Page 100 of Keeping Score

Damn. My entire high school friend group. Tara had really pulled out the big guns, which led me to think my situation was more dire than I’d been willing to admit.

“What? Is this like an intervention?”

“No. It’s me bringing your friends to you because you can’t be bothered to visit home anymore.”

“I’m busy,” I told her.

And I was. It wasn’t an excuse. I had a life here, in Boston. I always made time for my family, but between hockey and media events and overall life, it wasn’t easy to just slip away to Michigan on a whim.

But I didn’t have time to defend any of that to her. I needed to find Maggie.

“I gotta—” I pointed vaguely toward the door she’d escaped through before stepping around my sister and Abbey to head toward it.

Before I even touched the handle, the door was opening and Liam was stepping through it, scowling down at me.

“I have to see Maggie,” I said, trying to step around him when he blocked my exit.

“Don’t bother,” he said. “She’s with Cassie. She won’t want to talk to you.”

“But—”

“Seriously, Brody, what the hell were you thinking? I know she caused this mess, but kissing a girl right in front of her? That’s shitty.”

“I did not kiss another girl,” I said, replaying the moment.

I hadn’t even known what was happening. All I’d been focused on was Maggie. She couldn’t seriously believe that had meant anything, could she?

She knew what she was to me. She knew what we were.

“Whatever.” He shrugged, halfway pissed at me but trying not to show it. “Let her cool off. You don’t know what she’s like when she gets like this.”

“No. Screw that,” I said. “Everyone keeps saying to give her space, but all that’s doing is pushing us farther apart. Maggie doesn’t need space. She needs me to be there.”

“Do what you want.” Liam held his hands up in defense. “I’m not getting involved.”

“Glad to hear it,” I said, pushing past him.

But when I got out of the family lounge and down the hallway that led to the rest of the Garden, I realized that I’d never find Maggie in this crowd. If she was even still in it.

I took my phone out, dialing her number frantically.

Went straight to voicemail. I called again, on the off chance it was an error. By the third attempt, I realized that Liam was right—there was no way Maggie was going to speak to me tonight.

Maybe it was for the best. She could have time to cool off. See the situation more clearly after the emotions died down. She knew I’d never touch another girl. She’d realize that.

Plus, I’d be an absolute asshole to blow off my friends after they’d come all this way to see me.

With a sigh, I walked back into the lounge with tail between my legs. Liam stared at me, eyes fixed on me with a look of I told you so.

“Don’t worry about her,” Liam said. “Cassie’s with her. Just go—hang out with your sister. The two of you can talk later.”

“Fine,” I bit out, storming over to him. “But when you see her, make sure she knows we’re having a conversation later. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Trust me, Brody.” He shook his head. “Everyone knows that.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Maggie