The Hockey Captain's Secret Obsession Wasn't Me?! novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: Say It First

Lila's POV

On Sunday morning Mason knocked on my door at seven with a bag of burritos and a folder under his arm.

"Out loud," he said, before I could say hello. "Everything. First."

I let him in.

He sat on my mother's old couch, with his knees nearly at his chin, and put the folder on the cushion between us.

"Courtney gave me this last night," he said. "It's your academic file. The warning letter, your grade report, and the form where your parents are listed as the people to call."

My stomach went cold.

"How does she have that?"

"Her father sits on the donor board. She says it's easy to get things."

"What does she want?"

"For me to sign on Friday, and for her to be at the glass on family night." He rubbed his eyebrow, where the scar was. "If I don't, her father pulls the money. Your work-study fund is part of it."

I picked up the folder and put it down again.

For two months Courtney had been the one who showed me where the schedule binder lived.

She had held the door for me. She had known the signing date before I did.

I had never once weighed that.

"She was nice to me," I said.

"I know."

"She was so nice."

"I know." He let out a slow breath. "That's the whole report. I'm not signing for her, Lila. I'm telling you first."

I looked at him for a long moment.

"Then here's mine," I said. "We say it out loud first. Anything big, anything scary. Even if we both know the other one can hear it."

"Even if you're shouting it in your head."

"Even then. Out loud is the one that counts."

"Deal," he said.

He held out his hand, and I shook it, and he didn't let go.

We spent the whole day on the rule.

We broke it twice by accident and laughed both times.

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