15. victoria
FIFTEEN
victoria
“ T his is not a date,” I tell Leo as soon as we reach the parking lot. “Eugene wanted us to work out our differences.” This is an important distinction, especially since Leo seems so amused to call it a date.
Leo smirks as he unlocks the car. “Call it what you want. Get-together, meetup, chance to hang out with your hot hockey friend—I don’t care.”
Another smile for the tally, another swoon for my heart. Meanwhile, every rational part of me screams to turn back now and avoid this whole disaster. Only problem is my apartment is still under repair, and my feet rudely don’t listen. Instead, they march me straight to Leo’s car like they’re intent on carrying out this plan, dragging me into a situation that’s all risk and no reward.
“Since I’m not letting you quit now, this isn’t up for debate,” Leo says, lifting an eyebrow.
“Okay, but what about the rules?” I say. “We can’t be alone together.”
He glances at me, his lips pressing into an I knew this was coming grin.
“We won’t be alone. The guys invited me to Boots and Buckles. We’ll tell Eugene we went out on a group meetup. Take a selfie as proof.”
He opens the passenger door for me, like a real date would. I flash him a skeptical look and refuse to move. “What will you do if I don’t get in?” I ask, crossing my arms.
“Throw you in the trunk,” he says. “Don’t test me.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a few body bags in there,” I shoot back, deciding to climb in rather than take a chance that he actually might toss me over his shoulder again.
“Smart choice,” he replies, his grin widening.
He doesn’t look at me as he settles into the driver’s seat, but I can see the spark in his eyes. Normally, he’s all broody looks, but behind the scowls, he has this other side he rarely lets anyone see—except for me. I’ve known what it’s like to have his hands on me, to feel his soft breath against the curve of my neck, to melt under his kisses. Every time he touches me, it lights something inside both of us—hot, wild, and impossible to ignore.
But once I broke his heart, I knew there would be no second chances. And that’s the real punishment: being with him, but knowing I can never have him back.
I shift in my seat, facing the window so I won’t be tempted to stare.
Leo starts his sleek black car, the kind he never could’ve afforded in college. “According to Delilah, you haven’t been dating. Why is that?”
“I guess we’re skipping the small-talk part of the date, huh?” I ask.
“Oh, we’re way past small talk,” he says, pulling onto the road.
I glance out the window, stalling, as my fingers fidget in my lap. Finally, I take a deep breath. “Never found anyone worth my time.” It feels like a safe answer. An easy one. Because the real answer is much more dangerous.
He chuckles. “You never did sugarcoat the truth.”
“Be honest, that’s why you like me,” I remind him.
“Well . . . most of the time,” he says.
I smack his arm playfully. “Maybe you could try to sugarcoat the truth about me.”
He lets out a full-bodied laugh that’s still my favorite thing in the world. It reminds me of late-night conversations, Chinese takeout during study sessions, and lying under the stars to see who could spot a shooting star first. We had so many laughs together. After we broke up, I immediately felt the void.
Even though I tried dating other guys, I’ve never found another person who made me feel like that. Every other relationship was tangled up in expectations—how I performed on the ice, who my family was, how much success I could have. With Leo, it was different. He made me feel like I mattered, no strings attached.
I stare out the side window. “What about you? Have you dated much?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve dated anyone seriously,” he says, keeping his answer conveniently vague. Does this mean he’s had a bunch of flings? I’d rather not know, even though I’m aware of how sought after professional athletes are.
He taps the steering wheel with his thumb. “Hockey gets in the way. And I’ve discovered I like to stay home more than go out since I travel for away games. Maybe Tate is rubbing off on me.”
“Tate? Is he the bookish one?” I ask.
“Yeah, the straitlaced grump who thinks he’s the fount of knowledge. It’s gonna take quite the woman to win him over.”
“Maybe he just needs someone who’s the opposite of him. A woman who will break him out of his shell.”
“Know anyone?” he asks.
“I’m still the new girl in town, but I bet Sloan and Jaz do.”
Leo pulls into the parking lot of Boots and Buckles, which looks like a dive bar from the outside. Pickup trucks line the lot. A few guys in hats stand outside, shooting the breeze.
He parks the car between a rusted Chevy and a jacked-up Jeep. When he kills the engine, the muffled strains of a steel guitar drift outside.
I’m not sure if this is the type of place where I’ll be shoved on stage and forced to sing a Patsy Cline song, but I don’t want any surprises. “Nothing embarrassing happens when you’re with your pals, right?”
“Naw,” he says, getting out of the car. “Sherrie owns the place, and she treats us like family. Just don’t do anything stupid.”
“Define stupid,” I say as he opens my door. “Like trying out the mechanical bull after eating a basket of cheese fries?”
“Definitely that.”
The cool air makes me shiver. Leo grabs an extra coat from the backseat, draping it over my shoulders before looking back at me. “I meant, don’t let any guys hit on you... or leave with anyone but me.”
Does he really think I’d do that? I’ve barely left my apartment in the last six months. “Your teammates are the exception, right?”
He turns to me just outside the restaurant door, where greasy smoke fills the air. His brow furrows. “Especially them.”
I’m not sure if he’s just being overly protective, but it’s freeing to have someone watching out for me. I can finally have some fun, something I’ve badly needed for a long time. When you’re a figure skater at my level, there’s no time to let loose, ever . It’s all about earning the accolades, working until you’re bone tired, and somewhere along the way, losing who you really are.
I’m not sure I even remember how to have fun anymore.
He reaches to open the restaurant door, and I put my hand in the way, stopping him. “Leo, do you remember when you used to make me promise that when I went to a party, I’d always have a safety buddy with me?”
He frowns slightly. “Yes.”
“Could you be my safety buddy tonight, then?”
A hint of a smile ghosts his lips, and I mentally add it to the tally. “Yeah, Vic. I’ll be your safety buddy.”
For a moment, it feels like there’s still something left between us, a friendship that hasn’t totally died.
“Good, because it’s been a long time since I’ve had fun,” I add with a smile.
He looks at me, the heat of his eyes grazing over me. “Well, tonight we’re going to fix that. If there’s one thing hockey players are good at, it’s having fun.”