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I slowly lowered myself to sit next to him on the floor and hugged my knees close to my chest. He was sitting in his usual way– slouched and taking up a lot of space with his long legs spread out in front of him.
“I think everyone here remembers. You were crazy about having it. When the vending machines were out, you’d be all over my dad’s case like no other. Snickers and Mountain Dew had to be stocked to the max, always.” I smiled at the memory.
He nodded. “It’s my pre-game snack. Only eat them when I need some luck though. Don’t wanna get sick of them.”
“You say that like you don’t have many games. I’m surprised you don’t hate them by now,” I pointed out. NHL guys played close to 80 games a year, more if they made it to the postseason play-offs.
“Nah, I do love a good Reese's here and there though. Nothin’ like taking their panties off.” He eyed me, waiting for my reaction, and I tried to hold it in, but I couldn't not smirk at his ridiculousness.
I swatted his shoulder. “You are still twelve years old, aren’t you?”
“Just call me Peter Pan. Always will be,” he smirked, and he did look just like the little boy I once knew. He gazed around the weight room then. “Remember when you used to sleep in the gym in middle school? I had a dream about that last night.”
His openness was kind of shocking… But I guess he had always spoken candidly when it was just the two of us.
“Yeah, I remember.” I swallowed. That was a tough time in life, and he’d been there for me. I’d always remember it. And after all was said and done with us, that memory was part of what made hating him so hard.
“So, now you’re back to skate with that asshole, huh? I don’t get whyyoudon’t have the pick of the lot when you’re the champ. Heard you crushed it at Nationals.”
I finally let myself look up into his light brown eyes. “Sounds like you’ve done some research.”
He took in a slow breath. The strained silence between us was weird, but so was the fact that we nowhadto do research to know anything about one another.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re too good for him,” he shrugged.
I snorted at that.
He drew his eyebrows together. “It’s true.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a beat, until he asked, “Where’d your mom go? She doesn't coach here anymore?”
Of course he’d notice that. I guess I just hoped he’d stay away from that topic.
“Nope. She went with me to Canada. We left soon after you did. I couldn't move alone,” I said tightly.
“Ah…” He raised his eyebrows. “Stinks that figure skating doesn’t have billet families like hockey does.”
“Yeah… But it worked out. It got my parents away from each other, and I was able to skate with Matty.” I sighed. “But, after Matty and I ended our partnership, I wanted to come home. I missed Addie and Dad. Mom wanted to stay out there.”
“Oh… sorry,” he said.
I shrugged it off and turned to face the rink behind us so I didn’t have to look him in the eye. I could still read him, so I bet it went both ways, and that was a bit unnerving. He’d be able to tell that it did bug me. For a girl who was never anyone’s first choice, it burned that my own mother didn’t pick me either. “Not a big deal,” I lied. “Better that the two of them stay a country apart from each other. Crazy how some people really are meant to be together and others just… aren’t.”
He maneuvered sideways so he could follow my gaze. Jules and Grey were on the ice below us teaching their little girl how to skate.
“Yeah, some people get it right,” he agreed.
I nodded. “Watching them, it’s hard not to believe in soulmates,” I joked. I peeked over at him, and he tensed in the same way he did as a pre-teen: his jaw tightened, and his nose slightly flared.
After a beat of silence, he said, “Yeah, they exist, but kinda wish they didn’t.”
That statement jarred me a bit inside. “What do you mean?”
He looked at me with serious eyes. “It’s a lot on a person when it doesn't work out.”
The conversation suddenly felt way too serious, and I felt the need to lighten it up. I cleared my throat. “Oh, so you’re scared,” I teased.
He sucked in his top lip and nodded. “Yeah, I am.”
