow says to us. “Knox said that a senior and a sophomore are starting tonight. Hudson Finch and Tony Rodrigues.”
I met Finch. Briefly.
“And Steele,” Amanda adds. “But you know him, Aspen.”
I wet my lips. “Do I?”
Her eyes narrow. “Do you not remember? You guys pulled the cards…”
Oh, no.
“Steele O’Brien?” I question. “That’s who…”
I’m going to be sick.
And then his jersey, withO’Brienacross the back, flashes past me.
My stomach turns, and my skin goes clammy. I jump to my feet, thankful that I’m on the aisle. I rush up it and into the bathroom, barely making it to a toilet before I lose my dinner.
“I haven’t seen that reaction before,” Thalia says when I exit the stall. Her gaze stays on me as I cross to the sink and rinse my mouth out, spitting a few times. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, um…” I straighten and turn to her. “I just wasn’t expectinghim, you know?”
“No, you lost me at your rather insane reaction to his name.” She crosses her arms. “What’s up?”
I shake my head. Nope, not going there. Not now anyway. My secrets will come out in due time. And Thalia already knows part of the story. I just don’t feel like admitting to the rest of it at the moment.
“Let’s pretend that didn’t happen,” I suggest. “And we can watch the game like nothing’s wrong.”
She sighs, twisting her long, light-brown hair in her fingers. She’s got a Crown Point University blue sweatshirt on, same as me, and black leggings. Where she’s petite, perfect for the dance team, I’m all curves. It doesn’t really matter to me—it is what it is. I exercise when the mood strikes me, I eat just fine. The weight doesn’t shift, though. No matter if I starve myself and exercise four times a week or fourteen.
So, the curves are here to stay, judgmental bitches be damned.
