Page 30 of The Pucking Coach's Daughter

Sweat dampens the hair at the base of my neck and along my temples, but I slow my breathing in an attempt to not appear weak… or out of shape. Not that he saw me running like my hair was on fire…

Don’t give them any ideas.

He looks up when I stop at the base of the stairs. He seems to unfold, getting bigger—and the added height of the steps he has on me doesn’t help.

“What are you doing?” I demand.

“Sent on a mission by your father, princess.” He trots down the steps and tosses a bundle at me. My jacket, complete with my keys in the pocket.

I had left it at my seat… which means he might not buy my excuse. Not if he sent Penn here. And why would he do that if… if he thought Penn might hurt me?

“He trusts you?”

“More than he trusts you,” he counters. “I haven’t stabbed him in the back and almost got him fired.”

I tilt my head. “What?”

He rolls his eyes, slipping past me. “It’s not rocket science. You’re the source of the issue and you share his last name. Not only that, but you cost FSU our playoffs run. That fucking means something, especially when St. James was the one to knock us out.”

I rotate. “Did you go in my apartment?”

“Yeah, I stole your panties.” He scoffs. “No, Sydney. I’m not obsessed with you like everyone else.”

“Sure seems like it,” I say under my breath. And louder, “Weren’t you just threatening me this afternoon?”

He’s already heading down the sidewalk away from me, but his condescending laugh floats back. I shake my head and hurry to unlock the front door.

But not before the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

I pause just inside and stare out at the darkness. I swear I can see something…

Someone?

But the more I look, the more I convince myself I don’t see anyone. That weird feeling goes away, too. I ease the door closed and head upstairs.

The good news: I have a day to myself.

The bad news: another shoe is about to fucking drop, in the form of an embarrassing photo. And maybe a story circulated by Andi or the hockey team, to boot.

Why else would she take a picture and go through the trouble of humiliating me?

ten

sydney

Unknown

Savory or sweet?

Not like you to go missing like this.

Such an important question left unanswered…

U OK?

Me

Both. Salted dark chocolate is my jam.