my tea. "I hadn't noticed."
"Obviously. And just in case you were wondering, cher, your hockey boy is playing a good game tonight as well."
"Oh. That's good." I ignored Jacqui's comment about Dylan being my hockey boy because I totally didn't need to go there. I was happy for Dylan, though, because I knew he'd been worried about the games this weekend. They'd lost last night but it had been during overtime, which was apparently just a little better than losing normally. Not by much, though, which had been evident by everyone's mood after the game, which is why nobody had gone out afterward.
We were supposed to go out after the game tonight, too, but I had no idea if that would be cancelled or not. If they won, then the plans probably wouldn't change. I kind of hoped we wouldn't be going out later, which was nothing but pure selfishness on my part. I wanted to spend some time with Dylan, just the two of us, before he left at some ungodly hour of the morning tomorrow for his road game.
Just in case I decided to leave tomorrow. If I was going to do it, tomorrow would be the best time.
And how sad was it that I was still floundering with my decision? That I was still having dreams of staying?
Yes, I had it bad. Worse than bad, actually. And that scared the hell out of me. I shouldn't have become so attached so quickly yet I had. What was it about Dylan that made me so completely drop my guard?
All the more reason to leave.
Maybe.
Jacqui waved her hand in front of my face again. Instead of jerking back in surprise like I'd done the first time, I just slowly turned my head to the side and frowned at her.
"What?"
"The girl has a bit of sass with her. I think I like it."
"That wasn't sass."
"Sass is a good thing, cher. Own it."
"But I wasn't—"
Jacqui interrupted me with another short wave of her hand. "Sass is better than the other option."
"What option is that?"
Her clear eyes met mine and I knew, just knew, that she could see through me, clear down to what I was thinking and the arguments I was making. Her words confirmed it.
"Whatever silliness is going on in that scattered brain of yours."
"It's nothing."
"Mm-hm. If you say so."
"I say so."
Addy leaned around Jacqui again, her gaze moving between us. "What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing, cher. I was just getting ready to say that both of you are in serious need of a crash course on hockey. I don't understand how either one of you can be involved with a hockey player yet be so embarrassingly illiterate of the sport."
I opened my mouth to tell Jacqui that I wasn't involved with Dylan then quickly snapped it shut under the look she pinned me with. Her expression silently dared me to contradict her, something I had no intention of doing.
Addy either didn't notice our silent exchange or she chose to ignore it. Since she was staring down at the ice, I had a feeling it was the former. "Nathan gave me a book to read."
"A book. How wonderful." Jacqui's voice dripped with dry sarcasm and I had to smother the sudden laughter that wanted to break free. She quirked one sculpted brow in my direction. "This is hardly time for laughter, cher. You should both be embarrassed."
"But—"
"At least Adelaide knows what position Nathan plays. Can you say the same?"
No, I couldn't—and Jacqui knew it. I could have told her it didn't matter since Dylan and I weren't together and that I was leaving anyway, but I didn't. Even if I had wanted to tell her, she didn't give me the chance.
"Defense. He's a defenseman for the Bourdons. That means his primary responsibility is keeping the other team from scoring."
I nodded, like I knew exactly what she was talking about. Her dramatic eyeroll was so overboard that I didn't bother to hide my laughter.
"You two are such an embarrassment."
"How do you know so much about hockey?"
"I lived in New York, cher. I was all about sports back then, thanks to having them shoved down my throat by my father."
"You don't strike me as the sports type."
Jacqui waved her hand in quick dismissal then shifted in the seat. A small smile played around her mouth but I didn't miss the shadows that crossed her eyes. "It was a lifetime ago and I was a different person back then, cher. But I