Chapter Forty-Six #2
My phone buzzes with another notification, and this time, I see it’s a snap from Wyatt.
I quicky tap it open. He sent it to me from his stall in the dressing room, wearing his hockey jersey with the A on it.
I smile, pride filling me. He took part in a press conference this morning as one of the alternate captains, to discuss the upcoming season.
It’s something I know he never saw for himself a month ago. And I’m so damn proud of him.
I eagerly play his message.
“Okay. Presser done. I made a point to mention Twenty Together, and I think the athletic department is going to be surprised at the amount of bad publicity coming their way. You should see some quotes from it dropping soon. Now we just wait and see how they respond. Love you, baby.”
I love you, too, I think as I stare at his image. I love you so damn much.
A key card beeps against the door, and Maddie comes in, with McCall following behind her. “I’ve got news!” McCall says eagerly.
“Good news!” Maddie chimes in, dropping her backpack onto her desk chair.
“What? Tell me!” I cry.
“The athletic department is freaking the fuck out at the pushback they are getting,” McCall says, sinking down next to me on my bed. “I got someone to talk to me off the record today. They especially don’t like the idea of a lawsuit in regard to women’s sports. Incredibly bad optics, you know.”
I gasp, my hands flying to my mouth. “Oh my God!”
McCall nods, her green eyes dancing. “Yep. So they’re going to release a statement this afternoon, saying they hear the concerns of the students and are willing to have productive conversations with teams to move them to become self-funding.
It might not save every team—if they can’t self-fund, they most likely will be shut down—but it gives everyone a chance to raise money.
Get corporate donations. It’s huge, Grace. ”
Tears of relief well in my eyes. This fight is far from over. Nobody knows what will happen in these conversations, but they don’t want a lawsuit. So much work needs to be done to see if we could self-fund, but this is a chance to save our programs.
“You did this,” I say, my voice breaking. I throw my arms around her and hug her hard. “You did this, McCall. Thank you so much.”
“Hey, hey, no I didn’t,” she says, pushing back from me. “We did it. All of us. We pulled together to do something amazing. We stopped a shutdown before it even got off the ground. I’ll continue to cover the story for Ocean Cove Sports, too.”
“I’m so happy,” I say, wiping the tears away with my fingertips. “I owe so much to so many people.”
Maddie sits on the other side of me, bringing a box of tissues with her. “I’m so proud of both of you.”
“Hey, you made a change, too,” McCall points out. “You didn’t let Thad weasel his way back into your life.”
It’s true. Maddie didn’t accept his excuses and lies, told him she never wanted to hear from him again, and blocked him across the board.
Maddie looks extremely embarrassed. “I feel stupid for so many reasons. One of them is that I still feel sad over someone who treated me so badly.”
“Hey, you’re going to be sad for a while,” I say, putting my arm around her shoulders. “You love big and with your whole heart. The right guy is going to be so lucky to get that heart of yours.”
“Well, I know one thing,” Maddie says. “He’s not going to be an athlete. Wyatt is the exception, Grace. I want a serious student. No frat bros.”
Hm, would Nolan be a match for her? I mean, he’s a hockey player, but he’s different. And he’s serious about school and is not a frat bro.
“McCall, what do you want in a guy?” Maddie suddenly asks.
McCall grins. “I might consider a solid situationship, but nothing more than that. Things get messy when you try to have a relationship in college. With the exception of Grace and Wyatt, of course.”
“It’s not all easy,” I say, thinking of what we have to face with Wyatt’s dad. “But Wyatt is worth it.”
McCall stands up. “Are you guys ready to grab lunch? I need to eat and study for a quiz before my afternoon class.”
“I’m freaking starving. I’m making up for all calories I missed last week due to not eating over stupid Thad,” Maddie declares, smiling brightly.
“I’ll join you downstairs in a few minutes,” I say.
My friends nod and head out the door. I take a moment to draw my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on top of them as I think about what is going to happen on Friday, when Wyatt plays his first game of the season.
And when I meet his family for the first time.
Wyatt’s dad is pissed. He’s not onboard with any of the changes Wyatt has made recently, and Wyatt hasn’t even told him that he no longer wants his dad’s level of involvement in his hockey life.
Uneasiness comes over me. I know Wyatt shielded me from the actual things that were said, but his dad is definitely not happy about me being Wyatt’s girlfriend.
I know Wyatt is scared about me meeting him—as if his dad is going to do or say something that will make me want out of our relationship.
Wyatt even told me last night that I don’t have to meet them—that maybe it would be better to do it another time.
I could see the anxiety and fear swimming in those dark eyes of his.
I firmly put my hands on his face and told him absolutely not.
We’re in this together, and I promised Wyatt there’s not a single thing his dad can do or say to make me change my mind about anything.
Not about him. Not about us. Not about our relationship.
Wyatt needs me to be there for him, just like he has been there for me this week. So I’m going to the game with my friends. I’ll be cheering as loud as I can for Wyatt.
And I’m meeting his dad after the game.
I take in a breath of air and slowly exhale, trying to push the nervousness out of my body. I only hope that meeting will not be as awful as I fear it might be. Not for my sake.
But for Wyatt’s.