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More muffled yelling from the other end of the phone line. I can’t make it out, but it sounds like she’s playing the single mom angle.
"Shannon, I know you're still upset, but don't take it out on the kid," Owen says, sounding uncharacteristically gentle. "It's not Cyrus's fault."
As I listen in, the pieces start coming together in my mind. Owen Jablonski, star player and legendary ladies man, is actually a deadbeat dad! Why am I not surprised? He's probably got illegitimate kids scattered all across Canada. Cyrus, one of his love children that he abandoned after a one-night stand on the road.
“I'm not trying to undermine you,” he continues. “I just miss him. And I know he misses me."
Okay, maybeabandonedis a little harsh. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s sowing his oats everywhere.
He pauses while the woman on the phone chews him out. I scoff, thinking about Jaime and how she dodged a bullet with him. I thought Owen was just an arrogant jock, but this is next level.
My regret-o-meter just hit an all-time high. I let him kiss me last night. I kissed him back. Actually, let’s be real. We full-onmade out. And what’s worse, it was the hottest, loveliest kiss of my entire life.
And it meant nothing to him.
"Shannon, don't be like that," Owen says, frustration seeping into his tone. He sounds so desperate, so unlike the cocky superstar I'm used to dealing with.
For a moment, I feel an unexpected pang of sympathy for him. But I quickly remind myself that Owen brought this situation upon himself. This is what happens when you're an arrogant philanderer who can't keep it in his hockey shorts. A knot forms in my stomach. I feel almost… disappointed somehow. I don't know why I care about his personal life. It's not like I have feelings for the guy or anything. Definitely not.
Probably not.
“Alright, fine. But we're not done talking about this.” Owen hangs up the phone with a grunt.
Quickly, before he can catch me listening in, I scramble to Joe’s office. My heart pounds as his footsteps approach. He's muttering curses under his breath.
My butt barely hits the office chair when Owen appears just outside the office, taking up the entire door frame. He hooks his fingers on the top, leaning his large body in. So casual. Such… swagger. Gone is the desperate, pleading dad on the phone. He’s just Owen now. The sultry son of a gun who rocked my world for thirty seconds last night. Or was it thirty minutes? The details are a little fuzzy.
“Hello, Kitty Cat,” he drawls, lips curling into a devilish grin.
I hate him.
“What do you want?” I snap, probably more forcefully than I intended.
Play it cool, Em. I cross my legs, trying to look casual, like I hadn’t just eavesdropped on Owen’s private conversation only to uncover something about him I’d rather not know. My leg slipsoff my knee on the first try, so I haul it back on there, holding it down with my elbow.
“I just want to apologize,” he says softly.
12
EMILY
Wait. What? Owen, the ultimate preening puck, wants to apologize? To me?
Owen rubs the back of his neck. Is he actually nervous? "Look, I just wanted to say sorry if I crossed a line or anything. I know you're not my biggest fan, and I shouldn't have just kissed you like that without asking. It was inappropriate and I shouldn't have put you in that position."
I stare at him, incredulous. I feel a twinge of disappointment that the kiss meant so little to him, even though I know I should be relieved. Still, it stings a bit that he's so quick to dismiss it.
I'm taken aback. An apology is the last thing I expected from him. I also feel a little salty that he's brushing it off so casually.
"Oh, um, it's fine," I mumble, caught off guard by his sincerity. "We were trying to avoid getting caught. I get it. Don't worry about it."
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear self-consciously. As much as I hate to admit it, I haven't been able to stop thinking about that kiss. The way his lips felt against mine, his fingers tangled in my hair… it was electric.
Which I should never,everthink about, especially now that I know he’s a deadbeat dad. And of course, it goes against girl code. I’d die if Jaime ever found out I let her ex kiss me.
Owen shifts his weight, eyes searching my face intently. "Yeah, but still. I stepped out of line." He pauses, rubbing the back of his neck again. "I just wanted to make sure things are cool between us. I know I can be a pain in your side sometimes."
A small smile tugs at my lips. "Sometimes?" I retort with a teasing lilt. Owen chuckles, the sound sending a pleasant shiver through me.
