Chapter 8 #2
This was the last thing I needed. Being called out by name in an article about gender inequality was not the kind of press that would help my chances of getting an official contract.
I hadn’t spoken to a single reporter since my injury.
I wasn’t interested in the attention. My only goal was to prove how valuable I could be to Detroit out on the ice.
I already had to convince them I was worth the risk after suffering a huge injury.
“You certainly pissed someone off,” Bryce said with a grim expression.
He didn’t mention anyone specific, but we both knew whom he was referring to.
“Grace is going to regret her decision to transfer here. I’ll make sure of it.”
>> > <<
Grace
“I wish I could have seen the look on his face when he read the article,” I said as we trudged out of the locker room after a grueling practice.
I’d half considered camping out by DuLane Arena so I could follow Sebastian around campus yesterday.
The entire women’s team had woken up in the early hours of the morning to decorate the grounds.
Seeing the school plastered in our posters was such a gratifying moment, especially after I’d spent half the night rereading Maggie’s article, memorizing every word.
The only thing that could have made today better was seeing Sebastian’s reaction when he realized he was the star of our campaign.
“Someone told me that a bunch of the guys were pulling down posters near the arena,” Lydia said with a chuckle.
“It’s too little too late. Everyone in my literature class was talking about the article.
Even the basketball guys were offended, though I’m sure they’re more than happy to see the hockey team taken down a peg.
” Pearson could hardly contain herself as she spoke.
The whole team was buzzing. For once, people were starting to pay attention to our plight.
“Who knows, this might have been our last practice in this shithole,” added Liv.
“Don’t get ahead of yourselves,” Caroline warned. “Coach hasn’t heard anything from the administration. What matters right now is that people are talking about us. Eventually, the school will have to address the issue. We need to be patient until they do.”
Despite Caroline’s reality check, everyone was on cloud nine as we headed off to class.
The moment I stepped outside, my eyes were drawn to a tall wall of muscle.
Sebastian Evans, the campaign star himself, was leaning against a birch tree looking particularly prickly.
Even from several yards away, I could feel tension in the air between us.
A gust of chilly wind blew past, loosening a few strands of hair from my braid.
I tucked them behind my ears as he pushed off the tree and sauntered over.
“Ladies,” he offered in greeting. “I need to speak with Grace.”
Neither of my roommates moved an inch from my side.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I’ll see you guys later.”
After searching my face for any sign of distress, they agreed. Before leaving, Caroline sent Sebastian a look of warning as if to say, Don’t you dare fuck with her.
“I can’t imagine you have anything worthwhile to say,” I said, turning my attention to Sebastian. “Unless you’re here to apologize, that is.”
He was definitely pissed off. Though his expression didn’t change, I could see his entire body stiffen at my words. “I told you not to involve me. I thought I made myself clear.”
“That’s the thing, Sebastian. You told me. You didn’t ask me.”
His lip twitched. “I told you because it was a command, not a question.”
The fucking audacity of this man. My hand twitched, fingers curling into a fist, but I managed to bury the overwhelming impulse to punch him.
“Are you really that blinded by your golden boy status that you can’t admit to being wrong?
We’re breathing in mold and destroying our blades over at McKinley Rink. ”
The green of Sebastian’s eyes was infused with a flame of ire, and it was entirely for me—all that breathtaking anger and intensity pouring off his body in waves. He’d been indifferent when addressing Caroline and Lydia just seconds ago, but when it came to me, Sebastian couldn’t hide his hatred.
When he didn’t respond, I heaved a sigh. “Why do you hate me?”
“You secretly recorded me without my consent,” he said, a vein pulsing at his temple. “That’s reason enough.”
“No, I’m talking about before that.” I was over Sebastian pretending like this was an isolated event. He couldn’t act like the victim, not after the last few weeks. “You’ve been an asshole to me from the moment I transferred to this school.”
That made him scoff. “Not everyone has to like you, Grace.”
“Not liking someone and actively disliking them are completely different.” I felt like I was wasting my breath, but I couldn’t keep the words from bursting out. Sebastian wasn’t dumb; he knew exactly what he was doing.
“I can’t believe they didn’t expel you after the gala,” he said, not bothering to give me a straight answer. “I bet they’ll consider it now, given how much trouble you’ve caused.”
What a shocker. Honesty was too big of an ask for Sebastian.
“They can’t expel me if what I’m saying is true, and it’s not only me. All the women on the team are protesting this gross display of inequality.”
“Protest your little heart out, I don’t care. Leave. Me. Out of it.”
“I don’t think I will. Your face has brought a lot of awareness to the campaign.” I could barely speak the words without smiling.
Sebastian took another step forward, no doubt aware that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “What do you expect to get out of this? Like I already told you, I have no say over where the women train.”
He was close enough that I could breathe in the scent of him—why did he have to smell so damn nice?—but it would take more than him invading my personal space to intimidate me. “I’m not stupid, Sebastian. This school would bend over backward if you asked them to.”
His gaze flickered back and forth between my eyes and my mouth. The entire time, he looked murderous. “You overestimate my power, Grace. I had to plead my case in front of the dean to even come back this year. The moment they decided I was damaged goods, I lost my clout.”
His admission took me by surprise, almost as much as the sincerity in his voice.
Maybe I was wrong, but it seemed like I was finally getting a kernel of truth out of him.
Even so, it didn’t make any sense. Though I’d never admit it, I’d streamed their game against Providence and several of the following matches.
Sebastian was by far the most skilled player on the ice.
He stood out amongst the other athletes.
So why would he have to beg for a spot on the team when he was a star on the ice?