Wildcat: Chapter 40

“No regrets?” Jade asks as I read the sports headlines. She forced me out of the house, and I’m going with her to scout out another possible story.

“About Rhyse?” I ask as his face stares back at me on the screen of my phone.

“Yeah. I know how much you cared about him.”

I shake my head. “It never would have worked between us.”

Also, I’m not so sure his team is going to make it that easy on him now that he’s ready to call his own shots. He took the first step, though.

Yesterday’s top headline reads, Women of the world rejoice, playboy Rhyse Fletcher is still single. The short article explains his recent trip to Minnesota to visit an old friend and former staff photographer and says he’s not currently dating, so he can focus on bringing his team another win.

Okay, so it’s basically the same verbiage they’ve been using in every article ever written about him, but I feel more confident than I ever did before that my title, old friend, could have been girlfriend if I’d given him another shot.

And…I finally got credit for all of the images I took of him that his team used. When I finally braved the manila envelope, I found a letter of reference from his social media manager, recommending me and detailing the metrics and reach my photos garnered for Rhyse. I never cared that they used them, but seeing my name under the photo on this news story is pretty damn cool.

And today, for the first time in a week, I don’t have a single Google alert, notifying me of a news article written about me and all my whore-ways (major eye roll).

Rhyse inspired me, though. It’s time to start living my life the way I want without worrying about the headlines. The impact of those headlines on the people I care about will always matter, but I’m not going to hide.

“I was thinking it’s time for me to come out of hiding,” I say.

“We’re hiding?” She looks around.

“Online.”

“Ooooh. Really?”

“Nothing crazy,” I say. “I thought I’d start by making my Instagram profile public. It’s mostly photos I’ve taken from traveling or with friends, but it’s a little piece of me that I think I’m willing to share.

I don’t feel like I owe anyone anything, but I am tired of feeling like I need to hide behind the curtain.

“Well then, we need to have a proper coming out party.” She claps her hands. “Photo shoot at my place tonight?”

“Maybe tomorrow night?” I ask. “There’s somewhere I need to go tonight, and I need to stay under the radar. Can you come with me for moral support?”

“A secret mission?” My best friend looks way too excited. “Absolutely.”

When we get to the arena, Jade laughs. “When you said under the radar, I thought we were going somewhere new and exciting.”

“I’ve been to every home game so far this season, except the one we worked at Wild’s.” Which basically felt like being there thanks to all the excitement of the nearby bar. “I can’t miss this even if Leo and I are…” I trail off. “Whatever.”

“Okay, fine. Two games in one season. I might be Coach’s favorite daughter at this rate.” She links her arm through mine.

I call Lindsey when we’re inside. She comes out to the lobby where Jade and I wait.

“It’s so good to see you,” she says and hugs me. “How are you?”

“Hanging in there,” I say, then I introduce her to Jade.

Lindsey tells me how the brewery event was really successful and that the drama only made it so that people talked about it even more. She smiles and chats away in her usual excited, fast-talking voice. I’m glad I didn’t screw things up between us.

She stops and lets out a breath. “I should get back in there. I might have a break after the second period. Are you sitting behind the bench?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you could get us into different seats? Something a little farther away.”

Jade hitches her thumb toward me. “This one is trying to go unseen.”

I don’t want to be a distraction. And I’m also afraid Leo might take one look at me, snarl, and then avoid looking in my direction the rest of the game, further smashing my heart. I know, I know, it’s what I said I wanted.

I’m still worried that I’m not good for him in the same way he is for me, but I can’t deny how much I miss him.

“Gotcha.” Lindsey nods. “I think I have just the spot.”

She leads us up to one of the suites. A group of women turns to watch us walk in. I spot Maverick’s wife, Dakota, among them, and she smiles, easing some of my trepidation.

“Hey, girls,” Lindsey says. She hugs several of them, including Dakota, then waves Jade and me over.

“This is Coach Miller’s daughter, Scarlett, and her friend, Jade. Is it cool if they sit up here tonight?”

“Leo Lohan’s girlfriend,” one of the women says as she nods and looks me over.

I don’t have time to correct her before Lindsey says, “This is Quinn. Honorary member of the group.”

“The group?”

“Wives and girlfriends,” Dakota says. “Quinn is dating one of the equipment managers.”

“You brought me to the WAG box?” I screech at Lindsey.

“He’ll never think to look up here.” She winks. “Now everyone get together so I can snap a few pictures before I go back down to the ice.”

“Evil genius.” Jade laughs.

We hang off to the side while Lindsey takes pictures of the Wildcat’s girlfriends and wives. It isn’t a big group, but within a few minutes, I feel at ease here. No one asks me about Leo, at least not until the game starts.

I pull out my Lohan jersey from my purse. I’ve worn it every game. It feels like bad luck if I don’t. Also, I still want to pretend I’m his girl.

Dakota takes the seat beside me. “Johnny doesn’t know I’m here either. I came up this weekend to surprise him.”

Dakota’s still in college in Arizona. I don’t know how they do it, only seeing each other a couple of times a month, but as we watch the game, she tells me she’s planning on moving here as soon as she’s done with school. The huge rock on her left ring finger sparkles as she claps for him.

“Now, I’ve waited as long as I can stand. Tell me what happened with you and Leo. Maverick is a terrible gossip and said Leo’s been a total grump all week.”

“It’s complicated,” I say.

Jade leans over me. “Some asshole called Scarlett a hooker at an event, Leo hit him, may or may not have been arrested.”

“Go, Leo,” Dakota says.

Jade shakes her head. “Then this one ended things.”

“That isn’t the entire story, but yes, our relationship was turning into one big distraction,” I say. “Hockey is everything to him.”

“I get that.” Dakota gives me a reassuring smile. “There’s a lot of pressure on them.”

The view of the game from here is nice, but I miss my seat behind the bench, where I can see every expression on Leo’s face as he comes on and off the ice. Though maybe it’s for the best because even being in the same space as him, nervous energy bounces through me. I twist my hands in my lap and worry my bottom lip.

The game is fast-paced, and at the end of the first, neither team has scored.

“Doing okay?” Jade asks as she sits back down with fresh drinks.

“This is torture,” I admit.

She rests her head on my shoulder. “Maybe you should talk to him.”

“And say what?”

“I don’t know, I miss you, and I want to be with you.”

I tilt my head and purse my lips.

“What? It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is, but—”

“No buts. If it had been me there that night, I would have gladly gone to jail to hit that dude. And I bet any other guy would have done the same thing if it was their girlfriend.”

Dakota’s listening in and nods emphatically. “She’s right. I mean, I barely know you, and I’d like to take a swing at that asshole.”

“You can’t live your life hoping bad shit won’t happen,” Jade says. “Manifest your dreams.”

I laugh softly.

“Which is why I decided to get engaged.”

My head snaps around, and I stare wide-eyed at my best friend. “What?! Sam proposed?”

“Not exactly.”

“This sounds like a story that needs drinks.” Dakota stands and goes to the bar at the back of our suite. She comes back with three vodka tonics, and Jade starts in.

“You know how all of my story ideas were getting shot down by my editor?”

I nod along.

“Well, I finally came up with a killer angle. I’m going to write a weekly column chronicling my experience from engagement to honeymoon. Finding a photographer, picking venues, the perfect wedding planner, invitations…” She trails off waiting for me to comment.

“I don’t understand. Sam didn’t propose?”

She rolls her eyes. “God, no.”

The game is lost to us as Jade tells Dakota and me how she was scoping out a jewelry store to do a write-up on wedding rings when she found herself trying them on and imagining herself as the bride.

“So you’re not really engaged?” I ask at the end of her story.

“Sam has agreed to go along with it.”

Dakota leans in. “Okay, stupid question, but how are you going to pull off a wedding at the end of this when you’re not really engaged?”

Jade waves it off. “I have months, maybe a year’s worth of content to drag this out.”

I laugh. “Well, it’s bold.”

“Manifesting my dreams,” she says happily. “Now, what is it that you want?”

“Leo,” I say without a second thought.

The final buzzer sounds with the Wildcats winning by one. I see him skate off the ice with the rest of the team. I could swear he looks right at the empty seat next to my mom.

Jade squeezes my leg. “Then you need to talk to him. Now.”

“I’ll text him,” I say, nerves making my fingers shake as I pull out my phone. After the way I walked out, I’m not so sure he’s going to be as eager to see me.

“I have a better idea,” Dakota says. “Come with me.”