The Hockey Captain's Secret Obsession Wasn't Me?! novel · Chapter 3 of 24

Chapter 3: Cake for Somebody Else

At the rink and the team karaoke, Mason's jealousy and a cake meant for someone send Lila to the hallway, where she hears he is about to tell her something.

The next afternoon Tori dragged me to the rink two hours early so we could get seats at the glass.

I held out the sports drink I had bought on the way. It was the blue one he liked.

"You take it to him," I said. "I'll just watch."

Tori stared at me with her mouth open.

"You've handed him that bottle every home game for a year."

"So it's your turn."

She took it, still staring.

After the first period the Wolves skated to the boards, and Mason came straight to our corner, exactly as I had known he would.

Tori tossed him the blue bottle.

Then she cracked open a second one and held it up to Nate, who grinned at her so hard that his mouthguard fell out.

I felt something sour settle in my stomach.

Tori had been flirting with Nate for a couple of weeks, and they already laughed at the same jokes.

I had carried drinks for twelve months, and Mason still looked at me and saw nothing.

Some hearts just stayed hard.

Mason pulled off his helmet with one hand.

His hair was dark with sweat, and he spoke in a flat voice.

"If we win, the team's getting dinner. After that, karaoke. You two should come."

"Sure," Tori said.

I gave a quiet hum.

[Why is she looking everywhere except at me?]

[I was going to go easy tonight and let Nate have the spotlight. Forget that. I'm stepping it up.]

[After we win, I'm buying her the strawberry cake from that bakery she likes. She doesn't get to look at anybody else tonight.]

I frowned and watched him.

His eyes kept drifting toward Tori and Nate, over and over.

He was jealous.

Of course he was.

The whistle blew. As he turned away, he looked back at me for a second.

"Not feeling it today?"

"Could be better."

He stood there a half second too long and then pushed off across the ice.

I couldn't make myself yell his name. I stuffed my cheer sign into Tori's hands.

"I'm going home. I'm tired. I need a nap."

Tori hesitated for a few seconds.

Then she grabbed her bag and ran after me down the steps.

"Lila, wait. You've been wrung out for two days. What's wrong?"

I couldn't tell her that the boy I liked was in love with her.

"I'm fine," I said. "I just don't want to like Mason anymore."

Her jaw dropped so far I thought it would hit the floor.

Then she shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Oh, you're hopeless."

That was all she said.

The Wolves won that night, three to one, and I did not stay in the stands.

I wanted to go home.

But Tori loved anything loud, and the whole team was crammed into a karaoke room by ten, and she gave me the big eyes again.

"Come on. You look terrible. You need to unwind."

What was I supposed to do with a best friend who begged like that?

I spoiled her.

I grabbed a corner seat on the couch and scrolled my phone while two freshmen sang something about a truck.

Someone sat down beside me.

It was Mason.

He set a small white box on the cushion between us and didn't say a word.

The label on the lid had a strawberry on it.

He cleared his throat.

"Bad mood?" he said. "You can't ace every test. Just work harder next time."

I took the box and held it for a second.

This was meant for Tori.

He was just parking it with me because the room was loud.

"You should give it to her," I said, and slid it toward the other side of the couch.

Mason's face dropped.

It was gone fast, but I saw it.

[No. That's not what I meant.]

Tori sat down on my other side, and the two of them boxed me in.

She peered at the box. "Strawberry? I'm a chocolate person. Mason, this is Lila's favorite."

He gave her a very long stare.

She smiled at him very sweetly.

I assumed she was being modest.

[Seriously? Why won't they let me get one minute alone with her?]

[If she sits there, how am I supposed to talk to my cutie?]

I stood up so fast the couch rocked.

"Bathroom."

In the ladies' room I held both hands under the cold tap and splashed my face until my eyes stopped burning.

My throat ached.

I told myself he was allowed to like anyone he wanted.

When I came out, Mason was standing a few steps down the hallway, hands in his pockets.

My stupid heart jumped again.

Then I heard him.

[Tell her tonight. Just say it. Say it.]

He was waiting for Tori.

Of course he was.

Then Tori came around the corner with a cardboard tray of coffees and waved them at me. "Somebody lost at dice, so everybody's getting coffee."

I smiled, and it hurt my face.

I walked toward them, and Mason looked straight past me.

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