Page 117 of Released from the Sin Bin

“No, I want to go home.” I’m over being social for the night. “Some people have already started leaving.”

“Ok, I’ll take you home.” He motions the opposite way to the exit.

“Do you think you can take me home too?” Jocelyn calls out from behind us. “Sorry, I heard you say you’d take her home. And I need to get out of here.” She looks up at Carter, but quickly looks away.

“Yeah, that’s no problem.”

I want to be alone with Carter to talk about where we stand, but a part of me wants to avoid talking at all.

I’m still plagued with resentment about how Vic treated me, and I never want to project that on Carter the way I did. He’s done so much for me and deserves better.

I’m not sure I’m ready to jump into anything with anyone, although if it was someone, it’d be him. I can’t imagine being with anyone else.

He’s turned into my best friend, and someone I can rely on more than anyone. So, what’s holding me back?

Chapter 28

Willa

I will do whatever it takes to play hockey again.

This is my dream. A dream that my parents supported for years, even when they weren’t happy about the time, money, or that their little girl was coming home with bruises and knocked out teeth.

I lost my tooth one time, and my mother nearly had a heart attack, but they knew nothing would stop me. Not even this.

I can do it.

“How do your skates feel?” Carter finishes tying them and sets my feet down.

“Good.” I press my feet down to get a good feel.

He was more than happy to come and help when I called him, but he hasn’t stopped nervously watching me since we got here.

“I’m not going to freak out,” I reassure him, and encourage myself.

“Ok.” He stands from the bench and opens the door with his hands out for me to take. “Don’t overthink it. Just go for it.”

Just go for it.

I know how to skate like I know how to walk. I don’t think about walking, and I never thought about skating as much as I am now.

Don’t think about it, just do.

I take Carter’s hand and let him lead me out.

“Just go,” I tell him. “Don’t hesitate to help me step out.”

If I’m going to do this, we just need to go for it. No hesitations or analyzing each step.

I keep my eyes on Carter’s as I step one foot in front of the other. I focus on the reddish-brown tones of his irises. They remind me of a tree we had on our front lawn. The leaves would start out red when they first bloomed. Within a couple of weeks, the red would fade to chocolate before it was fully bloomed for summer.

As he moves further back, I focus on the long dark strands at the top of his head that fall over the front of his forehead.

I blow the strand of hair that falls from my hair to clear my view and focus back on Carter’s perfectly symmetrical face.

Creases form at the corners of his eyes and his cheeks lift. Both eyes are evenly set under his flawlessly shaped eyebrows and over his high cheekbones. His nose is a straight line down the middle with only that scar as a tiny imperfection.

He squints down at me and tilts his head with his lips turning up, surrounded by his evenly trimmed beard.

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