Page 36 of Ice Me Baby

I admit something that I never thought I would reveal to anyone. A secret I’ve kept all these years. “Do you know what hurt more than my broken ankle?”

Vicy lifts his head from my shoulder and asks, “What, Roe Roe?”

“Being betrayed by the one person you trusted more than anything.” My eyes slip from the screen to look at Vicy. Screaming and yelling is all you can hear in the background as the recording stops, and the screen turns black. “He was my soul mate of a different kind. We might have dated, but we were friends before that. He was a part of my very soul. We knew each other on a deeper level than many experience in a lifetime.”

He looks devastated by my admission, and I’m afraid to look at anyone but him. “Roe?” His voice is a quiet question.

I tilt my head, giving him a sad smile. “It’s hard to cut off a person who is part of your very soul. But I suppose that’s why you can have more than one soul mate. At least... that’s what I hope.”

His fingers twine with mine, and he gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll make sure you find the perfect soul mate and get the happy ending you deserve.”

My smile is real this time as I squeeze his hand back. “I know you will.” I finally gather the courage to look around the room and find all they guys watching me. “If it makes you feel better, I’m happy now. And this alcohol is kicking in. So... I’m feeling great.”

There’s a round of snorts and laughter as Vicy steals the remote. “Time for some anime.” Can’t argue with that. A night can’t end badly when anime and alcohol are involved.

Chapter Fourteen

Monday morning rolls around too quickly, and I groan as I turn over in bed. I’m not sure how I got here, but I barely remember anything after the sixth episode ofYuri on Ice. I rub my temples, squinting and trying to figure out where I ended up last night.

I’m not familiar with this room. It’s not Mac and Dean’s. I take it in with wide eyes as I realize the space is furnished with all my stuff. Everything that had been in my apartment is now in this bedroom. My mouth gapes when I notice it’s set up as best they could to replicate my old area at the apartment.

I bite my lip as emotions swell within me. They went to all this work for me. To make sure I felt safe and at home. I’ll need to figure out a way to thank them for this. A knock at the door startles me out of my thoughts. Clearing my throat, I say, “Yes?”

“Oli wanted me to let you know that we are headed out,” Tuck calls from behind the door.

I grab my phone to check the time, wondering why my alarm didn’t wake me up. I have to squint at the bright screen to makeit out. Then I look out the window to see that a blush of morning light streaming through to softly light my room.

Why are they up so early? As if reading my mind Tuck continues. “We have to go in early this morning, so don’t be alarmed when you get up and find no one here.”

I groan as I say, “Thanks for the heads up.”

There’s a soft chuckle before Tuck says, “There’s a glass of hangover juice on the counter. Make sure you drink it.”

“It tastes like shit,” Taz yells. “See you in a bit, Roe Roe.”

I can’t help but snort and call back, “Thanks! See you guys there.”

It doesn’t take me long to get ready and head down to the kitchen. I find the cup on the counter and make my way over. When I look closer at the liquid inside, I frown. Why does it look like muddy water? Picking it up, I take a hesitant sniff and gag.

“Shit that smells like sweaty feet.” Looking around, I see they also made me a cup of coffee. I take a deep breath and shotgun the disgusting-smelling liquid.

I gag again but manage to keep it down as a shiver runs up my spine. Rushing over to the coffee they left me, I take a swig to wash out the gross taste on my tongue. “Ugh, I hope this crap works for hangovers, or I drank that for nothing.” Another shiver runs up my spine as I recall the flavor and texture of the questionable liquid.

I huff a sigh and grab my keys and wallet before making my way out the door. That better help with my hangover. I’m not sure how much work I’ll get done with my head pounding like a jackhammer.

Karma must know I’m in need of some good luck because I hit every green light on my way to work. My headache turns to a dull ache as I step through the double doors of the hockey rink.

I walk over to the upper sitting area, so I can make notes about my players. I purposefully sit in the higher stands, so they don’tsee me while they practice, which makes it easier to take notes. They are less likely to hide things if they don’t know I’m looking.

After a few hours of noting anything of importance, I head to my office. I need to make sure I get the notes added to the correct notebooks. Being extremely organized has its benefits and downfalls. Though, if Danni ever needs to take over for my players for any reason, she won’t have a problem making sure they get the appropriate training. But it also means that I have hours of additional writing to do for each player.

After what feels like several hours have passed, there’s a knock on my door, and I look up to find Taz and Vicy. It’s odd that they are always the ones to come get me or find me in my office. It makes me wonder why Mac and Dean don’t. I could have sworn they wanted to but... well... maybe I was wrong about them wanting to get with me.

Giving them a smile, I ask, “What’s up?”

Taz taps on his bare wrist. “It’s time to leave.”

Raising a brow, I ask, “And I need to leave with you guys because...?”

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