Page 8 of Melt His Heart

“I see…” He nods.

I look over to him, we’re at a stoplight. He gives me a small smile, the red light washing over his features. He’s way too handsome, and I keep trapping myself in this car with him.

“How long are you training here?” I tease, trying to ease the awkwardness and my rapidly beating heart.

“You’re funny, but don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” He says, bursting into laughter, the sound of it relaxing me.

I made him laugh.

* * *

“Hey, you should come to our game next week; it’s our season opener.” Carson sneaks up on me while I’m stretching. He seems to love doing that, so I’ve become a bit used to it.

“I don’t know…” I start, “What you’ve got training? I think the ice is going to be pretty occupied that night.” He interrupts with a laugh.

He’s so annoyingly charming when he laughs at everything I say, and I always have to try to catch myself before I get lost in the sound.

“It’ll be fun, Julie. It’s my first game of the season, don’t you wanna support me?” He snaps me out of my thoughts.

“Julie? Please, Carson, you’re beyond ridiculous.”

God, so he has nicknames for me now? Great. We’re now on nickname basis after a few car rides together.

“What? You don’t like it?” He chuckles, coming to sit down on the bench next to me while I’m rummaging through my skate bag. The heat of his body settling over my skin.

“I don’t..I don’t know. I guess, whatever.” I stammer, looking away when he smiles at me. And I suppose I secretly like his silly little nickname. I don’t think anyone has ever given me one, or they’ve just never gotten close enough to.

That’s saying a lot since we’re not even close.

“I don’t have time to watch a bunch of guys beat each other up all night for sport. I actually have training in the morning.”

“You’re so cute, is that what you think we do?”

“Is it not?” I say, completely ignoring the fact that he just called me cute. Or I’m trying, at least.

“Come on, I mean, what do you even do for fun?”

I stay quiet. Because what do I even do for fun? Nothing really, I just skate day in and day out. The closest I come to doing something outside of my meticulous schedule is watching movies at night, and even that is a part of routine.

“Please tell me you do things outside of skating, Julie.” Carson furrows his brows as if he can’t believe it.

“Why would I? I need to focus.” He sighs when I say this.

“Just take a night off, I’ll leave a ticket for you at the box office.” Carson declares, standing up to leave.

He takes the heat of his body away with him. And thank god because just when I think he’s going to drop it, he gazes down at me, making my ears flush.

“I would really love if you came, Julian.” He says, his eyes softening. Why does he want me there so badly? Why do I want to give in?

He starts heading for the locker room, leaving me biting the inside of my cheek. “I said I’m not going, Carson!” I shout after him because I feel like I need to regain some kind of control with him. But he just holds his hand up as he’s walking away. I can tell he’s laughing, his shoulder clearly shaking.

* * *

I can’t believe I’m outside on a training night, let alone at a hockey game. The crowd is buzzing with enthusiasm; Carson’s team is very well loved. It almost makes me want to get into the sport. They’re tied with whoever they’re playing, Montreal, I think. It’s been an intense game, and my eyes can’t help but find number eighty-eight on the ice wherever he goes.

Carson is electric down there. He looks so in his element, so charismatic, and like he knows what’s about to happen before it even happens. And the way he interacts with his team. Everything about him is so intense. It’s honestly kind of sexy, but I would much rather streak across my coach’s lawn before ever telling him that. He just always seems so carefree and laid-back, not here though.

This is everything to him in this moment.