Page 7 of The Goalie

4

Dan

I hadn’t plannedfor this. I wanted to confront Sam for taking advantage of me. I wanted to know what the hell she was thinking, especially considering we were supposed to be on the same page about how we felt about each other. We detested each other.

Lucy wanted me to stay until the end of the party. She lectured me the entire way to my car about how rude I was being and couldn’t I think about everyone else for once in my life.

“Lucy,” I said once I reached my mustard-yellow Viper. I took her shoulders in my hands and looked at her through my mask. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But it’s my birthday and I’m going to do what I want. And what I want is to go home. I still have a game tomorrow. A birthday doesn’t change that. And since you insisted on celebrating on my actual birthday, I now have to be responsible and turn in early.”

She frowned. I could tell she wanted to argue with me, but there wasn’t a lot she could say.

I was right, of course. I always was. She couldn’t argue with me being responsible. She couldn’t say I didn’t appreciate what she did because I said thank you. Honestly, there was nothing for her to say.

“Fine,” she said through a sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. I hid a smirk by turning to my car and unlocking it. She was always so defiant, even when she was beat. It was amusing, annoying, and admirable depending on the situation. “But did you really need to start something with Sam?”

I stiffened just before I opened the car door. I knew I told Sam to be loud when we were together and I didn’t mask the noises I made as I—

What was I doing?

Why was I picturing Sam with me in locker room? I promised myself I would never think of that again. I couldn’t. Especially since my body seemed to be some sort of slut that would stir at just the mention of it.

There was no way Lucy knew what had happened between me and Sam. There was no wayanyoneknew about me and Sam. Hell, I wanted to erase it from my mind, but my own body wouldn’t let me.

“You know,” Lucy continued, “the reason we’re even in masks is so you guys wouldn’t find each other. I asked her to come. She wanted to stay home. She didn’t want to come. Did you know her boyfriend broke up with her a few weeks ago because he told her she was boring? That he didn’t want to waste his time with someone so…what’s another word for boring?”

I rolled my eyes at my sister’s question, but my chest tightened. I didn’t know why, but I was annoyed with Sam’s ex. I didn’t want Sam at my party, so why the hell would I want to hear about her ex? Plus, the thought of her with anyone else was enough for me to bristle.

You mean anyone, a voice pointed out.Anyone else implies that you see her withyou.

Before I could even war with myself, Lucy pulled me into a hug.

“I’m just glad you came,” she murmured into my shoulder. “I know how you can be when it comes to parties. I was worried there was a chance you’d reject me.”

“I tried, remember?”

Now that I managed to escape, I ran my hands through my slicked-back hair, ruffling it up a bit. I didn’t tend to mind getting dressed up, especially if it was for a charity event, but for a party I didn’t want to be at, I thought it was a bit much. I felt like I was Tommy Try-Hard, if I was being honest.

“I told you I had a game the next morning, which is the truth, and you didn’t care and forced me here.”

Lucy rolled her eyes again, stepping back and flicking her wrist dismissively.

“You know what I hate?” she asked. I knew this was rhetorical so I didn’t even bother responding to her. “When guys think girls have the capability of forcing them to do anything. Because we make a suggestion or we really want something, you turn it intoI had toorShe forced me. Sorry, but is there a gun to your head? Are we threatening you with bodily harm? Then I’m sorry, you choose to agree. Just because you want to avoid confrontation does not mean we forced you to do anything.”

“I don’t know.” I lifted a shoulder. “If a woman being raped clearlylookedlike she didn’t want to have sex without actually saying so, it is now technically rape. Sure, burden of proof and all that, but still. If that’s rape, then me complying with your request to avoid confrontation can be seen as you forcing me to do something.”

Her hands shot up. “If you’re going to seriously compare a birthday party to rape, I’m done,” she said. She kissed my cheek and turned, heading back to the gym, her arms still up. “Un-fucking-believable. I would have the biggest asshole for a brother…”

The farther away from me she continued to walk, the less I could hear her, which was a good thing.

I chuckled to myself as I slid in the car. The fact that I was able to get such a reaction out of her caused a swell of pride to curl in my chest.

“Hey, man.”

I looked over my shoulder only to see Neal Hurley, the goalie coach’s son, heading for me. I wouldn’t say Neal and I were friends, but we got along. To be honest, I hadn’t even noticed him at the party, even though he was wearing a brown suit with a purple tie.

“Hey.”

I left my door open and waited for him to reach me. I wanted to leave more than anything but I couldn’t just leave him. The last thing I needed was Alfredo to be offended by some miscommunication I had with his son.