Page 24 of Ice, Ice… Maybe?

He’s trying to get you into bed…

He’s just happy to see you because he’s in a bad spot right now…

Traviswasin rough shape.

There was no doubting his injuries, and mentally, she kept seeing his prone body sliding across the ice rink before hitting the wall, completely unconscious. His poor face looked so raw and beaten at what she could see under the bandages. This would heal eventually, and it wouldtake time, but if she allowed herself to fall for him – how long would it take if he broke her heart?

Swallowing, she grasped his hand once more and felt him give hers a faint squeeze.

“Sleep, Travis, and let your body heal. I’ll be here,” she whispered in the silence and heard him make a noise before sighing. He was cognizant of her being there despite the medication. “That’s right, let the drugs work for you and rest.”

Hours later, Becca took her own advice and put her head down on the hospital bed beside his leg, still holding his hand, and managed to fall asleep.

“Becca?”

She lifted her head groggily. The room was dim with a fluorescent light flickering in the distance like some haunted house. She hesitated, trying to place where she was and what was going on. This wasn’t her bed. Was she about to have some guy with a chainsaw run after her, or…

Travis!

“Hey,” she began immediately, pushing her hair out of her face and wiping her chin nervously just in case she drooled. “What’s wrong? What do you need? Do you need a nurse?”

Apparently, the cooling device that they’d put on his face earlier, the medication, and the stitches had helped with some of the swelling. His eyes were darkening like she’d suspected, but he was looking a little bit more like himself despite the bandages.

Infinitesimally so…

“You’re… ‘ere?” he whispered, and she managed to make out the words that had the faint sound of a lisp.

“Of course I am,” she replied gently, squeezing his hand. “I said I would be.”

“Date… tonight.” The tone of his voice was so dejected, so down, that she couldn’t help the sleepy smile that touched her face as he cracked open his eyes to look at her. “Sorry…”

“You have nothing to apologize about – besides, there is no reason we can’t have chicken broth here together or some orange Jell-O. I mean, while it’s not you showing me around your nerd-cave or,” she heard his halted chuckle and saw him wince, realizing he was trying not to smile because the stitches were pulling at his skin. “Or completely impressing me with your culinary skills – rest assured that our date can still happen.”

“No… kiss,” he whispered hoarsely, caressing her hand and lacing his fingers with hers. “Hate that.”

“You might not have gotten a kiss on the first date anyhow,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood as she glanced at the clock. It was nearly four in the morning. “Besides, you’ve already gotten two on your forehead.”

“Not the same,” he replied, sounding exhausted.

“You should go back to sleep - it’s barely four, and you need to rest.”

“I know,” he muttered. “I can’t go this weekend to meet your family…”

“I already canceled for us,” she replied quickly. She hadn’t, but she would text her brother immediately as soon as Travis was back to resting comfortably.

“You go… have fun,” he uttered, struggling to enunciate the words without hurting himself.Why was he being so chit-chatty when he should be resting,she thought silently.

“There is nothing more fun than teasing someone who cannot laugh right now,” she said softly, hoping he realized she was playing with him. “Why would I leave your side?”

“Why… ‘tay?”

Those words hung between them as she hesitated, meeting his soulful eyes. He was having a rough patch and had to be worried about his job, his physical condition, getting better, just everything – including impressing his girlfriend. You didn’t have to be a vain person to wonder if you would look the same after something significant happened. That was a valid concern for anyone but more so for someone who was on television and had endorsements all based on his skills on the ice – and his looks.

“I like you,” she admitted quietly in a low voice, not looking away from him. “I don’t think I’m ready for any earth-shaking declaration, but I do like you… a lot. Can we leave it at that?”

“I like you too,” he nodded slowly and winced. “A lot.”

Becca got up from her chair, despite the orange tint of antibacterial used to clean his face when they did the stitches, she leaned forward and dropped an awkward kiss on his chin, causing him to chuckle slightly as he gave her this wry look. That expression only seemed to be more exaggerated by the bandages taped to his skin for the injured nose.

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