Penelope's POVLiam blushed as he pulled me close, his hands tentative on my body. "Penelope," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper. "If this is too much, we can stop. I don't want to rush you into anything you're not ready for."I smiled up at him, my hands reaching for the buttons on his shirt. "Liam, I want this," I said firmly. "I want you. And I don't want you to hold back, not even a little bit."He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't have any protection with me. I wasn't planning on this happening tonight."I laughed, pulling him down for a kiss. "It's okay," I said against his lips. "I came prepared." I held up the condom I'd brought with me, a sly smile on my face.He arched a brow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, aren't you a naughty girl," he teased.I shrugged, pulling him back down for another kiss. "Maybe I am," I said, my voice low and husky. "But I want you to be naughty with me."He complied, his hands sliding up my body t
Penelope's POVI stare at myself in the mirror, barely recognizing the girl looking back. Since my makeover, I've got this whole new wardrobe that actually fits me right. Tonight though, I decided to skip the heavy makeup. Natural feels better."Hold still," Isla says, tugging at the hem of the black dress she picked out for me. "This dress is absolutely perfect on you.""It's not too much?" I ask, smoothing down the fabric."Are you kidding?" She steps back to admire her work. "Liam's going to lose his mind when he sees you."Isla finishes fixing my hair, pulling it back in this loose style that somehow makes me look older, more confident. The knock on the door comes right at seven."He's punctual," Isla grins. "I like him already."I open the door to find Liam standing there in dark jeans and a button-down shirt. His eyes go wide when he sees me."Wow," he says, running a hand through his hair. "You look incredible.""Thanks," I say, grabbing my jacket. "You clean up pretty well you
Liam's POVI'm heading back to my dorm after walking Penelope home when the secret I've been carrying hits me like a slap shot to the chest.I was the one who took the video. Hell, I was the one who posted it online.Not the rejection video. Everyone saw that disaster. I'm talking about the hockey video. The one of her skating at the community rink, pulling off moves that would make varsity players jealous. The one that somehow ended up in front of college scouts.She has no idea I'm the reason she got those scholarship offers.I'd been watching her practice for months at that rink back home. Every Tuesday and Thursday night, she'd show up alone with secondhand equipment and skate like her life depended on it. Better than half the guys on Timothy's precious team, and she was doing it with gear that should have been retired years ago.The night I filmed her, she scored three goals on an empty net from impossible angles, then practiced defensive moves until the rink manager kicked her
Penelope's POVThe coffee is warm in my hands as Liam and I walk across campus toward the athletic complex. The sun is setting, casting shadows between the buildings, and I can't stop thinking about what Isla said earlier.Date other people, have sex.I steal a glance at Liam walking beside me. He's not bad looking. Actually, he's really not bad looking. Tall, broad shoulders from years of hockey, and those brown eyes that actually focus when he talks to you. Plus, he remembered me from back home and brought me coffee twice without being asked.What harm would there be in shooting my shot at him?But then I catch myself. Earth to Penelope, don't be so easily cheap. Remember how you got rejected in the first place. Timothy probably saw me as desperate, too available, too eager to please.I need to play this game all nice and smooth this time. Because it seems like good girls always come last."You're quiet," Liam says, holding the door to the athletic building open for me. "Having sec
Penelope's POVTryouts are everything I expected and nothing I prepared for.Coach Martinez doesn't believe in easing players into the program. Within the first hour, she has us running drills that would make professional athletes weep. She's a small woman with dark hair and eyes that miss nothing, skating between us ."Hale!" she barks, stopping in front of me as I finish a passing drill. "You're favoring your right side. Fix it or sit down."I nod and adjust my stance, grateful that she's treating me like any other player instead of the charity case I sometimes feel like.The scrimmage portion is where things get interesting.I'm assigned to the white jerseys, playing against girls who've been on varsity since freshman year. These aren't community rink players these are athletes who've been getting proper coaching since they could walk, who summer at elite hockey camps, whose parents could afford private lessons and top-tier equipment.For the first few minutes, I focus on not embar
Timothy's POVAnother night, another meaningless hookup that leaves me feeling more empty than before.This time it's Jessica, Delta's daughter who's been chasing me since high school graduation. She's beautiful in the conventional way: long legs, perfect curves, blonde hair that catches the light just right. Everything I should want in a woman.As she straddles me in my apartment, whispering about how lucky she feels, all I can think about is what I'm trying desperately to forget. The mechanical movements, the fake pleasure, the immediate emptiness that follows it's all becoming routine, like brushing my teeth or checking my email.My apartment stinks of Jessica’s jasmine perfume and our sweat. Her lips brush my neck. “You’re incredible,” she whispers. Her fingers glide over my chest, nails digging in lightly as I grunt, faking interest, but my mind’s six hours away, with a golden-haired girl unpacking in a new city, her laugh fading from me.Jessica straddles me, thighs locked tigh