Cheap Shot by Brittney Mulliner
Reid
I had class,and hanging around Haley was the last thing I should be doing, but there was no way I could leave her alone when she looked on the verge of tears. What kind of person would that make me?
There were plenty of people I could ask for the notes I missed. If my professor had any issues with my absence, I could blame it on something team-related. I didn’t pull the athlete card unless absolutely necessary; it was a privilege I didn’t want to abuse for times when I really did need an extension for an assignment or extra time to make up a test, and now here I was, breaking all my own rules for a girl.
But Haley’s chin quivered, and it was over. I’d worry about making up an excuse later; right now, she needed me.
“Come this way.” I turned and led her to a small courtyard off the back of one of the nearby buildings. There were three shaded tables, all unoccupied, that were out of view from any of the walkways, so I took her to the farthest one and waited for her to sit before taking the bench next to her. “What happened?”
A million possibilities ran through my mind. Was she hurt? Sick? Did someone say or do something to her? Was she in trouble? How could I help?
She sighed, her shoulders falling until she was hunched into herself. “It’s stupid.”
“If it has you this upset, I sincerely doubt that.” I didn’t know her, but if she was anything like her brother, she had a thick skin. She didn’t strike me as the type to get worked up over every little thing, otherwise, she would have said something about our kiss by now.
“I thought I was finally making some friends, but it turned out they were just interested in talking to me to get close to Ethan.” She glanced up at me for a split second before looking away.
There were layers to her statement that I needed to sort through before responding. Finally making friends? Did that mean that for the past two weeks, she hadn’t? She was at the party, so I assumed she’d met someone who brought her. Maybe that hadn’t worked out. She’d been alone, so maybe that person ditched her.
Did Ethan know? Why hadn’t he invited her to hang out with us? He’d made it clear she was off-limits to date, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be friends with us. She might get along with some of the other guys’ girlfriends or something.
Then again, she was upset because they only wanted to get close to Ethan. Was he the problem? Did she not to hang out with him?
“You think they wanted to use you?” I needed to make sure I understood and didn’t make assumptions.
She nodded, staring at the table with her hands in her lap.
I rubbed the back of my neck. I really wasn’t good at this stuff. I didn’t have sisters, and I didn’t date enough to know how girls’ minds worked. The majority of my knowledge came from the guys on the team. Either they were complaining about their girlfriends being upset and them not knowing why, or trying to figure out why a girl wasn’t interested in them. Neither of those were particularly helpful at the moment.
I wasn’t sure what she wanted, but my instinct was to fix the problem. First, cheer her up. Second, find out who these people were and make it clear using people wasn’t okay. Finally, help her make friends.
Two of the three were actually realistic. I wasn’t sure how to intimidate anyone off the ice, and I hadn’t needed to make friends since I was a child. Teammates were built-in friends, like it or not.
“Well, they’re idiots for not wanting to get to know you for you.” I waited to see if my words had the desired effect.
Her lips twitched, not quite pulling out of the frown but no longer pursed or quivering. “They aren’t idiots.”
I huffed. “I’m pretty sure they are. Especially if they want to get to Ethan over you.”
That did it. A small smile appeared, and her eyes shone when they met mine. “He’s your best friend.”
“Exactly, I know what I’m talking about.”
She dropped her head, but the tiny smile held. “You don’t know me.”
She was right, but I wanted to. I wanted to know everything about the beautiful woman the second I saw first saw her. I was drawn to her in a way I’d never before experienced. Ethan’s warning repeated in my head. How was I supposed to stay away from her when the only thing I truly wanted was to reach out and pull her into me? Although, he meant I couldn’t date her. He didn’t say we couldn’t be friends.
Was that even possible? Could I spend time with her, get to know her, and not want anything more?
She folded her arms over her stomach, holding onto herself. She was sad. Lonely. I couldn’t let anyone continue on that like, no matter who her brother was or what threats he made.
“I want to.”
My words seemed to pull her out of her own thoughts. She squinted at me for a few heartbeats, then her shoulders rose as she sucked in a deep breath. “Really?”
What happened to her to make her like this? So insecure and full of doubt? I wanted to take her into my arms and make promises I had no place even thinking. It wasn’t my place to protect her or remind her of how important and beautiful she was. I had no right to be that person in her life, but that didn’t mean I could stop myself from wanting to be.
“Maybe I should have started with that. I might have given the wrong impression when we first met.”
Her cheeks flushed pink, and I took too much satisfaction from causing that reaction. She was adorable when she was embarrassed, something I didn't expect from the confident woman I’d kissed. I couldn’t reconcile the two sides of her. Which version of her was real? Could they both be?
“I think we both acted out of character that night.” Her eyes crinkled at the corners, despite her lips remaining in a straight line.
“It was pretty impulsive,” I admitted.
She nodded but didn’t say she regretted it, and I would never utter those words, no matter what happened with Ethan. He was my best friend, more like a brother, but I knew he was protective of her, and it seemed like there was a reason for that. I doubted it would matter if it was me or another good guy, he didn’t want anyone close to her. If he found out I kissed her, he could beat me up, turn the team against me, whatever he needed to do to cope, but I wouldn’t say I’d take it back or that it had been a mistake. That kiss was perfect, and the longer I continued thinking about it, the more tempted I was to do it again.
“So,” she started, gaining my attention. “Other than you being on the hockey team and being my brother’s best friend, I don’t know anything about you.”
“What would you like to know?” I leaned my elbows on the table.
“I don’t know.” She sat up a bit, lowering her arms to her sides. “Where are you from?”
“Wisconsin. Just outside Milwaukee.”
“Tell me about your family. Any siblings?”
I drummed my thumbs on the edge of the table. “My mom is a superstar. She somehow managed to stay on top of my schedule and get me everywhere I needed to be while also making sure I was fed and had all my gear, which was a full-time job. Especially when I was on two teams at once when the school season and my competition team’s season overlapped.”
She nodded. “I remember times like that. I swear I grew up in the back of our car. I don’t think I ever actually did homework or ate at home. We were either at the rink or driving to a game.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what Jake, my little brother, says too. At least he only had a few years of that before he started playing. Then it was a logistical nightmare of making sure we were both at the right place at the right time.”
“Hockey moms are something else.” She smiled.
“Did you play any sports?”
She shook her head. “I’m not very coordinated, and I saw how much time it took from Ethan and didn’t want that. I wanted to play with my friends and have sleepovers, not wake up early for weekend games and have practice almost every day.”
“Not every sport is like that. We were the exception,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t know that when I was younger. I thought if I tried soccer or basketball or any sport, I’d end up like that.”
That made sense. If it was the only thing she was exposed to, she had no reason to think differently. “I’m surprised it didn’t scare Jake off.”
“How old is he?” she asked.
“Seventeen.”
She scrunched her nose. “So the scouts are starting to come.”
“They were coming to his games last year, and the more serious ones have already sent over offers.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.” She titled her head. “What about your parents? Are they excited for you?”
I lowered my head into my hands, massaging my temples.
“That bad?” Her voice held an understanding that only came from knowing what it felt like to be a disappointment.
“My dad’s just on me about internships and making connections and preparing for interviews once I graduate.” I rested my chin on my fist.
Her brows pulled together. “For what?”
Exactly!
I let out a sigh. “He pushed me to get a business degree and now wants me to think about what’s next.”
“The NHL doesn’t care about your degree or internships.”
I raised my brows. “Yeah. He’s not so sure I’ll make it.”
She jerked back. “What?”
“He’s never been much of an optimist. He thinks hockey is a great way for me and Jake to get school paid for, but he doesn’t think either of us will make it to the NHL.”
She shook her head. “How? I mean, hockey isn’t exactly a cheap sport. Parents have to be supportive and believe in you in order to invest so much.”
“I guess not having to pay for our school is enough of a return. He thinks everyone has to be like him, working behind a desk at the same company for the last thirty years.”
“Wow. I don’t know what to say to that.” She took in a deep breath. “It’s just so opposite of my parents with Ethan. I swear they live for the day he gets drafted.”
“That’s how it should be.”
She dropped her gaze. “Yeah, it is.”
“Are your parents supportive of you? Of what you want to do?”
She shrugged. “Up until last year. Now it doesn’t feel like they trust me or believe in me. I think they blame me.”
Was this what Ethan had hinted at? Something happened to her. I wanted to ask, but didn’t want to upset her.
“Part of me blames myself too.” She ducked her head. “Like maybe I shouldn’t have left. Like I failed because I did.”
“I don’t think you failed if you did what was best for you. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone.” That was something I learned from years of playing. If I held myself to anyone else’s standard, I was setting myself up for grief and pain. I had to focus on what was best for me and pushing myself to the limits I set.
“Thanks.” She gave me a sad smile.
“Now you have a chance prove to yourself you can do this.”
Her eyes shot to mine. “Yeah, I guess.”
“I have a feeling you’ll blow us all away.”
She grinned and let out a small laugh. “I hope so.”
“You know you’re not alone here, right? You have me and Ethan and the rest of the team.”
She pushed her hair over her shoulder. “Ethan and I haven’t ever been close. We’re not the type to hang out or talk about things.”
“It doesn’t have to stay that way. You’re both here now.”
She rolled her lip between her teeth before frowning. “It’s not really that simple. We agreed to give each other space, and I know he has his own thing going on. I don’t really want to fall back into the role of Ethan Clarkson’s little sister. I grew up in his shadow, and all I’ve wanted was to be able to stand on my own.”
That wasn’t something I could personally relate to. My little brother was young enough that he wasn’t in high school at the same time as me, and he was just as talented, if not more, than me. But being teammates with Ethan and knowing how much attention he got from the coaches, fans, and professors did give me a glimpse of what she might have experienced.
“I get that.” Well, I could try. “The school is big enough that if you don’t want to see someone, you don’t have to.”
I checked my watch, and she caught me.
“I should head back to my dorm.” She started to stand, “I’ve got a few assignments due tomorrow.”
“Oh, I don’t have to go. I was just––”
“No, really. I should get going.”
“Okay.” I stood and waited for her before walking back toward the front of the building. When we got to where the sidewalk split into several directions, she stopped.
“I’ll see you later?” Her voice seemed hesitant, like she wasn’t sure how I would answer. As if I’d reject her now.
“Yeah, of course.”
Her smile was the best reward. She took a step away. “Wait, can I give you my number? Just in case you ever need anything, or just want to talk.”
She blinked a few times before nodding and pulling her phone from her back pocket. “Yeah, thanks.”
I recited it, and a moment later my phone vibrated.
“I texted you so you have mine too.” Her grin brightened before she walked away. I watched for a moment before heading to my next class across campus. I was so relieved to see her happy again. I appreciated the moments when she showed me her cracks, but I couldn’t help but want to help her heal them. She was so much stronger than she gave herself credit for. I didn’t know what caused her to end up here, but I knew she was a fighter to not give up.
“Reid!”
I turned toward the voice and waved to Ethan jogging toward me. “Hey.”
“Was that my sister?” he asked when he reached me, watching her walk away over my shoulder.
For about half a second, I thought about lying, but he wasn’t stupid. “Yeah. I ran into her, and we talked for a minute.”
He eyed me. “About what?”
How honest should I be? The things she told me seemed private, but then again, she needed more than just me. She needed her brother, but they both needed to realize that on their own.
“Just how she’s settling in.”
He cocked his eyebrow. “And?”
I started walking toward my next class, and he fell into step next to me. “She hasn’t made many friends. I think she’s feeling lonely.”
He rolled his bottom lip between his teeth. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
Was this when I told him how his sister truly felt about him? No. If I wanted to have a chance at truly being her friend, I couldn’t break her trust, not even for him.
“I think she’s trying to prove she can make it on her own. I don’t think she wants to rely on you.”
He huffed out a breath. “I swear, she is the most stubborn person I know.”
I resisted making a comment about the pot and kettle, or the apple not falling too far, but neither seemed helpful. He was aware they were siblings and shared similarities, even if he wasn’t thinking clearly.
“I don’t think it’s really about you. She didn’t tell me everything, but she mentioned having a hard time at her last school and how she felt like a quitter for leaving. I think she needs to prove to herself that she can stand on her own.”
“But she doesn't have to. That’s the point,” he argued.
He wasn’t wrong. “I tried to tell her that, but I think she needs time.”
“Well, at least she’s talking to you.” He pushed his hair back. “Thanks for watching out for her. I don’t trust many people with her, but I’m glad I have you.”
I nodded, worried my face would reveal my guilt.
“Oh, did she tell you who kissed her at that party? I asked her, but she ignored me.”
I coughed, nearly choking.
“Geez, man. Can’t breathe and walk at the same time?” He clapped me on the back until I stopped.
“Apparently not, thanks.” I sucked in a gulp of air. “No, that didn’t come up.”
“Well, next time you see her, try asking.” He turned and jogged backward toward his class. “Later!”
I waved then turned toward my building, rubbing my face. This was going to lead to disaster; there was no way around it.