Page 15 of Pucking Forbidden

“It’s tough, I’m sure…hey, I’m going to Haiti as part of Nurses Without Borders for the next couple months. The cell reception there is impossible, but I’ll be back by Christmas,” she says. “Maybe we could spend the holiday together? We could go somewhere. Take it easy for a bit.”

I grin. “I’d like that.”

I’m not surprised that she won’t talk to Dad, but I can’t help the sting of disappointment that shoots through me. At the end of the day, this is where Mom lets me down. Dad took me and raised me because she didn’t want to be tied down…and even now, she defaults to him whenever it comes to my life.

“Oh! One of my clients is calling. She’s due this week, so I need to get this. I love you, sweet pea. We’ll talk again soon, okay? Make plans.”

Swallowing, I nod. “Yeah, sounds good. Love you too, Mom.”

When we hang up, the room feels too quiet again, so I call Lainey.

“Hey, girl!” she answers after the second ring.

“Hey,” I murmur.

“Hads?” There’s an immediate note of concern in her voice. “Everything okay?”

“I’m going to lose my mind,” I announce, flopping down onto my bed.

Lainey snorts through my phone screen, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder. “You say that at least twice a day.”

“Because it’s true at least twice a day.”

She raises one perfectly plucked eyebrow. “What’s the crisis this time?”

I let out a sigh and stare at the ceiling, my phone propped against the wall next to me. “I miss skating.”

Her expression softens a little. “Oh. That’s actually kind of sad.”

“Rude,” I snort. Lainey has never been afraid to tell it like it is. She’s been like that since we were in high school together, and I’ve always appreciated the bluntness.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she laughs. “I just mean…you actually like that. Unlike literally everything else you complain about.”

I huff out a breath. “I haven’t even tried to find a rink, and this is my third year here. How can I even say I like skating when I haven’t even bothered with that?”

“I mean, you’ve been overwhelmed and kind of hate your life, right?” she offers.

I blow out a long breath. “Fair.”

There’s a beat of silence before she leans forward, eyes lighting up. “Okay, wait. Tell me everything. You talked to your friends again, right? The chaotic ones.”

I grin despite myself. “They’re not chaotic.”

Lainey just stares at me.

“They’re a little chaotic,” I admit.

“A little?” she scoffs. “From what you’ve told me, they sound unhinged in the best way.”

“They are,” I agree, smiling. “They FaceTimed me the other night. All of them. It was complete madness.”

I fill her in on Rylee and the wipes warmer, Skyler dodging her wedding planner, Sutton instigating, Stacey being the only voice of reason, and Grace trying and failing to keep everyone on track. Then, I mention Skyler’s crazy idea that’s been rolling around in my head all week.

“Skyler told you to flunk out on purpose?” Lainey interrupts, eyes wide.

I groan, dragging a pillow over my face. “Sorta…she thought if I got worse grades, Dad would actually listen to me.”

“That’s iconic.”