Page 36 of My Last Dance

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t contain my grin as I grabbed the door handle to leave.

“Wait,” he whispered, standing up behind me.

“Huh?”

His hand smoothed across my jaw to hold the base of my neck. “One more,” he whispered right before his lips collided with mine.

I wondered if he could feel the way my heart was practically bursting out of my chest.

I wondered if he could feel my smile the way I could feel his.

But then his mouth was ripped away.

Brightness cascaded around us, making me squint.

“Richard Charles Kappers the Third!” Teresa screamed up at her son. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

His full name rang in my ears.

Oh no.

Richard’s cheeks pinked up. “It’s fine, Mom, we weren’t—”

“No! You stop talking!” she yelled at her son. “You’re in a closet! Witha girl!” She shoved at his chest. “Withthis specific girl!”She flung an arm toward me.

Oh. My. God.

I wanted to disappear on the spot. This wassofucking awkward. Maybe the most awkward moment of my life. His mom must’ve hated me.

With a look of pure anger on her red face, she grabbed him by the ear and started pulling him away, down the locker room hallway.

“Ow! Mom!” he yelled. “We were only kissing! I swear, Mom! Ow! Stop!”

“I amnotgoing to be a grandmother before I turn fifty, do you hear me?” she shouted at her son.

I covered my face. “He’s telling the truth!” I yelled weakly.

My phone buzzed again, making me jump.

Closing my eyes, I rested my forehead against the cold door. I needed to somehow shove Richard and this amazing, but unfortunate, situation into a little box in my brain and get back on the ice.

________

I couldn’t wait to finish practice that day. I needed to find Richard and make sure he wasn’t in too much trouble. As embarrassing as it’d be, I’d explain to his mom that we were only kissing if he needed me to.

But while making my way up to the workout room, I overheard some of the hockey guys, and I immediately recognized his voice.

“Of course it was me,” he said with a laugh. “You even have to ask?”

“You did it again?” an incredulous voice asked.

“Practice makes perfect, doesn’t it?” he joked.

“Shit!” They all laughed. “You crashed it this time though. DidHans beat your ass?”

Okay, so they were talking about the zam incident.

“He didn’t do it alone,” another boy added. “It wasn’tallhis fault. You did it with that girl, that ice dancer, Piper, right?”

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