Page 18

seventeen

P eyton groans as she sits next to Grace.

“You good?” Grace asks her without looking away from her food.

“Yeah, my feet hurt. I worked a double yesterday, and I’m regretting it.”

I cringe thinking about it. “My mom hates doubles.”

“They are brutal. I worked them a lot this summer, but I guess since I’ve been back here, my body has forgotten what it’s like,” Peyton says.

Grace pushes up her glasses. “You should get some better shoes. It might help.”

Peyton’s nose crinkles. “Spending money on ugly shoes sounds horrible.”

“But if it will save your feet…” Grace trails off.

“Fine, Mom,” Peyton groans as she picks up a chicken tender. “Anyway, enough about me. How are you two?”

“Zero complaints,” I tell her as I take a bite of salad.

“Did you get everything cleared up with lover boy?”

Grace looks between the two of us. “Wait, what’s going on with you and Kellan? Is something wrong?”

I shake my head. “Nothing like that. We’re good. I promise.”

Grace relaxes and takes a deep breath. “Good. I really want things to work out between you two.”

I smile. “Thanks, that means a lot. Let’s talk about something else, though.”

“I need to know what games we plan on going to this year so I can put in my requests to have off now,” Peyton tells us.

“All of the home games for sure,” Grace says.

Shit, am I supposed to know all of this? Am I a bad girlfriend because I don’t even know when the first game is? I never paid much attention to Clay’s schedule. I would go to a game here and there, but I never liked the attention I received by being his sister.

Being Kellan’s girlfriend is only going to make it worse.

“I don’t even know what the schedule looks like,” I admit, feeling awful.

Grace smiles softly. “I love that you don’t know that.”

“Why?”

“Because that means that you don’t care about what he can do on the ice but about him,” she tells me.

Before I can say anything, Peyton cuts in. “Yes, enough about Kellan Cooper. Games and schedules, ladies. Someone pull it up so we can figure this shit out before I go to work later.”

Chuckling, Grace reaches into her bag and pulls out a tablet. She taps the screen a few times before setting it in the middle of the table for all of us to see. Peyton grabs her phone and starts tapping away, presumably writing down all the dates of the home games.

“I want to go to this one. It’s only a two-hour drive, and they have a cute year-round Christmas market in the next town over. I figured if we leave early, we can go spend some money and get a head start on Christmas presents. Plus, I need decorations for the house,” Grace tells us.

“Are you going to set up a Christmas tree at the hockey house and cover the banister with garland?” I tease.

“Of course,” Grace deadpans.

I can’t quite tell if she’s joking or if she’s serious, but I don’t question it.

Peyton touches the screen. “We went to this one last year, right?”

“We did,” Grace confirms.

“We should go again. That game was awesome, and they had some hot guys in attendance that I wouldn’t mind flirting with.”

“Only flirting?” I quip.

“Only flirting. The last thing I need is a long-distance relationship.” Peyton shivers at the thought, making Grace and I laugh.

Before any of us can say something, someone comes up to our table and leans against the edge. I turn to face the intruder and see Monica.

Great. Just fucking great.

“Monica,” I say with zero emotion.

Monica’s eyes narrow. “You don’t know how to listen, do you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say calmly.

“I told you that you should ditch him before he can leave you, and yet here you are sitting with his side piece,” she says, waving toward Grace.

“Excuse me?” Grace gasps.

“Whoa, bitch, you better back off,” Peyton growls.

“First off, Grace is his friend and only his friend,” I tell her bluntly. “As for why I’m sitting here with her, not that it’s any of your business, but Grace is dating my brother and has been for a year. You know him, I’m sure. Clayton James,” I say, dropping his name.

Monica’s eyes widen for a split second before she goes back to spewing her venom. “Yeah, well, Clayton is as much a victim in all of this as I am. She’s going to leave him high and dry and run off into the sunset with her best friend.”

Is she for real? Does she live under a rock? My brother has no problem with the world knowing that he’s head over heels for Grace. Anyone with two eyes can see she feels the same way.

“Uh, I love Clayton. If I’m running off with anyone, it’s going to be him,” Grace says.

“Leave him. Leave him before it’s too late,” Monica demands, looking at me.

“No,” I tell her plainly.

“Monica, you need to walk away,” Peyton warns her.

“No, not until she does as I say,” Monica hisses at Peyton before looking back at me.

Slowly, I push my chair back and stand. I lean forward, resting my palms on the table and putting my face so close to hers that I can see how caked on her makeup is. “I don’t know if I can say this any clearer, but let me try again. No.”

Monica slaps her foot on the ground. “He was mine first.”

“And he’s mine now.”

“He was supposed to come back to me. We all know that I would look best on his arm,” she tells us.

As soon as the words leave her mouth, I feel sad for her. I can’t imagine being with someone just because of what they could give me and not because I want them for who they are. It’s obvious that she has this obsession with him because she wants what his status can give her.

I hate that Grace and he went through what they did last year, but if one good thing came from it, it was Monica no longer being his girl.

“You might believe that, but Kellan doesn’t. He’s with me. You need to move on. This whole schtick is reeking of desperation. He’s moved on.”

A wicked smile takes over her face. “We will see about that. I wonder, does he even love you? We will find out.”

“What the fuck is going on here?” Kellan gruffly asks.

Monica spins so fast on her heels that her hair slaps me in the face, poking me in the eye.

“Kellan!”

Perfect. Just fucking perfect.

* * *

My heart races at the scene in front of me.

Grace is pale, Peyton looks like she’s ready to stab a bitch, and Monica is trying her damnedest to appear innocent, but it’s Cora I can’t look away from. I can’t read her at all, and it’s killing me.

“Is anyone going to answer me?” I ask again.

“Oh, I was just having a little chat with your friend here. Encouraging her to leave your ass behind,” Monica says.

Peyton scoffs.

Monica looks over at her and glares.

“I mean, you did tell her that, but you also admitted you wanted to be his arm candy again. You probably shouldn’t have left that out.” Peyton picks up a fry and eats it.

The corner of Monica’s eye twitches. It’s obvious that she doesn’t like being called out.

I look back at Cora and see that she’s glaring at the back of Monica’s head, making me worry that she just might do something irrational. Like pull out Monica’s extensions or something.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. How the fuck did we end up here?

“You should speak up, Cooper, we’re waiting,” Peyton says, goading me.

Can’t she see that I’m trying to pull my thoughts together? I wasn’t expecting this.

Jesus, my heart feels like it is going to burst. I rub my chest, hoping the feeling goes away.

Sighing, I look down at Monica. “You need to stop this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says quickly, making the girls behind her scoff. “You were literally calling me all week. I figured your girlfriend should know that.”

I wince as I look at Cora. “I was trying to apologize to her.”

“You don’t need to explain yourself. I trust you.” Cora says the words, but I can see Monica’s have affected her.

I can’t catch a break. How many times does our relationship need to be tested before it breaks?

“I need you to leave my girlfriend and our friends alone, Monica. She doesn’t deserve your harassment.”

“She deserves the truth,” Monica seethes.

I look behind her at Cora and find that she’s already looking at me. Cora nods, giving me her silent support.

I look back at Monica. “Look, I owe you an apology. Like I told Cora, I wasn’t a good boyfriend to you, and for that, I’m sorry. I was immature and thought the sun shined out of my ass when it didn’t. I appreciate you trying to look out for Cora, but it’s not needed. My relationship with her is completely different than ours was.”

She steps forward with her hands out, like she’s going to touch me. I dodge her touch and step closer to Cora, who comes up to my side.

“This isn’t right. You weren’t just a bad boyfriend, but you were inattentive, you didn’t care about what I had to say or what I wanted to do. It was all you, you, you,” Monica says.

“And yet you want him back,” Peyton mumbles quietly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Grace slap Peyton’s arm.

“Knock it off,” Grace hisses.

“Again, I apologize for not being what you needed. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you my best, but that’s not on Cora. She doesn’t deserve your hatred. You have no reason to accost her in the cafeteria like she’s the mistress when she’s the only damn woman in my life.”

Monica’s jaw clenches. “I had plans for us. You know this.”

“They were yours and not ours. I will never love you the way you deserve, and you need to accept that and move on. Find someone else,” I tell her bluntly.

I’ll never love you the way I love Cora, I think to myself.

Monica’s shoulders deflate, and she looks around. She sees that none of us are going to give her what she wants.

“So this is it?”

“This is it,” I tell her plainly.

She nods and turns to walk away.

“Monica.” I wait for her to look back at me before I continue. “If I ever find out that you’re still harassing my girl, we will press charges. I truly am sorry, but I won’t let you ruin her life because of something I did.”

Monica rolls her eyes. “I’d hardly call it harassing.”

She turns and walks away, and we watch her go in silence.

“Well, Kellan, I think it’s safe to say your taste in women has gotten better since last year,” Peyton quips.

Grace groans while Cora buries her face into my chest. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and her body shakes with silent laughter.

“Thanks, Peyton. I’m glad you noticed,” I deadpan.

Peyton winks. “Anytime. Are you going to sit down and join us or not?”

I look over at Grace. “As long as it’s okay with you.”

“Sit down, Kellan,” Grace says softly.

Cora pulls away and grabs my hand, pulling me down into the chair next to her.

“I’m sorry you guys had to see that,” I tell them.

“You have no reason to apologize. Monica’s actions are on her alone and not you,” Grace tells me.

“I know that.” I look over at Cora. “But she took her anger at me out on you, and I feel awful about it.”

“You shouldn’t. Like Grace said, all of that was on Monica. Not you, but I am proud,” Cora tells me.

“Proud of me?”

“Yeah, you knew you made mistakes and apologized for them when you could have just told her to fuck off. You didn’t have to do that,” Cora says.

“It was really emotionally mature of you,” Grace adds.

“Thanks,” I say softly.

“Anyway…can we get back to what we were doing before the she-devil interrupted?” Peyton asks.

“What were you girls doing?”

“Picking out hockey games we want to go to. Do you have any recommendations?” Cora asks.

All of them. I want you at all of them.

“The Springfield game should be good again,” I say instead.

Grace nods. “We plan on catching that home game. Well, all the home games. We’re trying to decide which games we want to travel for, though.”

Grace and Peyton start discussing the trips, and I look over at Cora and see that she’s already staring at me.

“You know, I can’t wait for you to see me play,” I tell her quietly.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I can’t get the idea of you wearing my jersey while in the stands out of my head.”

Cora smirks. “Who said I would wear yours?”

I shake my head, caught off guard and slightly offended. “Why wouldn’t you wear mine?”

“Why would I wear your last name when I can wear mine?”

James. She means she would wear her brother’s name.

I open my mouth to tell her that it’s a shit idea, but I don’t have a legit reason for her not to. It is her last name, and she can wear whatever she wants to even if I hate it.

Cora squeezes my hand. “Hey, you know I’m teasing, right?”

“Are you though?” I ask softly.

“Yes, Kellan. I’ll wear the Cooper jersey I ordered at every game, okay?”

She already ordered one. God, I love this girl.

“I’d like that,” I tell her honestly.

“Yeah, well just remember that when my brother is pouting because I’m not wearing his. He’s sensitive with things like that,” she quips, making me laugh.

This girl…

“Hey, you guys are off on Halloween. We should do something,” Grace says.

“Ooh, I love dressing up.” Cora lights up.

They continue talking about it as an idea forms in my head. I don’t know where, but I’m taking my girl to a costume party.

I only need to get the guys on board. It can’t be that hard, can it?