AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She needs to do this.
I keep my tone casual. “There’s an open skate, and I thought it might be fun if we dropped in for a bit.” There’s a beat of silence. “When was the last time you were on the ice?”
Her other hand rises to rub at her chest as she turns ashen.
My attention drops to the movement. Only now do I realize that she’s rubbing the scar. The one I didn’t know she had until I pulled the edges of her robe apart and stared at her chest. It fucking tore me up to see that her body bears a constant reminder of the worst day of our lives. I couldn’t help but lean down and press my lips against the puckered flesh as if it were possible to take away all the pain that lives inside her.
The text she sent after our first meeting asking if it repulsed me shattered my heart into a million jagged pieces. I had to stop myself from swinging around, stalking back to the suite, and gathering her up into my arms.
My guess is that it’s the reason she’s still a virgin at twenty years of age.
I hate that she’s embarrassed about her body. If it were possible for me to leech away her pain and take it onto myself, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
“I haven’t skated since before…” her voice trails off.
“You used to love it,” I remind softly.
She gnaws her bottom lip as her gaze slides back to the massive structure.
“It’s time, Fallyn. Time to move on and stop allowing the accident to control every aspect of your
life. Miles wouldn’t want that for you.”
Her muscles turn rigid.
Just when I think she’ll pull away and tell me to fuck off, she says instead, “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right.”
Chapter 24
Fallyn
As soon as the words escape from my lips, I want to stuff them back inside and tell him to forget it. I’ve only stepped foot inside this building one other time. And that was for my cousin, Viola.
When I’d agreed to attend the game so Vi could watch Madden, I hadn’t expected all those old memories and feelings to get dredged up and churn inside me. For the most part, hockey rinks are all the same.
The same feel and smell hangs in the air.
The people.
Athletes, fans, family.
Kids racing around, either stopping at the arcade to spend their parents’ money or at the concession stand for popcorn, warm pretzels, and fizzy drinks.
Sitting beside Viola and watching Wolf in goal had been even more painful than I’d anticipated. A physical ache had bloomed to life in my chest until it was impossible to ignore. By the time the game was over, it felt like I was suffocating and couldn’t breathe.
“Are you sure?” he asks quietly, his fingers tightening around mine. “Because we can go somewhere else. I just thought it was something fun we could do. Happy memories from our past.”
I suck an unsteady breath into my lungs before ripping my gaze away and staring at the building that looms in front of us. “No, it’s fine.” I pull out my phone before glancing at the screen. “I have somewhere to be in three hours, so I won’t be able to stay long.”
Emotion flashes in his eyes before it’s quickly masked. “That won’t be a problem.” He nods toward the building. “Should we head inside?”
My teeth scrape across my lower lip. “Yeah.”
With our hands clasped, he tows me toward the wide stone steps that lead to the front entrance. The one time I was here, it was packed with people, and everyone had been decked out in Wildcats colors. Some had painted their faces orange and black. Most were wearing player jerseys. It hadn’t escaped me that a lot of them had been sporting Wolf’s.
We push through the glass door and into the spacious lobby. Banners hang from the ceiling with photos of Wildcats players. That’s all it takes for a wave of emotion to crash over me, threatening to suck me under. A thick lump rises in my throat as I take in the space.
Other than a few people milling around, the place is quiet.
