Page 55 of Cheap Shot

“Yeah.” Her eyes dropped. “He cornered me in a cafe by his dorm. I told him I wasn’t interested, but he wasn’t listening. A guy from my bio class saw us and intervened. He pretended to be my boyfriend and that seemed to scare him off.”

I hated the idea of some stranger even pretending to be her boyfriend, but I was grateful he helped her.

“It’s so stupid that it takes another guy telling him no for him to get it.” Jake scowled. “He should have left you alone when you told him no.”

Her sad eyes met his. “Yeah, he should have. I’m just glad that there are guys out there that look out for women, whether or not they know them.”

“Me too,” I agreed.

“What are you studying?” Jake asked, changing the topic.

She finished chewing and swallowing. “I’m still working on my generals. At first, I thought I wanted to do something practical like business or accounting, but I hate math way too much.”

Jake laughed. “Me too!”

“I have no idea how you’re doing it, on top of hockey,” Haley said to me.

I shrugged one shoulder. “It’s not my passion, but most of it comes fairly easily to me. I do struggle with some of the math classes though.”

“Do you think you want to move back to Minnesota when you’re done?” Jake asked, and I shot a look at him.

“How do you know where she’s from?” That wasn’t something we discussed.

“Because I know where Ethan’s from,” he retorted like he was pretty sure I was losing my mind.

Haley shook her head. “If I end up back there, I wouldn’t hate it, but it’s not on my to-do list. I don’t know where I’ll end up.”

His smile grew. “Huh, sounds like the perfect hockey wife. You never know where you’ll end up with contracts and trades.”

He tapped his foot against my ankle, and I nearly shoved him out of the booth.

She just laughed. “Yeah, maybe that’s why I’m okay with that. I always knew that would be Ethan’s reality, so I guess I just assumed the same.”

“Well, you’re going to end up with a player so it makes sense.” He leaned back with a cocky grin.

I glared at him. What was wrong with him?

“Oh really? Do you know something I don’t?” she teased.

“Yeah, you’re going to marry me and, obviously, I’m first-round draft material, so we’ll be moving somewhere in the next few years.”

She laughed so hard she covered her mouth as her eyes watered. “You’re smooth.”

I shook my head and debated calling my mom and shoving the phone at him. That would be decent payback for this moment.

He leaned forward and winked. “Look, I know who your options are right now, and all I can say is that it would be worth it for you to wait.”

I rolled my eyes then realized he wasn’t exactly wrong. She was only two years older than him. It wouldn’t be that weird for them to date once he graduated.

No. My brain couldn’t handle that.

I wanted to think of her as mine, but that wasn’t true.

“I don’t know. They’re not all bad,” she countered, and I caught her watching me just before she looked away.

What did that mean? I nearly shouted the words at her but stayed calm while my heart raced in my chest.

Another knock on my ankle, and this time I couldn't stop myself. I kicked him back as hard as I could, and he yipped before bending over, rubbing the spot.