Chapter Two

"It's his first game of the season, and I've missed half of it," I argued. "He'll be disappointed." We hurried alon the concourse, which was deserted because everyone was already in their seats. It must have been an exciting game because I could hear the crowd going wild. "I'm trying to be a supportive girlfriend."

"Uh, he's lucky you're dating him at all, considering you've had a struck no-jock rule in place since the moment you realized boys existed."

"I've already told you Josh's an exception to the rule. He's nothing like my Pops..." My voice trailed off because my other father was the last thing I wanted to talk about. Not that there was much to say.

My Dad got knocked up and then abandoned by a superstar football player in college (my Pops). He thinks my Pops left him cause he was ashamed of being with him considering how popular he was. My Dad had thought he was his fairytale, but instead he'd turned out to be the villain in those cautionary tales parents told their teenage daughters to scare them into wearing protection. I'd grown up being taught never to trust boys with killer smiles and strong arms, and to run in the opposite direction if a guys life revolved around a sport. I'd always followed my Dad's advice---until this summer.

Josh might have been a hockey star at my new school, but I'd never felt like he was some cardboard cutout jock who couldn't be trusted. I'd come across plenty of them over the years, and he was different.

We'd met at the library over the break. I'd run in there to shelter to a sudden downpour and found him volunteering in the children's section, reading books to wide-eyed little kids. I hadn't realized he was an athlete at the time, or I never would have given him a chance. But we'd been drawn together from the start, and the universe kept throwing us into each other's paths over the summer. I'd well and truly fallen for him by the time I found out he was the captain of Beverly High's hockey team, the Angels. Dating him might have broken my rule, but who was I to mess with fate?

"I mean, I seriously hope he's nothing like your Pops." As always, Jennie didn't sound convinced. She was a hockey hut, so you'd think she'd be Josh's biggest fan. But she'd been warming me to be careful ever since she found out we were dating.

"He's not," I insisted. "Josh's kind and sweet and thoughtful. You know I wouldn't be with him if he wasn't."

"Kind, sweet, and thoughtful are not the adjectives I'd use to describe Josh Forrest. Are you sure you didn't break your no-jock rule just to piss off your Dad for ditching you here? "

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Because you know I wouldn't judge you if that was the reason... "

"That's not why I'm with him."

"Are you sure? Because he can be such a jock."

"He's not that bad."

Jennie stopped and turned to me.

"Ginny, everyone at school thinks he walks on water. Hell, he thinks he walks on water.

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