Page 36

Gwen

I finished the last of my filing and grabbed my things. It was officially winter break. But since I still had hockey practice, games, and work, all it really meant was that I had no class for six weeks. Okay, NYIT Hockey had a two-week break. But I was also on EBUG duty. That gave me six days.

My trip to Vancouver loomed. I just wasn’t looking forward to it. At the very least, I could get some pictures of Mom and maybe hijack my painting.

Okay, hug the dads, see Giulia and Davey, and play with Isa’s babies.

It sucked that a couple of people who hated me made me not want to see everyone who loved me.

“You look tired.” Tony gave me a look over his computer as I went to clock out.

“One of my teammates got swept up by the Sharks, so we were at Marabou Mike’s last night.” I was so fucking happy for her.

“Your paperwork for next semester is in, too.”

“Oh, thanks.” I was continuing my internship for next semester, to count as one of my accounting electives. I liked getting class credit for working a paid job. “Wow, my last semester.” Then hopefully I’d start my hockey career.

Would Matty be my parent for parent night? It would be hilarious. I’d stood in for Austin and worked overtime to contribute for the graduating players' dinner.

“I know. It seems like just yesterday you were here for your community college practices and asking me for a job. Now look at you. I’m so proud of you, Gwen.” Tony looked up from the computer. “You have come so far.”

I had, hadn’t I? His praise meant a lot.

“What’s this about Mr. Longfellow trying to fire you?” He frowned.

“Between you and me, I think Mr. Longfellow has early signs of dementia and got confused. He had a long run with the Knights and it’s for the better that he’s finally retiring.” They’d just announced it and there would be a big party for him after the new year.

Okay, I was pretty sure it was because of Mr. Deloitte. But I’d like to think that normally Mr. Longfellow wouldn’t do something like that, and he was just getting confused, because of memory issues. Like my Grandpa Gary had.

Or maybe I was being too forgiving.

Also, I wasn’t sure if Constantine would stay GM or if he’d go back to being assistant GM and they’d bring in someone else.

Tony gave me a look that said he only partially believed me.

I went to get ready for practice with the Knights, when someone called my name and I turned.

“What do you want, Windy?” My chest tightened, because there weren’t many people around. However, he called me Gwen, not Wendel. Interesting.

“Um, Desiree might be mean to you, because we broke up.” Windy stood there in UNYC sweats, looking apprehensive.

“She’ll blame it on me.” My eyes rolled.

“Probably. I… I didn’t realize I was doing to her what Austin was doing to you. When I did, I couldn’t do it anymore.” His look went pensive.

“You were hurting her?” My belly twisted.

He shook his head. “Unintentionally stringing her along. Living in fantasyland. Though I didn’t love her the way Austin loved you. Made me so fucking jealous. But he was also delusional. I told him what he needed to do to keep you, but he didn’t listen. He thought it would magically work out, because he’s used to living a charmed life.”

“Did you know about the deal?” Hurt shot through me.

“No. But I knew about Ris. Which told me a lot more than he thought it did. After getting to know her, I think he should’ve stayed with you.” His eyes rolled.

“Why are you here?” My arms crossed over my chest.

“To apologize to you. I was out of line in accusing you of murdering Austin and I shouldn’t have been mean to you.” His hand raked through his hair.

“You think?” Wow, he just apologized?

“I was hurt when he ghosted me. I thought I meant more to him than that.” Windy’s look went sheepish. “That was me living in delulu land. Though I’ll be honest, we’re in contact again.”

“Desiree told me. How… how long have you liked Austin?” It was all I could think of. He behaved like the other woman who caused drama in a romance novel.

He sighed. “Since I was a firstie. It was easy to paint you as the villain in my head. That you were some beta taking advantage of him. Though now I see that he was taking advantage of you. Anyway, I’m sorry for spreading lies and rumors, being mean to you, and pushing you.”

Wow. I had no idea what caused this. But I was glad for it.

“I accept your apology for being a colossal knotwaffle,” I told him.

“It was realizing that something stupid, like holding a non-existent grudge, could cost me my dream career.” His look went bashful. “Okay and my mom ripping me a new one. Someone sent her videos of me being mean to you and I had to go to anger management, which was actually helpful.”

Yeah, most alphas could benefit from anger management classes. Who told his mom? Ty maybe? At least Windy listened to someone.

“I’m glad you came to that realization and I hope you continue to put in the work.” Because he was a good forward, and I knew him well enough, to know that he chose to be an ass. If he decided to be decent, he could go far.

“Going off those drugs helped too. I didn’t start taking them until the summer. I wanted an edge for my last year. But I didn’t realize how they’d affect me. Anyway, I’m off them now. Hopefully, I can redeem myself in the eyes of the Knights, even if it means I go to the Bantams, or get traded to the worst team in the PHL, then moved down to their farm team.” He looked abashed.

Oh. He’d done those performance enhancing drugs that made you an asshole. That explained things a little. Though he’d always been a dick.

“Did Austin do the drugs?” I frowned, recalling the drastic mood swings in the last couple months of our relationship.

“Austin? No.” Windy shook his head. “But he was on alpha suppressants. No one knew, because he didn’t want to get teased. He said they made him a better person. But he went off of them at the end of the season, because he was afraid a pro team wouldn’t like it.”

Oh. That explained it. Pro team? More like his family.

“I… I didn’t know that.” Alpha suppressants were designed to help young alphas control their alpha anger, emotions, and senses.

They also had a huge stigma. Like the only alphas who weren’t alpha enough to control their alpha took them. Which was dumb. A lot of young alphas could benefit from them.

He’d taken them for years and I never knew. Huh.

“Yeah. He was against doing the performance drugs, because they made people so volatile. When he found out I had, he got mad at me and told me I was an idiot. By that time I’d realized that I was on the verge of losing everything. Be careful,” Windy warned. “The Deloittes have stupid money and those kinds of people play by their own rules.”

“I know. Thanks, Windy.” I waved, then went upstairs. Well, that was weird. But that was also one less thing to worry about.