I wasn’t worried about Emmeline’s mom scaring me off. It would take a fuck of a lot more than some pampered woman to stop me from going after what I wanted. But I didn’t want to fuck things up for Emmeline and her family, so I couldn’t allow my pride to get in the way of asking for help if William could make things easier for her. “I’ll do that for sure.”
He left the table, and I heaved a sigh of relief that our awkward conversation was over. Then I finished my breakfast and left for school. I ended up ahead of schedule and pulled into a parking spot with twenty minutes to go before the first bell. Walking toward the entrance, I was surprised to see Emmeline climbing out of the passenger seat of a Bentley.
I jogged over and jerked my chin toward the car as it pulled away from the curb. “Car troubles?”
“Hey, Corby.” She flashed me a beautiful smile and shook her head. “No, my mom has this weird thing about me not getting my license until I turn eighteen. Our driver does the school run since she’s usually not up yet, my dad is already at the office, and it would add a ton of time onto Emily and Sarah’s drive if they drove me.”
She handed me the perfect opportunity, and I wasn’t going to pass it up. “I'm just down the street from you and drive right past your house on the way to school each morning. I could pick you up tomorrow if you’d like.”
“Really?” Her grin turned blinding when I nodded. “I’d love that. Edwin could sleep in a little longer if he didn’t have to give me a ride.”
I liked how she was concerned about her driver getting enough sleep. The proof she was as sweet as I thought just kept stacking up, making her more attractive to me. Pulling my cell out of my pocket, I figured I could get two birds with one stone. “Give me your number? We can text later to figure out what time I should pick you up in the morning.”
“Oh!” Her plump lips formed a perfect circle, making me seriously consider kissing her. Then she handed me her phone, and the moment was lost. “Here, send yourself a text so we’ll have each other’s numbers.”
I did as she suggested, saving myself in her contacts before I handed the phone back to Emmeline. “If I didn’t have practice after school, I’d offer to give you rides home, too. But they gave the whole team early dismissal so we could head to the rink and get a couple of hours of ice time each day.”
Her pretty brown eyes went wide. “No wonder you can skate so fast. That’s a lot of practice.”
“Hockey is a demanding sport, but I love it.” Someone called her name, and we both turned to look. Her two friends—who had hung out with her at my games and disappeared before I’d made it out of the locker room—gave her the thumbs-up sign before changing direction to head into the school. “Should I be worried about your friends not wanting to meet me?”
“No, not at all. They’re very supportive of”—she broke off and nibbled on her bottom lip, peeking up at me through her lashes—“um, me talking to you.”
Her shyness was a fucking turn-on. I loved knowing I got to see a side of her no other guy did. But I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable with me, so I teased, “Emme, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s a nickname my friends use for me since Emmeline is a mouthful,” she explained, twirling a lock of her dark hair around her finger.
It took a fuck of a lot of self-control, but I managed to keep my gaze on her face instead of dropping to her tits—which I’d fantasized about getting my mouth on plenty of times. “Can I call you Emme from now on?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
Her quick agreement gave me a little thrill. I tugged her backpack off and slung it over my shoulder, earning myself a pretty smile. “We better get moving so I have time to walk you to class, Emme.”
9
Emmeline
It didn’t take long for people at school to notice something was happening between Corby and me. Between him driving me to school and walking together to classes, rumors started to swirl within a day or two. By Wednesday, Traci and Staci were tormenting me whenever they had the opportunity—which wasn’t that often because they tended to keep their mouths shut when Corby or his teammates were around.
For two blissful weeks, they didn’t have many opportunities to get their little digs in. But it looked as though my luck had finally run out when I spotted them in the hallway only a few spots down from my locker. It was the end of the day, and I needed my calculus textbook to get my homework done over the weekend, so I couldn’t turn around and avoid them. Gritting my teeth, I avoided looking at either girl as I made a beeline for my locker and quickly put in my combination. “Darn it,” I muttered under my breath when the darn lock didn’t open.
“Where’s Corby?” Traci asked.
Out of the side of my vision, I saw Staci press her hand to her ample chest in a dramatic gesture. “Don’t tell me the hockey hottie dropped your lame ass already.”
I entered my combination correctly this time and yanked the locker door open, sighing in relief. Grabbing my textbook, I shoved it in my backpack without bothering to pull anything out first. The bag weighed a ton, but I didn’t care because I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. When the zipper slid shut, I slammed the locker closed and turned the knob on my lock. Unfortunately, I had taken long enough that the cheerleaders had gotten pissed that I was ignoring them and had moved to stand behind me, blocking my exit.
“Aww, didn’t he like your money enough to stay with you for more than a couple of weeks?” Staci shook her head and sighed, pretending to be sad for me. “I thought maybe you had a real chance with him since he didn’t know any better, being from Devil Ridge and all.”
Traci followed her lead, making a tsk-in sound before saying, “Unlike Atticus, who knew he could do better since he actually belongs in Black Mountain, when your little boyfriend definitely doesn’t.”
They were trying so hard to sound condescending, but all I could hear was their jealousy. No matter how many times they’d thrown themselves at Corby, he hadn’t looked at them twice. I’d been backing down from them since middle school, but knowing that I was Corby’s choice gave me enough of a confidence boost to look Staci and then Traci in the eyes and say, “I don’t know why you’d want to throw the whole Atticus thing in my face. It’s been years since that rumor went around the school.”
“Because it’s freaking hilarious that you actually thought you had a shot with a guy like him.” Staci propped her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes.
They didn’t see Chuck—one of Corby’s teammates—strolling up behind them, but he met my gaze and flashed me a grin before tapping them both on the shoulder. I wasn’t sure what he was doing at school when the hockey team had a game tonight and were supposed to be at the rink already, but I was grateful to see him. The girls straightened and turned around, flipping their hair over their shoulders and smiling when they realized who it was. “Hey, Chuck.”
He nudged Traci out of the way and reached for my elbow, pulling me between them. Once I was at his side, he dropped his hand and leveled them with a disdainful glare I never wanted aimed in my direction. “Caswell never took either of you up on your numerous offers, so bringing that shit up to Emmeline makes no fucking sense. If the guy had any sense, he would’ve made his move on her long before Corby got here. He’ll never get another chance now.”
“You act like she’s some kind of prize to be won,” Staci scoffed, her gaze raking me up and down before sweeping her hand down the length of her body. “You’re going to make her think she can compete with girls like us when it’s just not true.”
“What the fuck are you even talking about?” He shook his head, laughing so hard he had to grab his stomach. “She’s worth more than the two of you put together, hands down.”
Traci’s eyes narrowed as she hissed, “Are you really going to defend a little nobody like her for a guy who never should have stepped foot on our campus?”
“Unless he was here to like...clean the floors or something?” Staci added with another fli
p of her hair.
“Go ahead and look down your nose at him while spending your daddy’s money,” Chuck suggested, shaking his head as he took a step back. “Five years from now, Corby King is going to be earning a few million dollars a year between salary and bonuses, while playing the sport he loves. Meanwhile, you’ll be desperately trying to land a wealthy husband because that’s the only way you’ll be able to make a name for yourselves—by taking someone else’s.”
While Staci and Traci sputtered in shock, something Sarah had said about her most recent stepmother popped into my head. “You can’t make a ho a housewife.”
Chuck made a gesture like he was dropping a microphone and tugged me down the hallway, laughing his butt off along the way. I glanced over my shoulder at Staci and Traci and cringed at the death glares they were sending my way. After we pushed through the front doors of the school and were standing on the sidewalk outside, Chuck finally pulled himself together. “Holy shit, you surprised the fuck out of me back there. I think that will go down as my favorite comeback during my high school years. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Neither did I. The saying popped into my head, and the next thing I knew, it was coming out.” I pressed my lips together, exhaling loudly through my nose. “But I feel bad. Slut shaming other girls isn’t cool.”
“Don’t beat yourself up too much.” Chuck flung his arm over my shoulder as he walked me toward the car waiting for me at the curb. “Sleeping with guys isn’t what makes either of them a ho. It’s their bitchy attitudes that earns them shit like that. You’ve put up with everything they’ve shoveled your way for years without hitting back. They more than deserve what’s coming to them now.”
“I guess so,” I sighed, pausing to look up at him before I opened the car door. “Do me a favor and don’t mention this to Corby. He has enough on his mind already with picking which school he wants to play for next year.”
Chuck gently bumped the bottom of my chin. “You’re a good girlfriend, Emmeline.”
It wasn’t until I was halfway home that I realized he hadn’t promised to keep quiet about my confrontation with the girls. I really hoped it didn’t become an issue later.
“What in the world are you wearing?” My mom’s shrill voice startled me so much that I almost tripped on the bottom step. After I regained my balance, I turned and looked upstairs. She was peering over the railing, dressed in a cocktail dress with her hair and makeup perfectly done, and diamonds dripping from her ears, neck, and wrist. She looked like the perfect trophy wife while I was dressed for warmth and comfort since I was headed to the rink to watch Corby play—something she didn’t need to know.
Tugging on the bottom of my sweater, I pointed at the logo embroidered on the right upper chest area. “I’ll be on school property, so I have to be in Black Mountain Academy approved clothes.”
“I will never understand how a school that costs so much has the worst taste in uniforms.” She tapped her finger against the face of the Rolex wrapped around her wrist. “You’d better hurry. I need Edwin to drive me to the charity gala in thirty minutes. Your father is still in the office and will be meeting me at the event.”
I would have loved to point out that there wouldn’t be any need to rush if she’d let me get my license, but arguing with her never accomplished anything. At least I only had a couple more months to go, and I had the perfect excuse to get out of here before she asked where I was going. Since Emily and Sarah caught the flu bug going around school, neither of them could pick me up. I didn’t want to miss Corby’s game, and I had been hoping my mother would be too busy to pay attention to what I was doing, like usual. “I’m ready to go, so he’ll be back in a jiffy.”
I hurried out the door before she could say anything else and practically dived in the car. “Drive it like you stole it,” I teased.
“No need to worry, Miss Cushing. I’ll be back in plenty of time to get your mother to her event,” Edwin reassured me with a smile.
“Phew!” I slumped against the back of my seat. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“I’m just doing my job,” he disagreed as he drove like the pro he was.
When we arrived at the rink, I squinted up at the building. “If you can figure out how to avoid telling my mom where you dropped me off, I’d appreciate it.”
“Your mother rarely speaks to me, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
I flashed him an apologetic smile before I climbed out of the car. My mom could be such a witch, but I was lucky her attitude worked in my favor tonight. I knew she was going to find out about Corby eventually, but I wanted our reprieve to last as long as possible. The closer I was to my eighteenth birthday—and freedom from being under my mom’s thumb—the better. She was used to me giving in to whatever she wanted, but that wasn’t going to happen when it came to my relationship with Corby. I planned to fight for him as hard as he went against the other team when he was on the ice.
When I walked into the rink, I headed straight for the stands and grabbed the same seat I’d used for each of their home games over the past two weeks. Corby hadn’t exaggerated how superstitious hockey players were. I’d almost sat somewhere else last weekend, but half the guys had yelled while pointing at where they wanted me to go. Sarah and Emily had giggled their butts off and teased me about being the Cougars mascot. All the jokes had been worth it when Corby scored another hat trick and pointed at me after each goal.
It was weird being at the rink by myself, but a bunch of the other people in the stands smiled and greeted me as I sat down. Everyone knew who Corby was since he’d quickly become the star of the team. Even if people didn’t see us together after every game, it was impossible to miss my connection to him with how he acknowledged me whenever he scored—something that happened again two times tonight.
It didn’t take long before I forgot about being alone at the game as I cheered the Cougars on with everyone else around me. After watching four games, I felt as though I was getting a hang of how the game was played and was finally able to follow what was happening, which was a good thing since I didn’t have Sarah around to explain it all. I was proud of myself as I screamed, clapped, and stomped my way through yet another victory for the Cougars.
My throat was a little hoarse by the time the game was over, so I grabbed a hot chocolate from the snack area while I waited for Corby to come out of the locker room. He was always one of the first guys to finish getting cleaned up, and I expected he would move even faster tonight since he knew I was on my own. His protectiveness wasn’t something I was used to, but it was so sweet. So I wasn’t surprised in the slightest when he came striding toward me as I was just finishing the last of my drink.
“Congratulations on another great game.” I rubbed my cheek against his broad chest when he wrapped his arms around me.
He brushed his lips against the top of my head before ending the hug. “It’s starting to look like we can’t lose when my good luck charm is cheering me on in the stands.”
“You’re turning me into a true fan already. I think I’m starting to understand how hockey works.” I pulled my mittens off and rubbed my hands together to warm them up. “About halfway through the game, some of the rules started to click in my brain.”
Corby’s blue eyes gleamed with happiness as he grinned down at me. “Nice. Which rules did you figure out?”
“The frosting one, for sure.” When his brow wrinkled, I bit my bottom lip and wondered if I’d gotten it wrong. “You know, the rule where you can’t hit the puck past the red line all the way at the end on the other team’s side of the rink?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “That’s icing, babe. Not frosting.”
“Oops,” I giggled, my cheeks heating over my mistake. “So you ice the puck and frost cupcakes?”
“You’re the only person I know who would put it that way, but yeah.” Any embarrassment I felt was wiped away when he cupped my cheeks and tilted my head back. My breath caught in my chest as he
lowered his head, and my eyes drifted shut when his mouth touched mine. My lips parted on a gasp, and he took full advantage by sweeping his tongue inside to tangle with mine. I clung to his arms while he kissed me until my head was spinning. Before Corby pulled away, he nibbled on my lower lip and groaned deep in his throat when I trembled in response.
I was so going to bake a batch of cupcakes tomorrow in honor of our first kiss. And not the gluten-free kind that my mother would approve of, either. I needed to commemorate this moment, and cupcakes with tons of frosting were my new favorite dessert.
10
Corby
I didn’t feel great about hitching a ride with Emme for a college visit, but she’d been damn insistent on planning this trip when she found out I hadn’t been to my top pick’s campus during a random conversation in the cafeteria at lunch. When she’d threatened to go without me on my first bye weekend from games, I’d finally caved. No way in hell did I want to spend my only free time in months away from Emme while she wandered around a college campus where tons of guys were bound to hit on her. Not when I’d barely gotten any time with her since we’d started dating. Until now, we’d been limited to me driving her to school in the morning and home from my games on the weekends, plus hanging out at school. For the first time in my life, I resented how much time I spent on hockey because it kept me away from Emme so much.
I still wasn’t sure why her parents had bought her sudden interest in a random state school she’d never talked about before when she had already applied to several Ivy League universities, and Yale had already accepted her through their early action program. But whatever she’d said must have been convincing because only days after she came up with the idea, I found myself walking off a chartered jet with my girl right behind me—and no parents in sight.
Charity: Black Mountain Academy/Fortuity Page 7