Chapter 42
Alondra
I’m flying across the ice, all my worries far behind me.
Jack is practicing his wrist shot from all different angles around the goal, and I’m working on getting more speed and rotation in my layback spin. Jack is smiling at me the next time I glance in his direction.
“What are you looking at?” I call out, grinning at my boyfriend. God, it still feels insane to call him that.
Jack sweeps another quick shot into the back corner of the net. “My talented girlfriend.”
Yeah, I could get used to hearing Jack call me his girlfriend.
I laugh, pushing my feet forward, stopping within reach of Jack. “Keep up the compliments, and I bet you’ll make her really happy.”
“Isn’t it my goal to keep her happy? I’m pretty new at this whole relationship thing, but I’m positive that’s how it works,” he teases, winking at me after dropping his stick on the ice next to the pucks.
“Good thing you’re a fast learner,” I say as Jack slides his hands around my waist, pulling me close.
Things with Jack have been really great since he confessed his love last week. We were snowed in for a day with Ellie and Macy, but it gave us the perfect opportunity to clear all the space between us.
I came clean with Jack about Bradley’s threat, only to learn my dad had already told him.
Since my conversation with my dad about Bradley, and how he’s made me feel like I’ve had to earn his love, he’s been making an effort with our relationship. It’s slow going, but anything is better than the years we’ve spent holding each other at arm’s length.
What Dad didn’t tell his captain was how he went with me to the police station to tell the police the restraining order had been violated, and additional threats had been made against Jack.
Both my parents, Jack, and all of our friends have made sure I know that if Bradley comes near me, I’m supposed to call the police regardless of whatever threats he makes.
“She’s worth it,” Jack says, leaning to kiss me, and I feel light.
“I love you,” I say after he pulls away, the words rolling off my tongue with ease.
“I love you too.” He smiles, tugging on my ponytail, causing a laugh to rise from my chest. I can’t help thinking how every moment leading to us being here was worth it. “Your spins are looking good,” he compliments, and I’m overcome with happiness.
“They feel good. I’ve been toying with the idea of skating one of my old short programs just to see if I could even make it through half without falling flat on my ass,” I say, but it sounds silly to admit out loud. “It’s probably not even possible. I’m nowhere near where I was before quitting.”
“Do it,” Jack blurts out, and the spark in his eyes is the only reason I even consider it.
“Now? But I haven’t—”
“No one is here but us. So what if you mess up in front of me? Falling on your ass will only leave a bruise I promise to kiss better later,” Jack says, and if I didn’t know better, I would guess part of him might be hoping I’ll fall. “Please? I want to see it.”
I hesitate, but then he flashes his goddamn puppy dog eyes at me, and I’m a goner. “You can’t laugh if I fall.”
“Promise,” he says, darting away to gather his things from the ice, and I stretch more, trying to loosen up. I’m glad I wore a tight long sleeve today, shrugging out of the cropped black vest to drop it by our bags.
I queue up the song my program was set to, passing it to Jack, who’s waiting eagerly on the side. I assume my starting position in the middle, letting muscle memory take over my movements.
I feel free, which is becoming a common theme these days, and I can’t help the wide smile on my face after I land my double axel.
I haven’t let myself try for my triple, but my hope is that with more strength training and time, I’ll land it again.
My smile doesn’t fade when I pop my triple toe, only rotating twice instead.
It’s messier than it should be, and I’m glad my old coach can’t see me skate now because he’d yell, Again! at me over and over.
I come to a stop, and I’m startled by the loud whistle that echoes off the walls as Dylan and Coop clap while Nate whistles again. Jack looks utterly fascinated, watching me with an expression I can only compare to awe.
“Where the fuck did you learn how to skate like that?” Dylan asks, as they all shuffle closer.
“Told you I knew how to skate,” I say, skating toward them as Jack steps back on the ice. “You’re early for morning skate,” I say, grabbing Jack’s sweatshirt from where he hung it over the boards, slipping it over my head.
Coop flashes me a quick smile. “We wanted to see what you actually do while you’re here,” he explains, and Jack chuckles.
“And?” he asks as Nate starts lacing up his skates.
“Dylan bet you two would be making out on the ice.”
Dylan’s jaw drops, and he glares at Nate. “Dude, you’re acting like you didn’t agree with me. Way to throw me under the bus.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but we actually skate out here,” I say, as Jack wraps an arm around my back. If I thought he was bad about always having some point of physical contact with me before we were together, now that we’re a couple, it’s a soothing constant reminder he’s there.
“Not everyone fucks in the living room with other people home,” Jack retorts, planting a kiss on my cheek.
“Whatever,” Dylan says, shrugging.
“I think I like seeing you in my clothes,” Jack says, lowering his voice to whisper in my ear.
I smile, laughing as I twist to look at him. “Thought you liked me better out of them?”
“I feel like there’s no right way to answer this, so I’m gonna plead the fifth,” he says, mischief shining in his pretty blue eyes. “You were fantastic, Al.”
I slip away from him, gliding backward. “It was hideous, but far more graceful than the way you all tear up the ice.”
“I think I could figure skate if I really tried,” Dylan chimes in, joining us on the ice, Coop and Nate following a moment later.
“I’d pay good money to see you fall flat on your face trying, Jones,” Nate says, and I laugh, crossing my arms over my chest, smiling at my friends and my boyfriend.
“C’mon, are we going to stand around chit chatting, or are we going to skate?” I ask, and the sound of blades scraping across the glassy surface has never sounded more like music to my ears than now.
After everything it’s taken to get to this point, I never would’ve thought I’d be calling these hockey players some of my closest friends, but I’ve never been more glad to be wrong.
Maybe some rules are meant to be broken after all.