With my luck, I probably would. But I planned to avoid hockey games as much as possible going forward. I was already thinking up excuses to bail on Saturday’s rematch against the Falcons on home ice. I was debating between fabricating a twenty-four-hour stomach bug or group project emergency. Because the idea of seeing Luke and Chase in one place was, frankly, horrifying.

“No way.” I shook my head. “He’s an asshole.”

“Are you sure about that?” Zara asked, tipping her chin thoughtfully. “It sounds like he helped you get home and he didn’t take advantage of you.”

“Low bar there, don’t you think?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s still more than I could say for half the guys I know.”

“Fine,” I said. “So, he’s not a creep, but he’s still an asshole. And a player.”

Emphasis on that last part.

“That’s a shame,” Noelle mused, tapping her glossy lips with her purple pen. “He had total BDE.”

“BDE?” I repeated, confused.

“Big dick energy.”

“Ugh, gross.” I hid my face in my hands. “Sorry I asked.”

Zara poked me with her pencil. “You know you thought about it too.”

Snippets of our airport terminal conversation came flooding back to me. Specifically, the Airbus part. My face heated against my fingers.

“Definitely not.”

9. that took a turn

CHAPTER 9

THAT TOOK A TURN

Bailey

Saturday afternoon rolled around before I knew it, hitting me smack in the face. I tried to back out of attending the three o’clock rematch on home ice against the Falcons. I really, really tried. I did not want to see Luke, and I wasn’t sure I could face Chase after last weekend, either. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, Derek guilt-tripped me into attending. Just like always.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I had told him.

“You have to come,” he’d said. “You’re good luck, Bails.”

No pressure there.

Why, if I was such good luck, had the Bulldogs lost the last three games I attended? I kept that question to myself, not wanting to mess with Derek’s head before the game.

Pathetically, I didn’t have any other plans anyway. If I didn’t go, I’d be doing laundry or sitting in my room surfing Netflix. Watching my brother play for a few hours wasn’t asking much. I would pretend it was freshman year all over again—before Luke and I ever met.

I wished it was.

This time, at least, I would cut loose immediately after to avoid the awkwardness. I’d start with that, then maybe I could leave earlier and earlier as the season went on, eventually not coming at all. If I eased into it gradually, maybe Derek wouldn’t notice or care as much.

Or maybe things would magically get less awkward with Luke. But probably not.

* * *