Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
My plan to sit alone in the back, remain in the shadows, and possibly even slip out early, went up in flames as soon as I walked inside.
Eli spotted me right away and started waving.
"Freya! Hey, Freya, I saved you a seat," he yelled.
Eli was, of course, directly behind one of the team benches.
Several players turned around, no doubt to see what caused all the commotion.
They were closer to my age. Elle wore her hockey gear, minus her helmet and gloves, and sat in the other seat next to Eli.
Her head was buried in the book in front of her, looking up only to take notes.
Shoulders back, I walked to their row, very aware of the eyes on me, and sat.
"These are the best seats," Eli told me.
I nodded. "Seems like it."
"Hudson and Tolliver are out there warming up. You got here just in time. It'll start soon."
I jerked my chin again, and Elle glanced up at me.
"On a scale of one to 10," she said, "how embarrassed are you right now?"
"Why would I be embarrassed?" I asked.
"Uh, because thanks to my brother's super enthusiastic welcome, half the camp is staring at you."
I didn't glance around to see if she was right.
I could feel all those eyes.
Eli frowned. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I just didn't want you to have to sit by yourself."
I didn't tell him that was exactly what I'd been hoping for.
"No worries," I said. "I don't care what people think, and I can be loud too."
The latter had been a point of contention with my former boyfriend. But Eli gave me a grin so big it nearly melted my heart.
"Really?" he said.
"Yeah, it's gotten me into trouble."
"Me too."
"Thanks for saving me a seat," I added.
He shrugged then walked off to talk to a few of his friends.
"That was nice of you," Elle said.
"He's a cool kid," I replied.
"He likes you."
I smiled. " I know. He saved me a seat."
"I wasn't talking about Eli."
As I glanced up, she nodded toward the ice, and I caught Tolliver looking this way. He gave me a nod, and when I merely blinked, he lifted his hand.
"I love Tollie to death," Elle mumbled from beside me, "but could he be any more obvious?"
"What?"
"Just wave back for goodness sake."
I sent him a small wave which made him grin.
Then I looked away before I could do something stupid like fall for the guy.
"Mmm, nice job."
When I turned back to her, Elle was frowning at her book in concentration, and I asked, "What are you studying?"
"I honestly don't know," she muttered.
"Do you like to read?" I asked.
"Who actually likes reading?"
"I do. My cousins too, and the girls in my writing group."
"Huh." Elle shook her head. "Anyway, no, I hate it—especially the books we have to read for school. They're so depressing."
"Valid," I said. "Hey, one of my cousins works at a library. I bet she'd give you some good recs. Lottie has a gift for pairing the right book with the right person."
Elle looked dubious.
"Seriously, a good book can make your whole day brighter."
"Well, anything has to be better than this."
I nodded in sympathy. "I wasn't a fan of Steinbeck either."
"I love math," Elle said.
"Gross," I said back.
"Come on, it makes sense."
"I do love counting music and figuring out different rhythms."
She stared at me a moment. "You're weird," she said finally.
"You're the one who likes math," I countered. "Pretty sure that makes you weird."
Elle laughed quietly. "If I pass English, it'll be thanks to Tolliver. I already feel stupid enough having to take summer school."
"You'll pass."
She gave me a nod. "You know, Eli and the others weren't sure you'd show. But I knew you would."
That made one of us.
I went back and forth so many times. When I told my father I was going to a hockey scrimmage, he'd looked at me like I was crazy. Then he said to drive carefully, beware of hormonal jocks, and call if I needed anything.
A whistle blew, and as the rest of the team skated over, Elle slipped her book into her bag and got up.
"How'd you know?" I asked before she left. "That I'd be here even when the others didn't."
Even when I didn't.
Elle shrugged. "I see the way you look at my brother. It's so cute. You're just as gone as he is," she said with a smile.
As she skated onto the rink and joined the others, I couldn't help but feel blindsided.
Was I that transparent, or was she just teasing?
Did Tolliver suspect I had feelings for him?
Was that even true?
Tolliver thew me that grin again as he skated by, and without my permission, my lips started to smile in answer.
Oh no.
No, no, no.
I was absolutely not falling.
Not for a jock.
Not even a nice one like Tolliver.
As they got ready to play, I pulled on my headphones and turned on my music.
This was something I'd learned to do whenever I had to go to one of my ex's games.
It provided me with the perfect distraction, and it made the time pass quicker.
Tolliver glanced at me again, saw the headphones, and gave me a questioning look.
But I just waved him off. I also pulled out the book I brought with me just in case.
It was the same one Tolliver and I had been reading in the mornings—yes, he was still showing up at dawn to read with me.
No, he had no intention of stopping. I really didn't mind.
In fact, I'd gotten use to him reading over my shoulder.
As if he could hear my thoughts, he frowned and skated closer, gesturing for me to take off the headphones.
When I did, I heard the coach say, "Tolliver, where are you going?"
"To talk to a friend, Coach," he said.
"Tolliver."
"Dad, I'll be right there."
My gaze widened as I looked at the man with new eyes. Now that I knew what to look for, he did resemble an older version of Tolliver with the same dark hair and muscular build. Although, the way his mouth curled in amusement made me think of Hudson or Elle.
"I've heard your speech a thousand times, could give it at this point," Tolliver said. "Been coming to camp since I was seven. I'm good."
"Fine," Tolliver's dad said, "but I expect 110 percent effort on your part after you talk to your...friend."
Tolliver nodded, and his father's lips twitched before he blew his whistle and proceeded to tell the others what was about to happen, the expectations, rules of play.
Several players were only half-paying attention, glancing at us every few seconds.
And yet, here Tolliver stood, frowning at me, looking like he had all the time in the world.
"What?" I asked.
"Were you planning to read ahead without me?" he said.
"Yeah. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Of course, I do."
"Seriously?"
He gave a short nod.
"Why?"
"I thought you came here to watch me play."
I shrugged. "I can multitask."
He scoffed at that.
"It's my book," I said through gritted teeth.
Eli dropped into the seat next to me and said, "Hey, Tolliver."
"Hey, E." Looking at me, he said, "You're not reading that without me, Freya."
"Again, why?" I repeated.
"Because it would be rude."
My mouth opened to respond, but he cut me off.
"And because it's our thing."
I blinked.
"It's our thing, Kent," Tolliver said again, and though I shouldn't have understood what he meant, should've denied that we had a thing at all, I couldn't. "You and me. We read together. Eloise wouldn't leave the duke behind. I know you won't leave me either."
"No need to be so dramatic," I said.
He arched a brow, waiting.
"Fine, I won't read on without you," I said and made a show of closing the book. "Happy now?"
"Yep," he said, skating backwards. Pointing his stick at Eli, he said, "You tell me if she picks up that book again. I'm depending on you, E."
"You got it," Eli said.
"Traitor," I murmured which made them both laugh.
My plans were disrupted, but I still had the music.
Music was always there when I needed it most.
Hunkering down, trying to get lost in the melody, I hoped I wouldn't do anything to embarrass Tolliver—a fear from a past relationship—or get bored like I always did at sporting events.
I knew it was a long shot. The only time I could remember having fun watching sports was last year when I got to see my Uncle Becks and his friend, Ash—both of whom were former professionals—play soccer against Viola, Charlotte, and Scarlett's boyfriends. A time was definitely had.
I frowned, suddenly realizing how very single I was.
Soon I'd end up being the only one without my person.
If the news on the internet about Aurora and Felix being the new "It Couple" was correct, maybe I already was.
It had never bothered me before.
Why now?
Shaking it off, I focused on the music, looking out at the ice in front of me.
I spotted Tolliver immediately. He was a muscular guy anyway, but the pads made him look massive.
Not only was he one of the biggest players out there, he was also one of the fastest. Hudson was flying beside him while Elle waited in the net, playing against her two brothers.
As the two passed the puck back and forth, Hudson ended up taking the shot.
Elle knocked it away with her stick. As he came in for a second attempt, she blocked that one too.
But while she was celebrating, Tolliver regained possession and shot it right past her.
Eli was cheering in the seat beside me as were other people in the crowd.
As I watched, Tolliver smiled, said something to Elle that I couldn't hear because of the music, and she flipped him off in return, making me smile.
Seeing him so happy made me glad.
I didn't think too hard about why.