Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Hope you’re having the best time! I miss you. Make sure you also have fun while working hard! Maybe meet a nice boy ;)
A light scoff broke from me as I texted her back, skipping over the part about me meeting a guy. I only had one boyfriend during high school, and that didn’t last long because I was busy with hockey. I prioritized practices and games over dates, so I understood why he broke up with me.
However, I didn’t see my priorities changing any time soon. A guy would just get in the way and distract me, and it wasn’t like anyone had caught my eye anyway. I didn’t need that drama in my life.
But, as I had learned throughout my entire life, drama was one of the things that could never be truly avoided. One way or another, it would catch up to me, and I wasn’t in any way prepared for the havoc that it was about to wreak.
Chapter 2
Hugo
With a drawn out, tired breath, I stepped out of the gym in the athletic building, slipping the strap of my workout bag on my shoulder. There wasn’t anything more refreshing than a good workout on my own for a little while. It didn’t feel as good as being out on the ice and feeling that rush of energy, but it would do until the ice hockey season started.
As captain and goaltender of the men’s ice hockey team at Yale, a lot was riding on my ability to keep myself in shape. How could I lead a team of guys talented in their own right if I wasn’t in prime condition as well? Besides, my family wouldn’t accept anything less than that.
The Reid family was essentially Yale royalty. My mother was a marketing major, while my father was a business major and also an ice hockey player at the time. By attending school and playing hockey here, I was representing them as much as I was representing myself.
That meant not messing up. God forbid I embarrassed my family and didn’t abide by their ridiculous standards.
Near the entrance to the hockey rink, I spotted Coach Jacobson, a tough, old bastard who coached the men’s team to multiple victories, talking to some guy from the athletic department. He wasn’t one to disappoint either and was just as competitive as the players. Hell, maybe even more.
I started to head his way, figuring it didn’t hurt to show Coach that I was working hard. When it came to sports, there was always something to prove. If I didn’t pull my weight, I could be kicked from my position without Coach giving it a second thought.
Before I reached him, fingers wrapped around my bicep, stopping me in my tracks.
“Hey, Hugo!” a cheery voice quipped from behind me.
I turned and faced some long-legged, blonde girl who seemed somewhat familiar. I definitely knew I had seen her before, but I couldn’t remember her name for the life of me.
“Hey,” I said with a small grin, racking my brain for a name.
It wasn’t that she was unimportant. I was sure she was a nice girl, but I met so many people since I arrived at Yale. My father made sure to introduce me to more people than I could count, telling me to make as many connections as I could. Plus, I attended a few parties, had some drinks, and everyone knew how that went.
The smile on her face plummeted as I peered at her with a blank look in my eyes.
“Nicole. From the Tri Delta party the other night,” she told me.
The same one where I played a very intense game of beer pong. Now that I was thinking back to that night, I did remember some blonde girl attached to my hip. That must’ve been her. If it made her feel any better, I didn’t remember many names at all from that party.
“I know,” I said with a chuckle, trying to recover. “I’m just surprised to see you here.”
“I’m a soccer player, remember?” Nicole told me with a laugh as she placed her hands on her hips.
My eyes swept over her toned legs that her black shorts didn’t cover. Yeah, she was definitely a soccer player.
“Of course,” I replied with a grin, coaxing her to bashfully twist a strand of her long hair between her fingertips.
“So, what are you up to tonight?” Nicole asked.
Oh, boy. She was hot and fun, but I had a hockey season to focus on. The team would rely on me, and I didn’t want to get involved in anything complicated.
Besides, I didn’t think that my parents would approve of her. If I dated anyone, they would want me to be with a girl who came from a background like mine. Rich and notable. It was pretty shallow, but sometimes, it was easier to play by my family’s rules if it kept them from breathing down my neck so much.