Page 9 of Daring the Hockey Player

"I can't do that." I quickly lock my phone screen so that Charlotte can't embarrass me. We're best friends, but the girl has more guts than I ever will.

"We should go to one of his hockey games."

"What?" My eyes widen, and I inhale sharply. "My sister will be there."

"She's like the fiancée of one of the players, right?" Charlotte asks. She pushes the red locks out of her eyes and puts her hair up into a bun without even needing a mirror.

It isn't that I couldn't do that, but it's impressive how she makes messy look sexy and can rock it out. The girl is a ten. Gorgeous. Fit. Funny. I don't know how she doesn't have a boyfriend, although she doesn't want to lock one down while going to school and working full-time. I don't know how she does both. I struggle with part-time work and going to school.

"Yes, she's dating Kyler Greyson," I say.

"I saw that on the news. It was super romantic, proposing to her on the ice. I hope I find myself a man who’s half as sweet."

"You and me both," I say with a laugh. I can't tell her that it was all fake. My sister would kill me, and while I don't see Emerson very often, I still have a lot of respect for her. I'm sure that she knows what she's doing.

I mean, Kyler is proposing, just not in the spotlight.

"Well, are you going to text Jasper?" Charlotte asks.

"Absolutely not!" The thought makes my stomach curdle like spoiled milk. He's sweet, but I'm not good with dating and guys. I get way too anxious, and after the last date with Tripp, I'm so over men.

"Then it's settled. We have to go to one of the Ice Dragons’ home games."

I whine under my breath. "And what if I run into my sister?"

"You won't, and so what if you do?" Charlotte asks with a shrug. "You're not allowed to go to a hockey game because, what, she owns the arena?"

"No, of course, that's not it."

Charlotte is waiting for me to elaborate.

"She can't know about Jasper!" I flop back onto the bed beside Charlotte. "She'd freak out if she knew about Tripp, the drugs, the fact that I went to a bar, the fake ID, the list goes on," I say.

"Whatever, live a little." Charlotte sits up and grabs my arms, pulling me off the bed with her. She grabs her phone and looks up the date for the next home again. "Two tickets for Friday night. No excuses." She glares at me.

"Fine, just get the nosebleed section," I say.

She laughs. "Yeah, right. We're getting front-row seats behind the glass so you can wave and blow kisses at Jasper during the game."

"I might actually have to kill you," I mutter. I pray that she's joking. She can't actually afford that, except she has a tendency to use her father's credit card, and he never seems to notice or care what she purchases.

Friday rolls around, and I'm donning a Greyson jersey. To be honest, I'm not sure whether it's Jasper's or his older brother Kyler's number. I asked the sales clerk, but she didn't have the faintest idea, and I had zero reception inside the store. The internet kept crashing, and I tried texting Charlotte, but the text didn't go through until I left the shop.

I contemplated buying both and returning one, but that would mean having the cash up front, and if I'm paying Charlotte back for the hockey tickets, then I'm already over budget for the month.

I could work extra shifts at the Mad Tea Shop, but I already asked for Friday off last minute, and at minimum wage, it'll take me a while to cover the cost of one jersey and a hockey ticket.

I walk to Charlotte's apartment after my classes are done, and I'm dressed for the game. I don't even have to head upstairs because she's waiting for me on the bottom step outside, talking to one of her neighbors.

And by talking, I mean flirting. She's twirling her red curls and laughing at something he says. I doubt it's that funny.

"I have to go," she says and gives him a little wave before grabbing my arm and sauntering with me toward the subway.

"Who was that?" I ask, trying not to glance over my shoulder to see if he's watching us.

"Just Kingsley, my next-door neighbor," she says.

"Does Kingsley have a first name?"