Chapter 75
75
Molly
The chill of the rink hits me the moment we step inside.
It’s freezing in here. Or maybe it’s the contrast from the warm air outside, but damn I’m cold.
The crisp air tickles my cheeks as we make our way to the ice.
“This was the first real rink I ever skated on,” Hudson tells me as we stand beside the entrance.
His grin is wide enough to make my heart stutter.
He looks alive here, like the ice is where he belongs, where he’s completely himself.
“All right, Hex.” He nods toward the benches. “Let’s do this.”
“Do what?” I glance at him and then at the ice.
“Lace up, duh.” He motions to the skates he’s carrying.
“Wait, are we really doing this?” Can I sound any dumber? Of course we’re skating. He’s borrowed Anna’s skates; what did I think he was going to do with them?
“Yes.”
I let out a long-drawn-out sigh. “I haven’t done this in years. Like since I was a kid. And even then, I was terrible at it.”
“Which I find funny knowing who your brother is.”
“Why? Not all siblings are the same. Look at you and Anna.”
“You make a valid point.”
“I always do.” I smile. “Okay, so I’m warning you. I suck at this. No laughing.”
“Would I laugh? Fine. I would. But I promise I won’t. Plus, I’m here to help,” he says, dropping onto the bench and motioning for me to sit beside him. “I’ll make sure you don’t break anything.”
“Reassuring,” I mutter, but I sit down anyway.
Hudson grabs a pair of skates from the bag he brought and slides them across the floor toward me. “These should fit.”
I sigh, kicking off my sneakers and slipping my feet into the skates. They feel stiff and awkward.
“Have I mentioned I don’t skate?” I deadpan, staring at my feet like I want to rip the skates off.
“Here.” Hudson crouches in front of me. “I can’t believe I’m saying this to you, of all people, but you’re doing it all wrong. I’m literally mortified for you and your brother; you have no business working for an NHL player.”
His words hit close to my own fears. I really don’t have any business working for him.
My mood turns dark as intrusive thoughts try to push their way in, but I don’t let them.
I will not ruin the moment.
Instead, I raise an eyebrow as he takes over. “Oh, so now you’re an expert on tying skates?”
“Pretty much,” he says, glancing up at me with a smirk. “You’re in good hands.”
I roll my eyes, but there’s no denying the way my pulse quickens when he looks at me like that.
Once my skates are on, Hudson leads me to the edge of the rink, his hand steady on my arm. The ice stretches out in front of us, smooth and slippery from what I can remember.
I see the irony, of course.
Dane loves being on the ice, and like most things I can’t control, I hate it.
The idea of falling on my face isn’t that enticing.
Yet here I am, stepping onto the ice, and the moment my skate touches it, I wobble.
This is pathetic.
I take another step out, and my legs spread so wide I look like a baby deer learning to walk.
Bambi’s got nothing on me.
“How are you so bad at this? Your brother is legit the best enforcer in the league.”
This is going to be annoying to explain. “I never got lessons. No one taught me.”
Hudson halts his movements. “I’m confused. But then, how did Dane learn?”
I take a deep breath. “My dad taught him.”
“And he didn’t teach you?”
Of course, Hudson wouldn’t understand this. His family practically belongs on the Hallmark channel. Wholesome, caring, and a far cry from how my formerly drunk father was.
“Why would he? Only Dane could go to the NHL.” I don’t finish the thought, but we both know it. That he didn’t teach Dane out of love. He taught him out of greed. Only Dane needed to be the cash cow.
“No fear, Hex. If you suck at skating, that’s cool. Luckily for you, I’ll teach you.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“And the best part . . . you don’t even have to worry about how you’re going to pay me. I’m rich, and I accept other forms of payment.” He waggles his brows at me.
I can’t help but laugh.
If Hudson is good at one thing, he can always lighten the mood. It’s his superpower.
“Ready?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“No.” At least I’m honest.
“Come on, Hex. Don’t be like that. It’s easy. First rule is don’t fall.”
“Wow. That’s some great advice you got there, Wilde,” I say dryly.
He laughs, stepping onto the ice effortlessly beside me. “Have no fear, I’ll help you.” He reaches his hand out to me. I take a deep breath and grasp it.
“Now all you have to do is relax,” Hudson says, his grip firm but gentle. “I’ve got you.”
“Easy for you to say,” I mutter, my eyes glued to my skates. “You aren’t the one who most likely will fall on their face and break their nose.”
“First off, do you think I’d let you break that cute button nose you have?”
“You’re annoying.”
“And you married me.”
“Don’t remind me,” I deadpan.
He chuckles, guiding me slowly onto the rink. “You’re overthinking it. Just let go and trust me.”
Let go. Trust him. Sure.
The words hit harder than they should, stirring something deep in my chest.
Trust isn’t something I give easily.
Especially not after everything I’ve been through. But there’s something about him, something I can’t put my finger on, that makes me want to try.
We start slow.
He pulls me toward him, wrapping his arms around me, and skates for us both.
I’m stiff at first, and every muscle in my body is tense.
Please don’t let me fall.
He won’t.
When has he ever?
Despite everything in our past and the little lie the first time we met, he never let me down.
I keep that thought in my head as I give my trust to him and kick off from one foot to the next, gliding across the ice.
“See . . .” He places a kiss on my hair. “Not so bad, right? Now let’s try this.” He lets go of me and starts to skate until he’s facing me, but he’s skating backward this time, taking my hands in his.
Yeah, I think I liked it better when his arms were wrapped around me.
“Nope.” I glare at him. “I’m not ready for this. I’m totally going to fall.”
He grins, his hands tightening slightly on mine. “I wouldn’t let that happen.” Something about the way he says it, so matter-of-fact, makes me believe him.
It takes a while, but after a few laps around the rink, I find a rhythm, and I’m no longer as wobbly.
Hudson lets go of one of my hands and pivots his body, so he is now skating beside me.
“All right.” He slows to a stop. “Time to change it up.”
That doesn’t sound promising.
I stop awkwardly, nearly losing my balance. Real smooth, Molly. Real smooth. “Um, what?”
His lips part, and now I know I should be worried because the grin he gives me is mischievous as all hell. “I want you to close your eyes.”
“Nope. That would be negatory.” I immediately shake my head. “That is never going to happen.”
“Molly.” His voice is softer now. “Would I steer you wrong?”
“Yes.” My answer comes out so fast that Hudson’s lip twitches.
He inclines his chin down, looking me straight in the eye. “Molly . . .”
“Don’t Molly me.”
“Please trust me.” Something about the way he says that makes my pulse race a little faster. Can I really deny him this?
I stare at him, my heart pounding. “Hudson, I can barely stay upright as it is.”
“You’re better than you think.” He steps closer. “And I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The words sink in, heavy and reassuring.
I want to believe him. I want to trust him.
But the idea of giving up control, even for a moment, makes my chest tighten with anxiety.
He must see the hesitation in my eyes because he steps even closer, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders.
“It’s just you and me.” He squeezes lightly. “No one else. No cameras, no reporters, no pressure. Just us.”
I take a shaky breath, his words melting the edges of my fear. Slowly, I nod. “Okay.”
“Okay,” he says, his smile widening. “Close your eyes.”
I do, squeezing them shut as I feel his hands slide down to my waist.
“Good,” he says. “Now let me guide you.”
With my eyes closed, my other senses kick up a notch. I’m hyperaware of his presence as he steadies me and skates us around the rink. It feels as if the world centers around us, and we are the only people.
It’s him.
His laughter.
His voice.
His strength.
He’s shifted something in me.
The ice feels smooth and steady as Hudson guides me around, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I let go.
“You’re doing great,” Hudson says, his voice filled with pride.
I smile, the edges of my fear melting away.
“I have one more thing I want to try?” he asks, his tone teasing.
I open my eyes, narrowing them at him. “Evasive much? What does that even mean?”
Before I can get an answer, he bends slightly, his hands sliding down to my legs as he lifts me effortlessly into the air.
“What the hell?” My hands fly to his shoulders.
“Relax.” He spins us in a slow circle. For a second, I feel dizzy, maybe from the movement or maybe from nerves, but the more we move, the more my mind lets go. “I’ve got you.”
I feel high off life.
The world blurs around me, the motion making me feel weightless. As my inhibitions fade away, something shifts inside me.
Peace. I feel at peace.
For the first time in years, I feel free. Free from the fear, the anxiety, from everything I have held in my chest for so long.
A few minutes later, Hudson sets me down gently, his hands lingering on my waist as I find my balance again.
My heart races, but not from fear. From hope. Maybe he’s right. I can do this.
“See?” he says, his voice soft. “Told you that you could do it.”
I look up at him.
My breath catches at the way he’s looking at me— like I’m the only thing in the world that matters.
And that’s when it hits me.
I’m falling for him.
Hard and fast and against every ounce of logic I have left.
But standing here, on this ice, in his arms, I can’t bring myself to care.