Sidelined Love: A Hockey Romance (The Crestwood University Series Book 1)

Iroll my eyes for what has to be the fiftieth time in the last twenty minutes.

Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but it doesn’t negate the fact that every second that ticks by is one second closer to us being late for the meeting I need to attend.

Jade, who is usually on time, is running late because she overslept after hanging out with some of her other friends too late last night. I’d suspected something like this might happen, so I even built in a small buffer by telling her we needed to leave ten minutes earlier than we actually did, but we are still cutting it close.

I let out a heavy sigh and drum my fingers on the steering wheel. I’m debating sending another text message telling her to hurry up or just giving up on getting there on time.

I grab my phone out of the cupholder and stare at it, willing Jade to at least text me and give me an update. No dice.

But there’s something else I can do while I wait.

My thumbs hover over the screen of my phone. Biting my lip, I find the text message thread between my dad and me and start typing.

Me: Hey, Dad, how was the date last night?

Without Emily’s help, there’s no way I would have been able to send that text message without having stared at it for ten years to make sure I actually wanted to send the message. To my surprise, Dad texts me back almost immediately.

Dad: It went great! She’s amazing and we had a great time. Thanks for asking.

Me: Of course. I want to know about your life, and I want you to be happy. This is a win-win.

Dad: I definitely am. It feels good to be getting out there again, and she’s really easy to talk to. We’re planning on going out again next weekend.

Me: That’s awesome, Dad.

Just as I’m about to ask him about what he did on his date, I get a notification for another message—a text from Jade this time.

Jade: On my way! SORRY!!!

Me: It’s okay. Hurry up though because we’re late.

Jade: Gimme 2 mins.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

I shake my head as I go back to texting my dad.

Me: What did you do on the date?

Dad: We went to this little Italian place close to her house and then we strolled around the park for a bit to talk and get to know each other better. I liked it a lot and she said she did too.

Before I can type another word, I see something out of the corner of my eye, so I look up. Jade is a few yards away and she’s power walking toward my car with a sheepish grin on her face. My irritation melts away because she’s finally here.

With the click of a button, I unlock the doors and she slides into the passenger seat.

“I have to start setting, like, ten alarms,” she says with a sigh as she buckles up. “I need to tell Gran we’re going to be a little late.”

“Okay and alarms would have been nice for today,” I respond as I start my car.

I pull out of the parking spot as Jade flips down the sun visor. She quickly swipes lip balm across her lips before turning back to me.

“Okay, spill. Something else is going on here. It’s not just because I was running behind,” Jade says as I feel her stare on me.

“Nah, it’s not you… well, not only you,” I admit. “I texted my dad about his date.”

Her eyes light up with excitement. “And? How did it go?”

“Sounds like it went well,” I reply, sparing a glance at her before turning my attention back to the road. “He said they both enjoyed themselves. I’m happy for him.”

Jade claps her hands excitedly, her curly hair bouncing with the movement. “Oh my gosh, that’s amazing! And you’re taking this well.”

I can’t help but laugh at Jade’s enthusiasm, releasing some of the tension that had been trapped in my body. “Yeah, I know. I’m proud of him, and I’m proud of myself.”

“As you should be. Plus, you have plenty of things to focus on when it comes to your own dating life.”

I purse my lips together to keep from blurting something out. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Now we both know that’s a lie. You didn’t come home the night before last.”

I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks and I hate that I can’t control it. We hadn’t had an opportunity to talk about Thursday night because we hadn’t seen each other on Friday. There was no doubt in my mind that Jade would know I wasn’t home that night, but I hadn’t been expecting us to talk about it now. I grip the steering wheel a little tighter, suddenly interested in a nonexistent spot on the windshield.

“Unsurprisingly, I was at Levi’s,” I confess without looking her way.

Her response isn’t immediate, and the pause stretches long enough that it has me stealing a glance at her. Jade’s got this knowing smile playing on her lips, and I brace myself for what is going to fly out of her mouth.

“I knew it!” she exclaims, punching the air. “So? Details, Hailey! I need details! Was it romantic? Was he a gentleman? Did you…” Her voice trails off as she wiggles her eyebrows, making it easy for me to pick up on what she is referring to.

“It was… nice,” I begin, picking my words carefully. Nice is an understatement; it was more than nice. “He made dinner. We talked… a lot.”

“Talked, huh?” Jade winks at me, and I can tell she’s not buying my PG-13 rated version of events.

“Okay, fine.” I chuckle a bit as I shake my head. “We might have done more than just talk. It was amazing, Jade. Everything was if you get my drift.”

Jade grabs my arm. “I’m hearing it loud and clear, trust me. This is HUGE, Hailey!”

I glance down as she holds on to my arm before looking back at the road. “J, I’m trying to drive.”

“Oh yeah,” she says as she lets me loose. “I’m sorry.”

I keep my eyes on the road but can’t stop the small grin that forms on my face. “Yeah, it was definitely not what I expected. But I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. Both of us agreed to not put any labels on this.”

I can feel the look she’s giving me without having to turn toward her. “No labels, huh? You say that now. Maybe if you continue repeating it, you’ll make yourself believe it too.”

Jade’s comment hits its mark, and I don’t like that she, knowingly or unknowingly, called me out. I have been repeating the no labels line in my head since Levi and I agreed to it. The agreement is meant to protect me, but it did little to fix the confusion I have about all of this.

I clear my throat to not only make it easier to speak but also to remove the thoughts from my mind. Or so I hope. “Look, I want to enjoy whatever this is without overthinking it.”

“Hailey Reed, not overthinking? Now, that’s a headline.”

I can’t fight the laughter that escapes me. It’s true—overthinking is my Olympic sport, and I’ve won many gold medals in that event.

“But seriously, I need this to be simple. Life’s complicated enough and I have too much to do.”

“I get it. You want something that’s not going to throw your world upside down.”

Funny enough, he has already done that, but I don’t say it out loud. We continue to chat for the rest of our trip and soon I’m parking in a spot near the entrance of the main building on Oak Terrace’s campus.

Jade hops out of the car first and I find myself trailing behind her. Part of it’s my nervousness, but it’s also obvious Jade wants to see her grandmother.

The automatic doors sweep open with a soft whoosh as we enter the lobby. Immediately I’m greeted by the sight of residents living their lives, some walking slowly with canes, others zipping through in motorized wheelchairs.

Jade waves at an older man who is positioned strategically by the window, sunlight casting a gentle glow around his silver hair. “There’s Mr. Kowalski! Gran and he sometimes play bingo together.”

I smile at her enthusiasm. Jade has this talent for making everyone feel welcome and like they are her best friend. Since I don’t have that ability, I find myself in awe and sometimes slightly annoyed because that means people then come over and talk to me.

We make our way to the activities director’s office after a few more hellos and introductions, courtesy of Jade. Stepping into the office, we find Mrs. Linda Rafferty, her round glasses perched on the end of her nose as she scrutinizes the documents in front of her.

“Mrs. Rafferty?” Jade says as she knocks on the already open door, her voice filled with the same warmth she extends to everyone.

The older woman lifts her gaze, and a soft smile finds its place on her face. “Jade! And this must be Hailey. Thank you so much for coming out here today.”

I step forward to take the lead, my fingers lightly gripping the strap of my bag. “Thanks for having us. We’re here to go over the final arrangements for the chess event this Saturday.”

Mrs. Rafferty nods, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she gestures for us to sit across from her. “Of course. We’re all very excited about the event. The residents have been playing and practicing with one another and it’s a beautiful sight to see.”

I can’t help but smile because the thought makes me so happy. It’s one of those moments that makes me realize how worth it all of this is.

I pull out my notebook, flipping past scribbled notes about environmental policy levels until I find my checklist for the event. “So, we’ll need to confirm the setup for the tables and chairs in the main hall…”

Mrs. Rafferty interjects, “All taken care of. Your diagrams were very detailed—I will make sure maintenance sets everything up the way you’ve asked.”

“Excellent,” I reply. This is going better than I thought. “We’ll bring some more chess sets from campus because we’ll need more. Also, we’ll have more chess club members coming from campus who can help with teaching and playing with those who might not have an opponent.”

As Mrs. Rafferty and I continue to run through logistics, from accessibility accommodations to outlining emergency procedures, the nerves fall away and my passion and love for chess as well as this event returns. My impostor syndrome has been laid to rest for the time being, giving me the ability to think and act more freely.

Finally, with everything addressed down to the last detail, Mrs. Rafferty leans back in her chair with a satisfied sigh. “Well, it looks like we’re prepared for an afternoon of chess! You’ve done an excellent job coordinating this, Hailey.”

“Thank you,” I say sincerely. The proverbial ball for this event is rolling and so far, so good. And I was damn proud of it.

Jade clasps her hands together excitedly before standing up. “This is going to be so great! I can’t wait.”

As we leave Mrs. Rafferty’s office and head toward the wing where Jade’s grandmother resides, our conversation drifts to how well the meeting went and what we need to do next to make sure things go off without an issue.

We come to a stop outside room 215 and Jade gives a quick knock before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. “Gran? We’re here!” she calls out.

Seated by the window is Mrs. Hazel Samuels, and as we step inside, a smile spreads across her face when she sees Jade.

“There’s my girl!” she exclaims, holding out her arms.

Jade immediately goes to her grandmother and gives her a gentle hug. Mrs. Samuels pats Jade’s cheek affectionately before her gaze settles on me.

“And you must be Hailey. I’ve heard so much about you from this chatterbox granddaughter of mine.”

I can’t help but laugh. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Samuels. I hope Jade hasn’t been spreading too many stories about me.”

“Oh nonsense, she only has wonderful things to say,” Mrs. Samuels says with a wink. The neatly arranged cards on the table in front of her make me think she was playing a game of solitaire before we arrived. She pushes the table aside to stand and greet us properly.

Mrs. Samuels points to the stylish bar cart on the other side of the room that has lemonade, water, and cookies on it, “I’ve set up a little treat for us. Don’t be shy, pour yourselves a drink and grab a snack.”

Jade jumps into action, assisting her grandmother with the refreshments. Taking a glass of lemonade, I thank Mrs. Samuels. I’m touched by her thoughtfulness as I settle down onto her couch.

Once we eat the snacks that we wanted, Jade speaks. “Hailey’s the one that is organizing a big chess event here, Gran,” she says. “You mentioned that you couldn’t wait to participate.”

Mrs. Samuels’ eyes light up. “That’s right. I’m so excited about it!” She settles back into the armchair across from us, smoothing the navy slacks she has on. “Tell me about this event, dear. I’d love to hear more and only know the basics.”

I explain the details, how we plan to have residents play against chess club members from the university as well as each other. “It’s meant to be a fun social activity; a chance to engage with the students too,” I say.

“A wonderful idea. You can certainly count me in. I played with your grandfather when he was still here, Jade.” The pause gives Mrs. Samuels a moment to share a sad smile with her granddaughter. “With my chess skills, I’ll show those students a thing or two!”

We all laugh, and I have no doubt that she can teach me some new tips and tricks.

“I am certain you’ll be a challenging opponent,” I say. “I’m looking forward to seeing your skills in action.”

“Just you wait, young lady. I may be old, but my mind is still sharp as a tack,” Mrs. Samuels assures me.

The conversation flows naturally as Mrs. Samuels asks more about my goals and interests, and Jade gets to fill her grandmother in on the latest things that are going on with her life. I find myself opening up more than I expected, sharing things I normally keep private.

As we get ready to go, Mrs. Samuels’ positive words have given me a much-needed boost of confidence for the chess tournament and my ability to make everything run smoothly. Mrs. Samuels walks us to the door, where she gives both of us hugs, and soon we are walking back down to my car.

Jade and I are quietly talking when my ringtone goes off. I pull my phone out of my bag to see a new text from Levi.

Levi: Hey, still up for coming over to play chess tomorrow?

“Everything okay?” Jade asks, noticing the change in my expression.

“Yeah, it’s a text from Levi about getting together to play chess tomorrow. I’m just surprised he’s texting me now because I think he’s preparing for a hockey game,” I say nonchalantly.

Jade grins. “Wait, that isn’t the usual day you have your lessons. Is this a date?”

I roll my eyes but can’t help the butterflies in my stomach at the thought. “It’s not a date. We’re just hanging out.”

“Mm-hmm, sure,” Jade says in a singsong voice. “As I said earlier, it’s as if you need to keep repeating yourself in order for you to believe it.”

I roll my eyes again. “I told you, it’s not a date.”

“Call it what you want. As long as you go over there.”

“Fine. I’ll go. You don’t have to tell me twice.” She didn’t have to tell me at all because there was no way I was missing this.

Jade grins. “Excellent and remember to give me all the juicy details after.”

I laugh as we reach my car. There’s no way I’m doing that. “You’re the worst.”

“I’ve been called worse, so I don’t care,” Jade says as she gets in the passenger seat.

I shake my head, unable to keep a small smile off my face as I start the car. Before I pull away, I send Levi a reply.

Me: Chess at your place sounds good. See you tomorrow evening and good luck today.

I read it over one final time before gathering the courage to press send. The weight of my decision hangs heavy in my mind as I tap the phone screen. I don’t know where any of this is going to lead, but I guess I’m trying something new. That is the point of all of this, right?