WATTYS 2020 WINNER
THIS IS NOT A PAID STORY. ONLY THE BONUS CHAPTERS ARE. YOU CAN READ THE MAIN STORY FOR FREE!
When Brenna and Shea, two rival hockey players, have to collaborate to take down a common enemy, they soon discover love is a ruthless g...
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Brenna
Christmas shopping is fun. Especially when you're on a roll. So far, I've bought gifts for Mom (despite me still giving her the silent treatment), Hunter, Catina, Jayden, Evren, and Shea. We're five days into the Winter Holidays. It feels good being out of school and taking a break from hockey. I've had more time at the gym. More time to read. Even skating at the Rose Valley Reservoir has been fun.
Everything feels better.
Shea and Hunter have avoided discussing my dad. Connor's been kicked off of the team. I feel like I can breathe again. Also, I'm looking forward to our upcoming Christmas party. Hunter's having it at his place. Giving presents to my friends is my favourite part. I love being the cause of someone's smile.
"KJ will love this."
I glance at Ella. She's cradling a dark green Yeti tumbler in her hands.
Ella returns my glance. "Kaleb drinks a lot of tea," she elaborates. "He always buys cheap travel coffee mugs from HomeSense. Maybe if he has an expensive one, he'll take better care of it."
My cheek twitches. Something tells me I shouldn't laugh. Although KJ and Ella are broken up, they still act like they're dating. I've seen them hug in the hallway. Ella never misses a hockey game. KJ even buys Ella a pomegranate Vitamin Water every lunch.
I cock an eyebrow. "Not dating, eh?"
Her cheeks turn pink as she turns to the cashier, which is right next to the display of Yeti products. She sets it on the counter, removing her debit card while the cashier rings her through. "Just because you still care about someone doesn't mean you have to date them."
I wait to respond until after she's paid and we're on our way out of the store. While we're passing by Bath & Body Works, I loop my arm through Ella's. "Why did you and KJ break up?"
Ella's posture stiffens. "It doesn't matter why."
I give her a look. "Come on, Ella. I thought you said it's best to discuss your problems. I won't tell him."
She gnaws on her bottom lip for a moment. Then she stops walking, right next to Blenz Coffee. "Want to grab a peppermint hot chocolate? I'll buy."
"Sure," I shrug. It seems only fair after I paid for our lunch.
While Ella orders our drinks, I find a spot to sit. I choose the one closest to Aerie and furthest away from the other tables. It's next to a flower display, decorated with poinsettias, bows, silver glitter, and fake branches of pine. If I inspect, I can see glittery reindeer and snowflakes in the bows' pattern.
My bags are pooled around my feet. I grab the nearest one. It's from Garage, and it holds the present I bought for Shea. From it, I extract a soft, over-sized hot-pink sweater. A smile pinches my mouth to the side. Because it was on sale, I bought it for Shea as a joke. When I saw the sweater, it reminded me of our outing at Scandia. When he chose the hot-pink golf ball.
