The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 83

We all settled into my apartment, the tension in the room almost tangible. After | offered snacks and beverage, Penny wasted no time in getting down to business.

“Here’s what I’m thinking. Timothy, you need to address the rumors head-on. Go out there and admit that you weren't ready to settle down. After the Evie and Alex situation, you realized it was time to get serious.

As | poured two glasses of water for them, | listened in to Penny's highly animated. strategy. | bit my lip, my worry for Timothy's reputation mixing with my own discomfort at the suggestion that we had been dating. But Penny was right - we needed a strategy that would stick, whether it aligned with our personal truths or

not.

| handed Penny her water as she continued, her voice steady. “And, Timothy, it wouldn’t hurt for you to get involved in some community service again. Clean up your image, make it more wholesome. The increased visibility will help put you back ina positive light.”

Timothy's gaze remained fixed on Penny, a mixture of uncertainty and reluctant acceptance in his eyes. “And you think this will work?”

Penny’s smile was confident. “It’s a start. We can shape the narrative, but you'll need to commit to it, Timothy.”

Penny’s expertise was undeniable, and she seemed trustworthy enough. Of course, time would tell if that was true or not, but it didn’t hurt to try. After the milkshake incident, | needed a popularity boost myself.

“What about their little romance angle?” | interrupted, placing my hands in my lap as | settled beside Timothy. “Will the love triangle disappear?”

Penny hummed thoughifully. “Likely not. Stories like that stick harder than hot glue, but you can always twist the story a little. That’s why reframing Timothy’s redemption arc could help you both.” | nodded in understanding, deciding to stay quiet for the rest of the meeting. It would have been good to involve Timothy from the start, but thankfully he seemed more receptive to having a PR agent of

sorts.

If this was what it took to help Timothy regain control of his public image, then so be it. In the world of media and perception, sometimes the story that stuck was

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more important than the truth. And as much as it twisted my stomach to admit it, Penny was right — we had to do what was necessary to navigate this storm.

After Penny left, a sense of unease settled in the room like an uninvited guest. Timothy’s skeptical expression mirrored my own doubts about whether we could truly trust her. As we exchanged glances, he finally broke the silence.

“| don’t know about that Penny woman, Evie. Can we really trust her?”

| sighed, my shoulders slumping under the weight of our situation. “Timothy, we don’t have a lot of options here. She’s our best bet at the moment.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I just don’t like feeling like we’re putting our reputations in someone else’s hands.” Before | could respond, the front door swung open and Aria came storming in, several shopping bags dangling from her fingers.

“Evie, you'll never believe the sales they had at Foxxy. | got this cute halter top at half the price!” She waltzed into the living room and dropped her bags on the floor. That was the moment she spotted Timothy on the couch, who was eyeballing the bags she had hauled inside. Aria returned the look of shock.

“Uh, Timothy, hi!” She cleared her throat and looked over at me. “Did | interrupt something?

| felt my knee bump into Timothy’s as | faced Aria, and that was when | realized how close we hd been sitting. | quickly stood up and brushed the non-existent dust off my pants. “No, you didn’t interrupt at all. We were just brainstorming.”

Aria’s curiosity was piqued as she eyed us suspiciously. “Brainstorming? About what?”

| waved a hand at Timothy. “Well, we were trying to think of ways for Timothy to clean up his image, given the recent media attention.”

Aria’s eyes lit up with excitement as she joined the conversation. “Oh, | love brainstorming! So, what ideas do you have?”

Timothy's expression warmed then, and it seemed that Aria’s enthusiasm lowered his guard. He knew how much | trusted her, which eased his fears far more than my uncertainty with Penny. “We were talking about charities | could contribute to,” Timothy explained, “to show that I’m giving back to the community.”

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Aria’s face brightened, and she clapped her hands together. “Oh, that’s a great idea! Any thoughts on what charity you’d work with?”

Timothy tapped his chin. “I guess there are a lot to choose from. It definitely has to be family friendly,” he said. “You could choose something based off your own interests,” | added. “What are some of your more wholesome hobbies?”

He started to smile, poking my knee with his finger. “Are you saying hockey isn’t wholesome?” Aria noticed the gesture and her eyes met mine as she smirked. | felt my cheeks begin to heat up and | shifted away from Timothy’s touch with a grunt.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Do you know how many people lose their teeth in hockey? Or wind up with broken ribs?” | asked. “Something else.”

Timothy hummed in thought and leaned back against the couch. After pondering for a few moments, his eyes lit up. “I like walking my dog, Duke,” he said.

Aria nodded, tapping her fingers together. We watched as her face shifted between looking conflicted and looking inspired. Eventually, she snapped her fingers.

“You know what would be amazing? If we did a dog wash fundraiser for the local animal shelter. People love supporting causes like that!”

| couldn't help but smile at Aria’s enthusiasm. “That’s actually a fantastic suggestion.”

Timothy seemed to be warming up to the idea, his expression less guarded. “A dog wash fundraiser, huh? It’s different, but | like it.”

The atmosphere in the room seemed to lift as Aria’s idea hung in the air like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds. Timothy's brows furrowed for a moment, his mind clearly considering the suggestion. “A dog wash fundraiser, huh? It’s different, but | like it.”

Aria practically bounced with excitement, her enthusiasm contagious. “Yes! It’s a win-win. We'll raise funds for the shelter, and itll be a great way to show your involvement in the community, Timothy.”

| couldn't help but nod in agreement, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Aria’s right. Plus, it’s a cause that resonates with a lot of people. Animals always tug at the heartstrings.”

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Timothy's skepticism seemed to be melting away as he sat up, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Alright, let’s say I’m on board with this idea. What’s the next step?”

Aria clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I can start spreading the word on social media. You know how much influence you have. among your fans. They'll be thrilled to support something like this.”

Timothy's lips quirked into a half—smile, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “I never thought a dog wash would be the solution to my image problem.”

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Aria laughed, her energy infectious. “Well, sometimes the unexpected solutions are the best ones.” | chimed in, my mind already racing with ideas. “I can design some eye-catching fliers for the event. We'll need to make sure the event details are clear and enticing.”

Timothy nodded in agreement, his hesitation replaced by a growing sense of purpose. “Sounds like a plan. But what if most people don’t read the fliers?”

Aria’s grin was practically ear—to—ear. “That’s where social media comes in. We'll

create event 1

share posts with catchy captions, and encourage everyone to spread the word. Trust me, it'll catch on.”

As we delved into the logistics of the fundraiser, | couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of determination. Despite the challenges we were facing, this idea seemed to be a beacon of hope, a chance to steer the narrative back towards something positive.

Hours flew by as we discussed plans, brainstormed ideas, and even laughed at some of the sillier suggestions Aria threw into the mix. The weight that had been pressing down on us seemed to lift. With a sense of renewed energy, we stood up and shared a determined look. The road ahead might still be uncertain, but we were facing it together, armed with a dog wash fundraiser and a whole lot of determination. As we headed off to put our plans into action, | couldn't help but feel a glimmer of optimism for what the future might hold.

Aria practically bounced with excitement. “I can help organize it! And I'll spread the news through social media and among the other Timothy fans. Trust me, it'll be a hit!”

As | listened to Aria’s plans, | couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. Maybe this

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fundraiser was just the thing we needed to shift the focus away from the recent media storm and onto a positive cause. Timothy seemed to be on board as well, his skepticism momentarily forgotten as he got caught up in Aria’s contagious energy.

As Aria continued to excitedly outline her plans, | couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, things were starting to look up. The road ahead might still be uncertain, but in this moment, with Aria’s unwavering enthusiasm and Timothy’s tentative agreement, it felt like we were taking a step in the right direction.

“| guess we're really doing this,” | said, smiling wide. “And | think we need to get Penny in on this.” fii}

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