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Conrad smacks my back. “You okay, buddy?”

“Fine.” I force a smile.

We get back on the ice, and I can’t help but glance toward her seat, but there’s not so much as a glimpse of pink hair. She’s nowhere to be seen.

I shouldn’t even be looking in that direction, paying her any attention, but it’s like I can’t stop myself, no matter how hard I try. And I try a lot to stop looking in that direction.

She doesn’t return.

Juniper is gone.

My guess is she left early, saw we were losing, and didn’t want to stay for the rest of the game. Some fan she is.

Whatever. It’s not like it matters. She’s not my girlfriend. I don’t want anything to do with her, and if Conrad is dating her, good riddance.

Four

Juniper

“I’ve never had that happen before,” Rowan says as she nurses her beer and me a mocktail. We’re both seated at the bar, Blue Line, closest to the arena.

“We got kicked out.” I laugh, trying to understand what the hell happened. “Did we seriously do something wrong? I’ve never been to a hockey game, Rowan. Tell me what we did wrong.”

Rowan shakes her head, finishes her beer, and orders another. “I’ve been to plenty. There’s a lot worse we could have done,” she says with a knowing smirk. “I think your app crush got us kicked out.”

“No way.” I’m in absolute denial that he’d have that type of power over the game. Sure, he’s a hockey player, but it’s not like we did anything obscene. We paid for our tickets, and the arena wasn’t even offering us a refund. They just had some guy in a collared shirt kick us out. It didn’t even say security, but he was threatening to call them and the police if we didn’t leave.

“Did you notice the guy’s shirt? He had an Ice Dragons logo. He works for the team.”

I curse and gesture the bartender over. Rowan gets her second beer. I decide that I need something hell of a lot stronger. My mocktail suddenly gets an upgrade, with a shot of tequila added into it.

“Honestly, I didn’t notice. I was too busy following directions like a good little girl. Can you believe we got kicked out?”

I’ve always been known for being too sweet, too obedient. Look where that got me.

Rowan laughs. “No, and apparently, you can’t either because you keep repeating it like it didn’t just happen. Trust me, June, it did. I was there with you.”

A recap of the game is on the television in the corner, and I glance at the final score to see that the Ice Dragons got their asses kicked. Now the boys are doing their required interviews, looking dejected.

Ouch.

“Serves them right for making us leave. We were their lucky charms!” Rowan cackles and takes another sip from her beer.

“I’m not sure that’s quite accurate. They were losing with us there—they lost after we left though too,” I say with a shrug, not really making much of a point. “It was just an off day for them. The better team won.”

The bartender smiles at us, overhearing a bit of our conversation. “Don’t say that too loud. Those boys will be in here after the game and likely to be sulking.”

I snort and finish my drink, gesturing that I’d like another, “with alcohol,” I emphasize.

Not twenty minutes later, the bar door swings open and the rowdiness intensifies tenfold. It’s obvious that they’re all players from tonight’s game. Wet hair, well dressed, even a couple of them have girlfriends on their arm, or wives, I’m not sure which.

They stride to the back of the bar, to a set of tables that have a reserved placard waiting for them, and pile in like they own the place.

“Now’s your shot,” Rowan says as Myles strolls up to the bar, leaning on the wood, standing right beside me.

The entire place is jam-packed; it’s not like there are lot of options on space at the bar.

He gives me the cold shoulder, like he doesn’t even see me, let alone recognize me. “I can’t believe you got us thrown out of the game!” I glare at him, waiting for him to apologize.