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I take a moment to steady my racing nerves as his words settle in. Gazing up at the night sky, I fill my lungs with the chilly air, feeling ill-prepared for what’s about to come. But then again, I could use some distraction in my life right now. Smiling, I hurry toward the door, trying to catch up to Aaron.
The hockey scene is not at all what I expected.
I’ve seen bits and pieces on TV when Dom was over or when my family was watching a game. The first thing that hits me as I walk into the large arena is the smell of freshly cut ice. There is a certain sour tang to it, but the crisp, clean scene and cheerful music is invigorating. The still-cold arena air licks down my spine, eliciting tiny shivers all over my body.
The place is buzzing with excited hockey fans as we make our way down to the team bench. Pop music is blasting throughout the place, but it’s nothing compared to the sounds of the growing crowd. I catch a few people staring at me as we walk down the narrow steps, my pulse picking up speed the closer we get to the friends and family section.
As we take our seats, I fixate on the massive, gleaming ice before me. I notice the bustling staff scurrying around, making final preparations before the game starts. It’s all so mesmerizing, and that’s coming from a non-sports fan.
“Is Dom going to introduce you to the team?”
“I don’t know. He mentioned maybe meeting after the game.”
“You didn’t talk before coming?”
Glancing over at Aaron, he looks at me like he’s bored already. Why are we talking about me and Dom again during our first real hangout since I moved to New York?
“Not really. We texted a bit and set some boundaries. That’s about it.”
Aaron laughs, shaking his head. “This is going to be more entertaining than the game. I’ll need some popcorn.”
“Can you stop being a prick? You’re making me more nervous than I already am about all of this.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “It’s going to be fine. Dom won’t let anything get out of hand. I trust him more than anyone else. He promised he’d take care of you and wouldn’t overstep.”
“Yes, I know. But I don’t need you to protect me all the time. I can handle myself.”
“Are you sure?”
I shrug off his hand, annoyed by his inability to cut me some slack. Haven’t I proved myself to him after all these years?
“Who do you think took care of me all these years after you left? Who sat with me in the aftermath of a fight? Me. I did. So yes, Aaron, I can handle myself just fine.”
I wait for a pained reaction to cross Aaron’s face, but he’s as still as stone, not revealing his thoughts or emotions. His unnerved mask unwavering.
“I’m sorry I left you behind, but you didn’t want to come to New York.”
“I wanted to do it on my own, Aaron. I never had their help in the first place, and I needed to learn to be independent. To stop waiting around for them to change. I didn’t want to depend on you all the time. If I had come with you, you would have been worried about me and making sacrifices to keep me happy.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is. I’ve always been alone, and I’m okay with that.”
His brows furrow. “You’re never going to be fully alone, Zo. You have me, even if we’re apart.”
Glancing away, I take a deep breath, not wanting to have this discussion or think about any of this tonight. We’re here to have fun, not bring up our shitty childhoods. Reaching for his hand, I squeeze his fingers tight to let him know we’re okay. It’s always been our secret code when words failed.
We need a subject change before he says something else.
“Do you come to games often?”
“Not anymore. Work has been super busy, and we have some other business ventures that I’ve been leading, so finding free time has been challenging. But I’m glad we’re doing this. I feel like I haven’t seen you much since you got here.”
“You haven’t.”
“Sorry…again.” Aaron cringes, and I crack a smile.
“It’s okay, I get it. I don’t expect you to change everything, especially since I showed up out of the blue.”
