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“Deal.” He smiles again and drops the bag he had slung up on his shoulder. He opens it and pulls out a brand-new set of white skates and a pair of socks.
I slip off the boots I was wearing and take the proffered socks from him. I keep the ones I already had on and place the new ones over the top. A little extra warmth won’t hurt in this cold-ass stadium. I then squeeze my feet into the skates.
“How did you know what size to get me?” I ask him when I discover they fit perfectly.
“You’re my girlfriend. I know your shoe size,” he says, as if it’s really that easy.
“I don’t think that’s in the boyfriend/girlfriend handbook,” I tell him.
“There’s a handbook?” He looks up at me with genuine shock on his face. “How do I get a copy? That would have been useful a few months back…” he says the last part more to himself.
“Why? Need some pointers?”
Liam shakes his head. “I think you talk more smack than any hockey player I’ve ever faced off against.” He laughs.
“It’s a gift.”
Liam finishes lacing up his skates and stands, holding his hands out for me. Sucking in a big breath of air, I accept his help and climb to my feet. My legs wobble a little but not too much.
“Do not let me go,” I tell him. Liam shrugs, wraps his arms around my waist, and lifts my feet right up off the floor. I lock my hands behind his neck and hold on for dear life. “What are you doing? Stop! Put me down!” I yell as he starts walking. He steps out onto the ice and glides us into the center of the rink, right on top of the Knights’ emblem.
“Okay,” he says, lowering my feet to the ground or, in this case, the ice. He doesn’t let go of me though.
I struggle to hold myself upright. I have no idea how these guys make this look easy. It’snotfreaking easy. My feet are sliding around like a baby deer learning to walk, and if it weren’t for Liam holding me upright, I would be flat on my face.
“Stop. You need to relax. Stop moving your feet,” he tells me.
“How? I’m standing on ice, Liam.Ice.They won’t stay still!” I scream at him.
“Okay, if you want to move, let’s move,” he says, and then proceeds to skate backwards while dragging me along for the ride.
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop!” I yell out. I’m absolutely petrified right now. I can’t believe this is happening. How am I in the middle of an ice rink?
Liam stops, and I try to keep my feet still and my body upright. My fingers are digging into his arms so hard I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m drawing blood. “That’s it. You’re getting it. Just relax and know that I have you. I’m not going to let you fall, Aliyah, not ever.”
What I don’t tell him is he’s too late. I’ve already fallen, so freaking hard. I’ve fallen forhim. I’m not ready to tell him that though. A huge part of me still thinks he’s going to see me for who I am, realize that I’m not worthy of him. Also, he’s full of shit right now, because I don’t have this. Not even close.
“I want you to push outwards with your feet. Move with me,” he says.
“I can’t.”
“You can. Stop looking down and look at me. Look at my face, princess. Dance with me,” he says with that magical grin of his.
“Oh, so now you’re a figure skater too?” I joke. I shouldn’t have said it. I realize that now. Because Liam bends down, picks me up under my thighs so my legs wrap around his waist, and then he’s off, skating down the ice and spinning. “Oh my god!” I yell out. “Okay, I get it! You can skate. Stop.”
He doesn’t stop, but he does slow up a bit. He also doesn’t put me down. “You know what? I think this is better anyway. I prefer having you in my arms. Whenever we go skating together, I’ll just carry you,” he says.
“Whenever? This is a one-off, isn’t it?”
“Aliyah, you own an ice rink.”
“Again, I don’t own shit. My dad does.”
“Same thing. We’re going to have many skating dates in our future,” he says.
“This is a date?” I screw up my face. “Can’t you just take me out to the movies or something normal?”
“Skating is normal,” he says, allowing my body to slide down his until I’m back on my feet.
