Page 34

H udson and I walk into the Mountain Ridge ice arena, heading to our seats, and I see a familiar head of chestnut brown hair.

A warm smile spreads across my face at the same time my nerves ramp up. I’ve only seen Cash’s mom briefly since that summer, but other than Gigi and Mav, she’s the only person in our families who always looks at me like she knows my secret.

That I’m in love with her son.

Hud stops at the top of the steps, and I notice he takes a deep breath, like he’s trying to compose himself.

“You okay, Hud?”

He pinches his lips together. “Yeah, she just looks so much like Jules.”

Oh, my heart. I feel so selfish. As hard as loving Cash from afar has been, at least he’s still here on this earth. Hudson lost his love so young, changing his outlook on life before his had even truly begun.

“If you need a minute, I can go down without you.”

He shakes his head. “Nah, I’m okay.”

We make our way to where Katie sits, and as soon as she sees us, she’s standing up and practically squealing.

“Oh, my goodness, look at you two!”

When she hugs Hudson, I see a twinge of pain crease her face before she quickly replaces it with a big smile.

“Bellamy, you get prettier every time I see you,” she beams, wrapping me up in a big hug.

“Thank you,” I say shyly.

We take our seats on either side of her as the majority of the crowd is still filing in. Berkley had to work today, and Darby had basketball practice, so I was happy when Cash mentioned his mom and Hudson were coming too.

“I’m so glad you guys could be here today. I know it's hard for you to come during the second half of the season,” she says to Hudson. “I’d love to come watch one of your games. I hear you’re breaking all kinds of records behind the plate.”

“I’d love for you to come. I’m sure Mom would be so happy to see you,” he says.

“It’s a done deal, then. I’ve missed my Penelope. Once your schedule is out, I’ll give her a call.”

The crowd gets louder, and our attention shifts to the ice.

“Aw, there comes my boys,” Katie stands, clapping as the boys skate by us, warming up.

Mav blows her a kiss like the true mama’s boy he is, and Cash sends a little wink this way.

“That was for you, not me,” Katie whispers.

Wait, did Cash say something to her?

I feel the blush spread up my neck, no matter how hard I try to stop it.

“Honey, if you didn’t think I knew from the very first time we met that you meant more to Cash than you two led on, then you are very, very wrong.”

Well, we lived under our other parents' roof for a whole summer, and other than the one time my mom threatened me about Cash, they seemed pretty damn oblivious.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you, honey. I don’t think there’s a more perfect person out there for my son.”

My wide eyes land on her whiskey-brown ones, suddenly feeling emotional. “Really?”

“I saw the peace your presence surrounded him with that first weekend. I saw the old Cash come out of his shell. I saw a young girl who cared about him deeply. But I also knew it was very complicated.”

I release a heavy breath. “Yeah, you could say that again.”

“Well, let me tell you, if there’s one thing I know about my ex-husband, it’s that he loves his children and wants nothing but for them to be happy. Yes, it may take some adjusting, but he WILL get over it.”

But will my mom forgive me? She’s finally happy.

“Thank you. We still have a lot to figure out, but it means a lot that you support us.” And no sooner do the words come out of my mouth, I spot Tori fucking Bateman a few rows over to the left.

In none other than a Leblanc number 44 jersey.

What the fuck?

She waves at Cash, and I can’t see his face because it’s covered by his headgear, but he gives her a slight nod, and I die a little inside.

Katie sees who I’m looking at, eyes narrowing. “I thought they broke up…”

“Yeah, so did I.” Joke’s on me.

“He doesn’t love that little witch. Don’t let her get in your head.”

I’d chuckle at his mom’s disdain for her if I wasn’t so torn up inside. It’s easier said than done. He’s been on and off with her the past three years, all while I watched in pure agony, fucking random dudes to try to ease the pain.

I take a deep breath, reminding myself this is likely another power play right out of Tori’s manipulative playbook.

Since it's a scrimmage, they skip the team intros and the captains head to center ice. I love the look of pride on Cash’s face as he watches Maverick join the other captains in the middle with the referees.

After the coin is tossed, Katie has her phone out, capturing a few pictures of the twins doing their signature “Crash Bros” chant.

He’s so sexy in his hockey gear, with his long hair, wet at the tips. My mind flits between visions of him in his cowboy attire and his Wolves uniform. Basically, I’m feral for both.

A feral bobcat.

In between quarters, I run to the bathroom while Hud goes to grab us all sodas.

Just my fucking luck, Tori stands in front of the mirror, adjusting her jersey.

His jersey.

“Well, look who it is. I saw you sitting with my future mother-in-law. I was going to come say hi.”

I’ll leave if she comes over there, or maybe I’ll throw her against the plexiglass. It’s one or the other.

Can fans get put in the penalty box?

“I’ll let her know you said hi.” I give her a saccharin smile.

“Your shirt’s cute,” she says, nodding to the t-shirt I borrowed from Cash at the hotel.

Yeah, I was wearing it while your so-called boyfriend ate me out.

“But it’s fucking weird for you to wear his jersey number and not Mav’s. I mean, they’re both your stepbrothers, after all, right?”

“Yeah, well, it’s pretty fucking weird for you to show up wearing your ex-boyfriend's jersey, don’t you think?” I take a step closer to her.

Other girls walk in the bathroom, but Tori doesn’t back down. “Oh, is that what he told you?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” I say nonchalantly, but suddenly, I’m second-guessing what Cash said, and I hate that I’m letting her get into my head.

“Fuck you, Bellamy, and stay away from my boyfriend,” she says, pointing to her chest.

I smirk. “Sorry, bitch, I’ll be around forever. Don’t forget it.”

“Not if Cal kicks your slut of a mother to the curb,” Tori sneers.

I tense for a beat, her words replaying for just a moment before I’m grabbing her jersey and pulling her face to mine. “Talk about my mother one more time, and I’ll tear those extensions out of your head. I should rip this jersey from your back. Those are my numbers.”

Tori swallows, like she’s scared, but then a little bit of confidence seeps back into her features, and she pushes me away. “And how do you figure that?”

“Why don’t you ask your boyfriend where he came up with the number? The number he continues to wear each and every year he’s been with you.”

The realization that I’ve essentially outed myself to Tori should scare me, but I can't seem to care right now.

I can tell she isn’t quite sure what to make of that, and even the side of me that tries to act like a tough bitch feels bad for purposefully hurting her.

Then I remind myself of the low-key bullying in high school and the continued meanness all throughout college so far.

Plus, the fact she’s most likely fucking that creep, Professor Douglas, behind Cash’s back.

And like a weight falling from my shoulders, I don’t care. Not one bit.

It takes me several minutes to calm down before I use the bathroom and head back out to the seats. Reminding myself the whole time that I’m the one sitting with his mom, I’m the one he keeps looking at in the stands, I’m the one he wants.

The guys did so good today. I’ve been so engrossed in the game that I almost forgot about my little run-in with Tori. I can tell this season is going to solidify Mav’s dream spot in the NHL, and if Cash wanted it, his too.

He scored two goals, both from perfect passes made by Mav. The other team easily fell for his dekes all night long, and the telepathic connection he and Cash have on the ice makes it even harder for the other team to know Mav’s next move.

“Mountain Ridge is about to have a hell of a year in sports,” Hudson says as we start walking up the steps.

“I was just thinking the same thing. You plan on breaking that home run record this year?” I ask.

Knowing damn well he will, he smirks and shrugs.

“Maybe.” As a freshman last year, he was the talk of the school during the spring.

When girls on campus found out I knew him, I got him so many numbers.

But to every girl’s dismay, sadly, I know he didn’t call one of them.

Seeing the way he looked at Katie earlier solidifies what I’ve always known.

Jules’s death devastated all of them, but for Hudson, his heart was broken in a different way, a way I don’t think he ever wants to feel again, so he doesn’t allow himself to get close.

Hudson stops once we get up into the corridor area of the arena. “I’m going to head out. Bellamy, you sure you don’t need a ride back?” he asks, giving me a hug.

“I’m good.” Hopefully, I’ll be catching a ride with Cash back to one of our places.

“Thank you two again for sitting with me,” Katie says as she hugs Hudson. “It was so good to see you, buddy.”

“It was so good to see you. Be safe going back to Charlotte.” He smiles, throwing up one last wave before walking toward the exit.

Katie and I make our way to the home team locker room, where family and friends are allowed to wait.

“Do you want to go grab a bite to eat with me and the boys when they finish up?” she asks.

I smile, excited to do something a normal girlfriend would do with their boyfriend’s family. “Sure, I’d love too.”

“Perfect. Hopefully, they’ll take a quick shower before coming out,” she says, squeezing her nose, and I laugh.

“I’m sure they will. You raised them well. They are both pretty clean guys.”

Once we get closer, my heart drops when I see Tori already standing near the locker room door.

Why is she here?

“What is she doing here?” Katie whispers.

I swallow back the emotion as Tori waves in our direction. “I’m not so sure.”

My guard goes up, and something tells me this isn’t right. Surely, she wouldn’t be standing there if she didn’t feel like she was welcome.

A few minutes later, Mav and Cash walk out of the locker room at the same time.

Mav waves at us, heading straight to his mom.

My eyes immediately go to Cash’s. He smiles, but it’s laced with something else.

He shakes his head slightly, but I’m at a loss for words when he lets Tori throw herself into his arms.

I stand there, watching like a bad movie I can’t look away from. Except I’ve seen this one before, and now I’m standing here, wondering why the hell I’m allowing myself to watch it again.

As she leans up to kiss him, he turns his head, and her lips fall on his cheek.

It’s like a punch to the gut. Has anything between us over the past few days been real?

Is this his sick way of getting back at me after all these years?

Or maybe he realized what I’ve feared all along… this could never work.

She’s the easier choice. He doesn’t have to be ashamed or hide with her.

She isn’t his stepsister.

I have to get out of here.

Thankfully, anger takes over the shock and hurt, and I quickly kiss Katie’s cheek. “Sorry, rain check on that dinner. It was so good to see you.”

She kisses me back, and I see the confusion on her face before she follows where my line of vision has fallen, back on the happy couple as they smile for a picture that Tori’s friend snaps.

Mav stands beside us, also looking on with his mouth agape.

At least they seem as shocked as I do. Maybe I’m not as stupid as I feel.

I whisper one more apology before I rush out the exit door, refusing to give Tori the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart.