Page 40 of Love on the Ice

I’M SORRY, BABY. BUT I LAUGHED AT THAT.

The little bubbles pop up again, and she responds.

LORELAI: It wasn’t funny at the time, but now that I’m home in my bed, it is funny.

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip, and my lips curve up into a grin. This girl is too much. She’s cute as shit. And I want to climb out of my bedroom window and up into hers. She makes me feel like I’m a teenager again. Or maybe she makes me feel like a teenager. I don’t know that I was a normal teenager. Sure, I had hormones, but I channeled all of them into hockey.

GET SOME SLEEP, LORE.

LORELAI: You too, Reid.

I stand up from bed, walk over to the light switch, flip it off, and make my way toward the window. I can’t stop myself, or help myself, whatever you want to call it, from checking on her from my place.

Her lights are on. I can see them shining behind the blinds. Closing my own blinds, I head to bed, practically falling onto my mattress. With a heavy sigh, I set my phone down on the charging pad before I close my eyes.

Fuck me, but I’m falling in love with this girl.

I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve fallen hard, and I don’t ever want to get back up. I want to stay down because she owns me. Every time I talk to her in any way, I fall a bit harder. I never imagined myself as someone who would be this fucking lovesick over a woman.

But I am.

I am in love.

Christ, I sound like the biggest pussy on earth, but I don’t think I care too much.

Rolling to my side, I fall asleep facing the door. My mind goes wild thinking about Lorelai. Then, as I begin to dream, it shifts to something else. I imagine I’m on the ice. I’m not suited or padded. Just in street clothes, but I have my stick.

A puck slides toward me, and I pass it over to my teammate, except it’s not my teammate. It’s that fucking asshole from the Bakersfield Condors. He’s not alone. He’s standing with his arm slung around Lorelai’s shoulders.

Then he leans over with a loud laugh and kisses her. She doesn’t kiss him back. She pushes him away, but he doesn’t let go. Before anything else can happen, I sit straight up. My breathing comes out heavy, panting, as I lift my hand and wipe the sweat from my forehead.

What the fuck was that?

Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I check my phone. It’s three in the morning. I have another hour before I need to wake up. It’s not enough time to fall back asleep, so after I take a piss, I scroll through social media.

I find her profile. Lorelai Hollis.

Like a complete creeper, I find her photos and scroll all the way to the beginning, when she started her account. There, staring back at me is a high school kid. Judging by the date, she’s fourteen.

It’s obvious that she’s in an awkward stage, shy. She’s still shy, but this is different. She’s just a girl in this picture staring back at me. Once I’ve gotten over her looks, I take in her eyes. They’re mature, far too mature, and haunted.

I feel for this little girl.

She’s been through a lot and will go through more, I’m sure. But beyond the haunted eyes, I also detect a bit of hope. Slowly, I make my way up to the present day, but I notice that there are no photos of family.

I know she said she doesn't have a relationship with her mother, but I thought there would be glimpses of them in the past. There’s nothing. That causes my heart to squeeze for the fourteen-year-old girl and the twenty-one-year-old woman simultaneously.

I make a silent vow, one only to myself, that I’m going to make that haunted look in her eyes disappear. I’m going to give her everything she needs and everything she wants.

LORELAI

Ten more applications are filled out, along with résumés sent. I don’t know what is going to happen, but it would be great if any one of the dozens of places I’ve applied to between Raleigh and Willow Creek would call me back.

Personally, I would prefer Willow Creek because I can walk or take the bus. If I have to go all the way to Raleigh, I’m going to have to buy a car. An added expense that I can’t tackle quite yet, but with the right job, I probably could swing it.

I could make it happen, but right now, I’m not ready to make a commitment like that. Inhaling a deep breath, I hold it for a moment, then let it out as I head to the shower to get ready for dinner.

I’m not sure if it’s a date or just a pre-booty-call thing. I’m leaning toward that more than anything else. Still, I take my time to wash and shave every inch of my body. After I dry off, I moisturize everywhere as well.

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