“It’s important to have a support system when you get to college. If Emme flew all the way out here with you just for a campus visit, then I’m going to guess she’s prepared to offer lots of encouragement once school starts up in the fall.”
“I’m one-hundred-percent team Corby, no matter where he ends up going or what he’s doing,” Emme confirmed, giving me a little squeeze.
I was so fucking proud to have her at my side. My mind was blown that she’d chosen me when she could’ve done a hell of a lot better.
“That’s what I love to hear.” Faith’s smile grew, and it was easy to see how much she and Dillon loved each other when their gazes met. “I don’t know what I’d do without this guy.”
Dillon laced their fingers together. “You’ll never have to find out.”
“Alright, enough of this mushy stuff,” Faith joked. “That’s not what you came all this way to talk to me about today.”
She launched into a spiel about how the incoming freshman class had a hundred and twenty kids who’d been in foster care. My situation wasn’t quite the same since I was from out of state and would attend on an athletic scholarship, but I felt a sense of comfort in knowing there would be students on campus who understood where I came from—especially after being with a bunch of rich kids at Black Mountain Academy.
“One of the best perks to coming here is a program my future mother-in-law heads where all of the former foster kids on campus get some assistance in the form of gift cards and cash to help with all those expenses that add up over the school year.”
Dillon interrupted her, shaking his head. “Faith never gives herself enough credit. The only reason my mother got involved is because of her.”
“That sounds incredible, but I’d have to check if NCAA rules would apply to that kind of help.” I was all for having extra cash in my pocket, but not if it came at the expense of losing my scholarship—assuming I got the full-ride offer I was expecting. With how I’d played so far this season and flying out here to meet with the coach, I had a feeling it was in the bag.
11
Emmeline
Hanging out with Dillon and Faith while Corby met with the hockey coach was great. I hadn’t been sure what I was going to do while he was busy, and they offered to keep me company. By the time they finished showing me the best spots on campus, I was more than halfway convinced to apply here too. I’d already sent in my early action application to Yale, my dad’s alma mater, and planned to apply to a couple other of the Ivy Leagues. But it wouldn’t hurt to have a fallback plan at a school where I liked the atmosphere and my boyfriend was hoping to attend.
They gave off major couple goals vibes, and I had lots of fun with them, but I was thrilled when Corby sent me a text saying he was done. Since we’d ventured off-campus, we decided to meet up at the hotel. It was only late afternoon, and I wanted to make the most of the time we had before we headed back to Black Mountain in the morning. I would have thought I’d be more nervous about being alone in a hotel room with Corby since I’d never even French kissed another boy before him, let alone shared a bed for a night with someone other than my best friends during a sleepover. I’d surprised myself as much as him when I’d suggested we spend the night together instead of having him use the other room. Heading back to the hotel to meet him, I was doubly glad the decision was behind us but also a little nervous about how it would all go. But as I walked into the suite and found Corby sitting on the couch with his feet kicked up on the coffee table, all my fears disappeared.
Racing across the room, I launched myself onto his lap, his arms banding around me to hold me close. “How did your meeting go?”
“So fucking good.” He leaned back and grinned. “He said that the game tapes Coach Carter sent over a couple of weeks ago were impressive, and he was glad I went out of my way to visit the campus. His only concern about using up one of his limited full-ride spots on me was