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“I don’t even know where to start.” I trace my fingers over the letters on his knuckles. “This is so fucked up. Like, did that kid know he was drugging me? Or did Brent put him up to it? We know he’s used others to do his dirty work before.” I look up at him. “And is this the reason we started hanging out all the time? Because you were keeping an eye on me?”

“No,” he says quick and hard. “Fuck no. That was about epic-fuck-ups and you and I made that pact before I found out about the drugs. That first night at the Teal House I had no idea.” Hishand slides under my hair, cupping the back of my head. “And that’s the night I got hooked on you. Keeping an eye on you was just an excuse to be more obvious about it.” His green eyes hold mine. “I love you and you’re right, all of this is just fucked up, but the best part of this is that I found you.”

“I love you too.”

The door opens and Detective Shaw walks back in. “Ms. Beckwith, as much as I know you’d rather not, I’d like you to tell me everything that happened again. From the beginning.” She sets a recording device on the table. “This time we’ll record it.”

“You believe me?” I ask, needing some confirmation before I subject myself to the trauma all over again.

“I believe you.” She sits and sets a large brown file folder on the table. It’s stuffed with papers, and at least five inches thick. “And you’re not the only report that we’ve had.”

“Have you heard anything else?”Twyler asks. We’re huddled together in the arena, watching the final game of the season. The Badgers are tied and the stress I used to feel rolling off of Twyler at these games, is now something I feel too.

The last few days have gone by in a rush. I’d worried for so long that by admitting what had happened between me, Brent, and CJ would be this huge bomb in my life. But in reality, nothing was different, other than the relief. We rolled right into final exams. Eric and I gave our presentation earlier that day and got an A. My next to last semester at Wittmore is over.

“No.” I watch Axel easily deflect a puck with his shin pad. I glance back, making sure that the other girls aren’t in hearing distance. Bridget, Heather, and the other girls are in their usual seats. They’re decked out in Badger gear, but this time they’rewearing matching Santa hats. “They said they would add this to their evidence and start building a case.”

“As much as I want to say I can’t believe there are other reports, I’m not surprised.”

Detective Shaw didn’t give me any names or details on these other reports, just that they existed. The thought makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t help but think of the other jersey chasers that would hang around the football players–the sorority girls. Could I have helped someone if I came forward earlier? “They’re greedy, entitled men, it’s foolish to think that they’d think there were limits on their behavior.”

“That’s the damn truth,” she shakes her head. “Do you think they’ll really do anything about it? I mean Brent’s one of the top players in the country, he’s set to join the draft, and it’s not like the NFL has a history of supporting victims of players.”

“I’m really not sure. Detective Shaw seemed serious about it.” My gaze goes to Axel again. He’s focused on the action down rink. “Especially the drug stuff.”

Below, Reid slams a defender from the other team against the boards, the puck skittering free. Reese hooks it with the end of his stick and starts into a breakaway.

“Go! Go! Go!” she yells, hands clenched into tight fists. Behind us the girls break into panicked cheers. Reese moves with power and fluidity, drawing out the goalie and waiting until the last second to take a shot so fast it’s impossible to know if it made it in or not. The lamp flashes yellow, and a buzzer sounds. Twyler cups her mouth with her hands and cheers, “Yes! Let’s go one-five!” Reese lifts his stick and points it in her direction. These two: Relationship goals.

Her smile fades and she rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe Reese and Axel kept the fact he was drugged from both of us.”

“They were being protective.”

“And you’re okay with that?” she asks. When I nod, she says, “So, you and Axel still good?”

We’re more than good, and how I feel about him is hard for me to articulate. “He apologized, and I understand his reasoning. We barely knew each other and I was still reeling from everything else. I probably would have shut down entirely.”

I’ve never had a man look out for me like Axel does. He takes care of me. It’s who he is, deep down, a protector, of the net, his friends, his family, and now me. It’s sexy as hell.

“Fair, but I hope you made him grovel for a little bit. I got Reese to watch the special three hour New Kings tour with me the other night for keeping it from me.” Twyler’s eyes flick across the rink and she frowns. “Wonder who that is?” I follow her gaze to a man who just walked in. He’s overdressed in what looks like an expensive overcoat and suit. “Maybe it’s someone from the NCAA? Or a scout?”

“No clue,” I reply, but if I squint, there’s something familiar about him.

Play continues on the ice until the buzzer sounds, announcing the second intermission.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to find Bridget squatting behind us. Her earrings look like jingle bells. “Holy shit. Did you know he was coming?”

“Who?” I frown, glancing at Twyler who shrugs. “Who’s he?”

She points across the rink where the zamboni smooths out the ice. “Axel’s dad.”

22

Axel

It’s notuntil we skate back onto the ice for the final period that I see him up in the stands. It’s such an unfamiliar, surprising sight that I freeze momentarily staring up at him trying to process what he’s doing here. I know one thing, it can’t be good that Nolan Rakestraw decided to make an appearance.

“Yo! Ax!” Jefferson’s voice cuts through my haze. His shoulder bumps into me as he skates past. “Wake up. We’ve got one more period to go!”