Page 6 of Heartless As Puck

It was a shame. They really did look delicious.

Sylvia’s fair eyebrows drew together, forming a sharp vee above the slim ridge of her nose. “Surely one won’t hurt.”

“It’s a slippery slope.” I shrugged, as if to say, ‘what can you do?’

She shifted from one foot to the other, drawing attention to her long legs, which her flared miniskirt displayed to full advantage. “Can I just pop in and say hello then? Ask him how it went?”

“I’m afraid not.” I pursed my lips, unwilling to budge and refusing to examine all the reasons why. I wasn’t possessive of Austin. Just protective of his time. “He likes to be alone after training.”

She knew that. It wasn’t the first time she’d tried to visit immediately after a practice or game. She deflated, and I quietly prayed that she’d turn around and leave. Usually, this point in the conversation would be when she took herself back next door, foiled once again.

Today, she surprised me by raising her chin and staring me down.

“I think you’re just trying to keep me away from Austin,” she said, her features twisting into something far from friendly.

“I’m not.” I spoke slowly, my tongue already beginning to feel clumsy in my mouth, as it always did when I sensed a confrontation brewing.

“Maybe he really wants to see me, but you never ask.” She cocked her head. “How would I know?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again, and drew in a deep, slow breath in an effort to calm myself. If I stuttered in front of her, I’d be so ashamed. There was nothing I hated more than regressing.

“Sylvia.” I enunciated the word clearly. “You can’t speak to Austin now. Please leave.”

She looked like she might protest, but she must have seen the determination in my eyes because she gave a barely perceptible nod, turned, and strode away with a swing in her hips.

I released a gust of air, and the tension eased from my shoulders. Good. She was gone. I shut the door, locked it, and retreated to my room, where I went straight to the kitchenette, opened the cabinet, and ripped into a packet of Oreos.

By the time I’d demolished two of them, I felt a little better.

I grabbed my laptop, sat cross-legged on the love seat against the wall, and navigated into my latest assignment for my Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

For a while, I worked on the assignment, adding references from relevant academic articles, double-checking the facts I’d already included, and making sure there weren’t any blatant grammatical problems that would annoy my pedantic professor.

I only had five papers to pass before I could graduate.

Five.

Fingers crossed I’d be able to get them done soon, before Austin was traded or let go, rendering me jobless. My parents had insisted on paying my tuition, even though I’d argued about it, not wanting to be a burden on them. They weren’t destitute, but they weren’t as wealthy as they should be, considering Dad’s and Uncle Wayne’s level of fame and success.

Unfortunately, professional hockey players hadn’t earned as much in their day, and a lot of Dad’s savings had been wiped out by medical bills after the car accident that had ended his career and resulted in both him and Mom having extended hospital stays, followed by drawn-out recoveries.

Despite agreeing for them to pay my fees, I’d insisted upon covering my own living expenses. Hence, this job. Based on the positions I’d had before Austin’s agent hired me, I knew I’d be hard-pressed to find another role with as many perks as this one.

My phone vibrated. I glanced at the screen. It was from my brother’s girlfriend.

I heard that Taggert is gone. Yay! That guy gave me the creeps.

I tapped out a quick reply.

That’s because he IS a creep.

But how had Tally found out?

I’d expected the news to spread but not this quickly. Of course, Mom could have told her, but I doubted it.

Another message arrived while I was applying moisturizer. This one from Austin’s agent, Gus.

Please make sure you come to my meeting with Austin tomorrow. 4pm. We have a lot to discuss.