Page 12 of Ice Me Baby

Vicy grins and says, “Mange la merde!”

I, of course, have no idea what that means, but it’s clear everyone else does when they begin laughing. Taz must see my confusion and tells me, “He said eat shit.”

I nod and try to repeat the words but, apparently, butcher them. Vicy just smiles. “You need to produce the sounds from the back of the mouth. But you did well on your first try.”

I laugh. “You will have to teach me more French, so I can practice. Curse words are especially fun when no one understands you.”

Taz smacks the floor with his palm as he laughs. “Ain’t that the truth.”

The guys continue with their questions, to which I gladly answer. They even answer a few of mine as well. As I sit there getting more comfortable with each question, I notice Oli lift an arm and rest it on the back of the couch behind my head. What gets my cheeks heated, though, is the way he shifts to get more comfortable by leaning closer to me.Does he realize he’s doing it?

I peek over to find him laughing as he engages in conversation with Ozzy and Tuck on the loveseat beside us. He must feel my eyes on him because he turns to me. With a smile, he asks, “Everything okay, Chérie?”

Fucking hell.I can feel my face growing hotter. “Y-yeah… fine. I’m-I’m fine,” I stutter.

His eyes rove over my face before meeting my eyes again. “Are you sure? Your face is red. Are you getting too warm?”

Oh my god! Is he serious right now? Does he not have a single clue as to why I may be blushing?

A snort from the floor by my feet has my eyes flicking over to a grinning Lewi. “If her face gets any redder, I think she may combust in your arms, Mac.” He arches a brow as he asks, “Has a man never been that close to you before? You’re blushing like a virgin.”

If it were possible to die from humiliation, this would be the moment. My mouth drops open in shock as the room turns deathly silent. The last time I was this embarrassed was when Emmitt left me on the ice with a broken ankle. My eyes begin to burn with tears as the heaviness of the emotion falls over me.

Before anyone says anything, I jump up from the couch. My voice is low as I say, “I believe it’s time for me to go.” Without waiting, I rush toward the door, slipping from Vicy’s grasp when he tries to stop me.

His voice sounds a little desperate as I run past. “Roe Roe! Don’t leave.”

Waving a hand over my head, I continue toward the door and yell over my shoulder, “It’s been fun, but it’s getting late. Thank you for having me.”

I hear a thump behind me, then Perri’s grumbled words. “Connard!”

With how thick his accent is, I assume that’s another French word. I push through the door, closing it behind me and rushing to my car. I hate crying, and I hate it even more when it’s due to embarrassment.

I hear the door open behind me and look back to see Oli rushing out after me. He keeps muttering, “Putain” loudly to himself—whatever that means. When he sees me beside my car, he rushes in my direction. “Please wait! Don’t leave.”

I huff a sigh and wipe the few tears that managed to fall before he can see them. I wait, because how the hell can I not? He’s been nothing but sweet, and this isn’t his fault.

“I’m so sorry,” he rushes to say before stopping in front of me.

Good lord, he’s tall. He’s definitely got a foot and some change on me. I wipe another tear that escapes before replying. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

He slowly reaches out a hand but then hesitates. His fingers curl into a fist before he lowers it back to his side. “I do. I didn’t realize I was making you uncomfortable. Forgive me. I didn’t notice how close I was sitting to you—it felt so natural.”

My eyes finally meet his, and even in the darkness, I can still make out their almond color. They look pained though. As if he truly feels responsible for me running off. Biting my lip, I debate what to say as my eyes dart back down to his chest. “I-I didn’t… feel…uncomfortable.” Exhaling a sigh of frustration, I rub the back of my neck. “To be honest, this whole thing is new to me.”

His keeps his voice soft as he asks, “Do you mind explaining?”

“I… I don’t trust easily. It takes a while before someone can earn my trust. I was…”—I swallow thickly—“I was burned by someone close to me, and since then, I’ve found it hard to make friends,” I say, rocking awkwardly on my heels.

When I look up, Oli is ruffling his hair, a frown on his face. He briefly looks back at the house, then back at me. “I promise Lewi isn’t bad. He… well, he’s been burned, too, and he doesn’t take to new people well. He does his best to push them away before he can get attached. The guys and I—we—” He groans. “But that isn’t an excuse for his behavior.”

The smirk that pulls at my lips surprises me. “It wasn’t his words that bothered me, to be honest. It was the fact he said them in front of everyone.”

His brows knit together as if he doesn’t follow. “Why does that matter?”

Groaning, I explain, “I’m trying to make a good impression here. I don’t want everyone to think I’m crushing on you like a dang horny teenager. Relationships between the players and staff are frowned upon and, to add to it, I’m new.”

He laughs but beams down at me. “So you crushing on me would be bad? Or are you saying I’m not handsome enough for you to crush on?”

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