The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 83
We all settled into my apartment, the tension in the room almost tangible. After I
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 I poured two glasses of water for them, I listened in to Penny's highly
animated. strategy. I 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.
I 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 in a 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, I needed a popularity boost myself.
“What about their little romance angle?” I interrupted, placing my hands in my lap
as I settled beside Timothy. “Will the love triangle disappear?”
Penny hummed thoughtfully. “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.” I 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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Chapter 83
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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.
“I don’t know about that Penny woman, Evie. Can we really trust her?”
I 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 I 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. I 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 I interrupt
something?
I felt my knee bump into Timothy's as I faced Aria, and that was when I realized
how close we hd been sitting. I quickly stood up and brushed the non-existent
dust off my pants. “No, you didn’t interrupt at all. We were just brainstorming.”
Avria’s curiosity was piqued as she eyed us suspiciously. “Brainstorming? About
what?"
I 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.”
Avria’s eyes lit up with excitement as she joined the conversation. “Oh, I 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 I trusted her, which eased his fears far
more than my uncertainty with Penny. “We were talking about charities I could
contribute to,” Timothy explained, “to show that I'm giving back to the
community.”
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Chapter 88
Arias 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,” I 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. I
felt my cheeks begin to heat up and I shifted away from Timothy's touch with a
grunt.
“Do you know how many people lose their teeth in hockey? Or wind up with
broken ribs?” I 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!”
I 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 I 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 I like it.”
Aria practically bounced with excitement, her enthusiasm contagious. “Yes! It's a
win-win. We'll raise funds for the shelter, and it'll be a great way to show your
involvement in the community, Timothy.”
I 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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Chapter 83
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.” I 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?”
Avria’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.”
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
As we delved into the logistics of the
: p
fundraiser, I couldn't help but feel a
renewed sense of ternination.
Despite) €s we were
facing, this idea seemed to be a
beacon of hope, a chance to steer the
narrative back towards something
positive. The content is on
Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
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 gel pressing
se opus Sede o 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, I couldn't
help but feel a glimmer of optimism
for what the future might hold. The
content is on Novelxo.org! Read
the latest chapter there!
Avria 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 I listened to Aria’s plans, I couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. Maybe this
A
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Chapter 83
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.
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
As Aria continued to excitedly outline
) :
her plans, I couldn't help but think
that maybe, just mayb things were
ile To @ap\ ¥Crosd ahead
ight still be uncertain, but in this
Bi 3
moment, with Aria’s unwavering
S + ee) :
enthusiasm and Timothy's tentative
agreement, it felt like we were taking
a step in the right direction. The
content is on Novelxo.org! Read
the latest chapter there!
“I guess we're really doing this,” I said, smiling wide. “And I think we need to get
Penny in on this.”
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