It's Pucking Complicated

The Gut Punch

KNOX

"Mom?" I say as I approach the kitchen counter, where Isadora is seated with a plate of cookies in front of her.

"Knox," she smiles, gesturing at Isadora with a wave of her hand, "you didn't tell me that your friend was a girl. How rude of you to leave her waiting in the car."

I'm f*****g speechless. I specifically asked her not to go to the car, mostly because I don't want to explain what my true relationship with Isadora is. My parents really don't have to know about the fake dating scheme.

I don't think she's told Mom anything, because if she had, Mom would be looking at me differently.

I step closer to the counter and say, "I wasn't going to take long, that's why. We're already late."

"The campsite is only forty minutes away, Knox. That leaves you some time to have a cookie, too. Do I pour you a glass of milk with that?" She glances at Isadora, still smiling. "Knox loves dunking his cookies in plain milk. He's done it since he was a child."

Jesus. "No, Mom. I don't want cookies. Where's Dad? I need to ask him about the gear."

"He's in the garage, probably looking for you."

"Probably?"

I walk out, hoping and praying that Mom won't talk Isadora's ear off, but that's just hopeful thinking. Mom has always been a talker. She'll undoubtedly embarrass me in front of a girl who already wishes she were anywhere else. This is why I told Mom to stay away from the car, but of course, she didn't listen.

She never does.

I find Dad rummaging through the garage. He doesn't hear me approach, so his hearing has probably gotten worse since the last time I saw him. I touch his back and he jumps. "Knox! You scared the hell out of this old man, boy! It's good to see you."

He holds me tight, then pulls away. "Your mother tells me you're going camping with that girl. You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend, son."

"She's not my girlfriend," I say quickly before scratching my nape. "I mean, it's actually kind of complicated right now."

He looks at me curiously. "How so?"

"I can't really explain it now," I claim, even though I want to tell him about my whole plan and find out what he thinks. Though I love my parents equally, Dad's the one I've always talked to about my feelings. He understands me more. "And we're joining a bigger group. We're not going alone."

He puts his hands up. "As long as you're happy, son, I don't care about the details. Your mother's over the moon, though. It'll be hard to convince her that the girl is...just a friend."

She's not even that, but I keep that part to myself.

"So," he remarks, rubbing his hands together, "I've been sorting through this stuff. I wish you'd told me you were going camping. I would've ordered some new things for you. Most of this stuff is a decade old."

"Oh, I didn't want to bother you with any of that."

"Well, let me help you load everything in the car. How many tents will you need?"

"One."

He cuts me a look from the corner of his eye and I laugh. I can't help myself. He shrugs, saying, "I won't question anything. I'm just glad you're having fun."

"Thanks, Dad."

"How are things with the Halvick boy?" he asks, turning serious now. I told my parents all about his antics and how he wants to replace me on the team. It's safe to say my parents weren't thrilled. They're not fans of the Halvicks, either, for personal reasons.

"Well, I'm still captain."

"For how long?"

I shrug.

"I wouldn't worry too much if I were you," he claims. "You have talent, son. You're a beast in the rink. If that boy replaces you, everyone will notice the difference. It might never happen."

"Yeah."

"I know that right now, things might seem hopeless, but they'll get better," he claims. "I wish I could do more for you, son, but Walter Halvick has influence everywhere. He's a greedy bastard. I didn't want to tell you this so it wouldn't make your relationship with that boy worse, but he's been coming after us in subtle ways."

My heart skips a f*****g beat. "What do you mean? What has he done?"

He turns around and looks to make sure Mom isn't anywhere near us, then explains, "He's been trying to get one of our partners to merge with him, and though they're loyal to us, I think they might budge if Walter makes them a good enough offer."

"What offer?" I ask, scoffing. "More money?"

"Familial ties."

I frown. "I don't get it."

"Halvick has a young daughter, around that boy's age. There was a scandal surrounding her birth, something about infidelity, but that's beside the point. Walter is pushing for this girl to marry the Grubben heir, and if that happens, they'll naturally have to cut ties with us. They wouldn't have the money to remain invested in two empires. I'm not saying this would bankrupt us, but it would cost us a lot. Our families have been connected for years."

I run a hand down my face, feeling sick in ways I can't describe. He can only mean Isadora. f**k, does she know about this? I want to ask him, but that would be giving away who she is, and anyway, how's Dad supposed to know?

"Don't worry," he assures me, slapping my shoulder. "We'll pull through this. We always do. In the meantime, you just worry about having fun. Enjoy your youth. Let us worry about this kind of thing. I only told you so you're aware."

I open my mouth to say something, then decide against it. I just nod.

We pack everything I might need in the back of my car, then head inside. I'm thinking about everything my father told me almost feverishly. What the f**k? What if she knows?

What would that even mean?

"Oh, there you are!" Mom exclaims. "Honey, would you like some tea? Knox, your milk's already poured. Here, have a seat next to Isadora. And don't you dare give me any cheek! She's not finished with her coffee yet. You can leave afterward."

I glance at the back of her head and sit down right next to her. I look down at the cookies, feeling even worse. My appetite has vanished. I don't think I'd even taste anything. But I have to play it cool, so I dunk some cookies in a glass of warm milk and shove them into my mouth.

"These are lovely," Dad remarks beside me. "Thank you, honey."

She blows him a kiss.

Silence falls upon the kitchen. I glance at Mom and find her looking at me intently. I can tell she wants to say something to me, but she keeps her lips pressed together, which is uncommon for her.

Did Isadora say something?

What's going on?

"Will you stop by here after the camping trip?" Mom finally asks as she glances at Isadora. "I think you should. We'll have a nice family dinner and you can wash up properly before heading back to Hartwell. What do you say?"

Before I can say no, she tells me, "Isadora said that she thinks it's a grand idea."

My gaze slides to her slowly, but she doesn't look up from her plate. I close my eyes and scratch the spot between my eyebrows with my thumb.

Great. Just f*****g great.