Chapter Six #5
That fucking hurt, and really pissed me off.
This was Kallie’s big day, and her dad was playing in the all-star game.
You’d think these idiots could pull a single brain cell together between the three of them and realize who we should be rooting for, but no.
Charlie had lost his brains a long time ago, and it appeared that Chancey’s and Eddie’s intelligence had gone with it.
Chancey had never been a sharp one, but Eddie?
Well, the guy looked positively heartbroken. I thought at first it was because he’d been forced to put up with Charlie, but then I noticed Alistair wasn’t around. I didn’t know what was up with that. Ivy wasn’t here, either, so I guess it was just Charlie and the Heartbreak Gang today.
Ugh. I so didn’t want to deal with this.
I climbed into the limo without another glance at Charlie, while the driver placed my chair in the back.
I slid across the seat into the corner, leaving room for Kallie beside me so I could go about my merry way pretending Charlie didn’t exist. He was Marcus’ best friend and had every right to be here, but I was still bitter that he was around.
He would not ruin this day for me, and certainly not for Kallie.
Danny showed up last, carrying his flask that contained a potion to protect himself from the sun. The vampire always had one on him whenever he left the palace. Charlie was about to close the door when Danny grabbed it to stop him.
“Oi, ye weren’t gonna leave without me, were ye?” Danny said as he popped his head into the limo. He was wearing a generic black t-shirt with a hockey stick on it that read Let’s Puck.
Charming. Though I admitted to myself I was jealous I hadn’t come up with it first.
“Who invited you?” Charlie sneered.
“I did,” I stated roughly. I didn’t see why I shouldn’t, considering I was the one who got the tickets and there were enough for everybody.
Danny’s eyes caught mine. “Ah, I see ye saved me a seat, there.”
Kallie was practically sprawled across Marcus’s lap, so there was space between us where Danny would fit. He crawled into the limo, shoving his ass in Charlie’s face as he climbed over several people to get to me. Charlie scowled, but didn’t speak up as Danny settled in beside me.
Good. He should know better than to say a damn thing.
I liked Danny, but like was as far as it went. He was a good ally to have around, strong and outspoken, which the group needed now that I couldn’t contribute in ways I used to.
Charlie didn’t feel that way. Judging by the way his hands curled into fists, he hated Danny.
I wish this guy would get over himself. Danny wasn’t the big threat Charlie thought he was.
Apart from that, Charlie didn’t acknowledge me on the way to the stadium. He kept his head tilted toward the window like I didn’t exist.
Because of fucking course I didn’t. But he still knew I was here.
I didn’t know what Charlie was doing here, anyway.
Cameron had forbidden him from leaving the palace, but apparently, the guards weren’t taking those orders seriously, because they let us through the gates without checking who was inside the vehicle.
For as many rules as Cameron had put upon Charlie, few of them were honored.
He could walk freely in and out of this place and it seemed like nobody gave a shit.
Then again, why did I?
Oberi came to sit by me in the limo. I stroked his ears as I worked to pull myself together, while Kallie rattled off stats. She knew more about hockey than anybody else I could think of.
“Didn’t you play, Kallie?” Opal asked, curious.
Kallie’s smile faltered. “I mean, I played when I was younger.”
“She’s being modest. She’s very good,” Marcus insisted. She slapped his arm, and he smirked.
I agreed. I’d seen footage of Kallie’s games before she was sentenced, and she’d been the best player on her team. She’d scored more goals than anybody on the roster.
“So you take after your dad,” Danny commented. “Ethan Nowak was a fantastic hockey player back in his day.”
“Yep. My dad taught me everything I know,” Kallie replied proudly, happy to be a daddy’s girl. I could relate.
“But wasn’t your mom a championship figure skater, too? Queen Emmaline was the best of the best,” Ezekiel added.
“She was, and I figure skated for a while, but Kazim is the one who really took to it. I tried figure skating, but I was better at hockey. My brother’s the big figure skater.” Kallie laughed. “It’s funny, because he’s shit at hockey, but I love it.”
“Really. I hadn’t taken your twin for a skater,” Danny said.
“He’s won several men’s championships. My mom has coached him since he could stand on skates.
He’s the only man in Malovian history who’s ever landed a quad-quad combination in competition, which is basically unheard of in the skating world,” Kallie replied.
“He was bound for the Olympics before the King’s Contest happened. ”
“You mean he had to give up skating after he became king?” Opal replied. “That’s so sad.”
“Well, he had to pick. Sports or politics, and he chose his country.” Kallie shrugged.
“I didn’t get much of a choice when I got sentenced to the Institute, either.
I had to leave my hockey career behind. It’s not like Darke Island had an ice rink, or a team I could play on. Football was the best our school had.”
“Nothing was the best at the Institute,” Charlie mumbled.
I wrinkled my nose. Could he stop being so negative all the time? It was really killing the mood.
I think everyone else had the same opinion, because they all ignored him.
Kallie seemed affected by it, though, because she mumbled, “I wish I had been able to keep playing hockey. I never got that major league gold medal I always wanted. I’ve won small championships, but I wasn’t able to go pro.
It’s hard to acknowledge I had to leave it all behind. ”
“You’ll get to play again,” Marcus promised. “I’ll make sure of it.”
She grasped his hand and squeezed it. “Thanks, babe. I really hope so.”
“I know so.” Marcus leaned in to give her a kiss, and the entire limo— save for Charlie— let out a big aw.
They were too fucking adorable. And here I was, sandwiched between the sappy couple, a terrible Irishman, and an overdramatic crybaby who would do his best to piss on everyone else’s time.
Well, I wasn’t having it. This day was about Kallie and Marcus, so Charlie needed to suck it up and put aside our divorce for one day, because I had to. If he wasn’t going to act happy, why had he come?
We reached the stadium and were driven around to a private entrance, where staff were waiting and ready to roll out the VIP treatment.
We were presented with gift bags full of team merchandise and provided a private escort through the stadium.
That didn’t stop onlookers from spotting us, though.
I wheeled behind Marcus and Kallie, who were strolling along with their fingers entwined.
People kept smiling and waving. Two young fae girls started cheering when they saw the back of Kallie’s jersey.
“Marcus, what’s going on?” Kallie demanded. “Why’s everyone staring at me in this jersey?”
“I told you, it’s a surprise,” Marcus insisted, giving a wink. “I’ll tell you when you can look.”
Kallie narrowed her eyes. “If you wrote something obscene on the back of this jersey, I’ll have your head.”
“Of course not,” Marcus peeped.
I snickered as I leaned over to Danny to whisper, “She’ll get his head one way or another, but it won’t be the gruesome kind.”
Danny chuckled, and I shot a glance over my shoulder to see Charlie scowling. He’d obviously overheard my joke and didn’t like it. Probably because he wasn’t getting any head of his own, and I bet he wouldn’t ever again. I rolled my eyes and continued wheeling myself forward.
We reached the royal box, which was a big room with floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a full view of the rink below.
Luxurious leather couches sat in front of wide screen televisions, and rows of theater seats were positioned in front of the windows.
The staff had set out a buffet of wings, pizza, and other snacks along a countertop, and the smell of freshly popped popcorn wafted from a movie theater-style popcorn machine.
“Check this out!” Ez had already made his way to the dessert table and held up a cookie that looked like a hockey puck. He took a bite and spoke with a full mouth. “What a way to celebrate!”
“Celebrate with this,” Opal teased. She pulled a foam finger from her gift bag and smacked Ez on the ass with it.
He whirled around and grabbed her at the waist, tickling her middle. “You can spank me later, beautiful.”
It was really weird watching my brother flirt, so I turned away. Unfortunately, Opal’s joke had given Chancey the bright idea to hold his foam finger against his crotch and wave it around like a limp dick. “Who needs a real spanking?”
“I’ll take one if you’re offering,” Danny volunteered, but Chancey wasn’t bluffing. Neither of them were ones to back down from a challenge, which resulted in them playing with their foam fingers, whacking them around like a sword fight— and not the deadly kind.
Eddie sighed. “That is not how it is done, my friends.”
“Oh, yeah?” Chancey demanded. “You want to show us?”
“It’s much more fun if you go in this direction.” Eddie poked Chancey’s ass with the end of his foam finger, which caused the angel to scamper away.
I laughed, because I was glad everyone was having a good time.
Not Charlie, though. He didn’t even crack a smile. I didn’t know what it’d take, because our friends were being an absolute riot.
He’s not my problem anymore, I reminded myself. I tried not to focus on him, but the best I could do was look away.
We started in on the snacks while the pre-game commentary played on the TV. Marcus was clearly freaking out, because he kept rambling on about a play he was writing.