Page 81 of The Pucking Coach's Daughter

The two head for the rink, and Penn takes Dad’s spot next to me. He stares after them, his brow furrowing. We sit in silence for a long moment.

I’m not going to be the one to break it. He’s been avoiding me, skipping the one class we have together. Well, they’ve all been avoiding me. And it’s made people like Andi start throwing daggered looks in my direction again.

Not that that’s why I want him to talk to me.

Maybe life will get easier if I don’t have the two menaces trying to ruin me.

“Do you like Ollie?” he asks me.

Oh. “Um, not particularly.”

“Why did you go with him instead of me?”

He’s hurt. I reach for his hand and squeeze his fingers.

“I didn’t want comfort,” I say in a low voice. “I just wanted… an outlet. I’m sorry. I don’t know what we are, but… I didn’t think you’d care.”

Penn meets my gaze. “I don’t care, I’m just fucking jealous.”

I smile.

After a second, he smiles, too.

“You snuck into my apartment as promised.”

“You were sleeping. Didn’t feel right to wake you.” He leans in and tugs at the scarf at my throat. He swipes his finger across the mottled bruise that the soft fabric hides. “This hurts?”

“Yeah. But… you could sneak in when I’m awake, you know.” My face immediately heats.

He sits up with interest. “I hear some kink hidden in there. Tell me more, princess. Do you have fantasies about being ravished by dirty, dirty pirates?”

I snort. “Maybe not pirates. But goalies…”

His gaze darkens.

That’s my cue to rejoin society.

I stand and leave him sitting there. The skates still do not feel great, but I can’t imagine we’ll be on the ice for long. It’s not like I have to go out and play a game.

I wait for a break in the crowd and step out onto the ice. It’s the first time in a while, and I wobble rather dramatically.

Hands grab my hips.

I glance back at Penn.

He winks, then propels me forward. “Don’t even think about holding on to the wall.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I deadpan.

But there are a fair amount of people doing that, and the stability seems nice. Still. Penn lets me regain my balance, although he somehow skates close enough behind me without actually impeding my movement.

Until it all comes back to me.

Oliver and Dad catch up to us. I automatically hook my arm through Dad’s.

The smile that overtakes his face is infectious.

“Race you,” Penn yells at Oliver. “First back to Syd and Coach wins.”