"I'm not good at this." I gesture vaguely at the space between us. "At letting people in."
"You're getting better at it," she says. “I can tell.”
"Because of you."
She holds my gaze. Something moves across her face, quiet and certain, like she's deciding something. Then she reaches up and touches my jaw.
"I'm not going anywhere," she says. "You know that, right?"
My chest tightens so hard it almost hurts. "Mollie."
She drops her hand and tucks herself against me again, her cheek against my chest. "I just wanted you to know."
I press my lips to the top of her head and hold her there.
Like a coward, I say nothing, because what I want to say isn't something I'm ready to get wrong. When I'm ready to say it, I want to say it right. I want her to know I mean it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Mollie
"Eeek!" Indie swoops in for a hug. She gives good ones. Tight, warm, and not overly long. "Girlllll. It's been too long."
I can't help but laugh. "It's been two weeks. I saw you at one of the preseason games, didn't I?"
"You mean the one where Theo scored the winning goal and looked like a freaking god? Sure, I remember that. I definitely don't have a pic of us together as my background." She flashes me her phone screen and I see our faces, smooshed together and smiling. Celebratory.
"Mhm." I jerk my head at the arena behind me. "The guys will be on the ice later, but I thought we could skate a bit."
Indie's eyes widen. "For real? The last I recall, you'd quit skating altogether. Which is a crime since you're like... grace on ice skates."
"If I tell you a secret, you have to promise to keep it between us." I sigh, throwing my arm around her shoulders and walking her in. "Alex made me get on the ice. And it wasn't that bad, so... I've been skating here and there. Nothing competitive."
"That's so amazing. I'm really glad you weren't scared away by your injury."
I grin. "I should be. But I guess I'm stubborn."
"And I love that about you."
We head to the ice, stopping in the tunnel to drop our bags in the press room. Indie brought her skates because she's going to get on the ice later. I tug mine on and lace them up, feeling a tingle of recognition. I've lived a lot of places, but there is always one place that I called home.
And when I step onto the ice, I'm there. I lift my arms, dropping my head and closing my eyes. The chill in my bones hits so good.
I belong here.
"So?" Indie prompts as we begin a lap around the rink. "Tell me everything. We're BFFFLs so spill about Thorne."
"BFFFLs?"
She smirks. "Best friends forever for life. Duh."
"Right. Of course." I smile and roll my eyes. "Things with Alex are good. More than good.”
"And Beck? Does he still think you’re just roommates?"
"It’s complicated. No, he doesn't know." I squint. "But Alex did take me to dinner to meet his parents, so..."
Her eyes widen. "So he is serious."
