Page 68 of From Ice to Home
“Oh,” Avah says with a shrug. She leans in slightly, looking unimpressed. “With Declan, you never really know.”
My eyes widen as the tension drastically increases with each passing second.
“I’m sorry, is there a problem?” Megan asks, narrowing her eyes as she catches Avah’s tone.
“No problem,” Avah says, completely unfazed. “I just didn’t know you guys were officially together.”
Megan’s confident mask slips just slightly, but she quickly recovers.
“We can be non-exclusive and still mean something to each other,” Megan tosses back.
Avah exhales through her nose, just shy of a laugh. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”
“Okay,” I say, leaning forward and effectively putting myself between the two of them. “I think we should get something to drink before the game starts, yeah?”
I get up and Avah luckily follows me to the bar area where the bartender serves us some kind of fancy soda in crystal glasses.
“I’m sorry about that,” Avah says with a sigh, adjusting her braid as we lean against the bar. “I shouldn’t let people get under my skin so easily. I know I need to work on my temper, and I really shouldn’t jump to conclusions.” She lets out a sharp breath. “It’s just I don’t have a lot of time for people who treat relationships like a game, you know?”
I glance at her, a bit shocked at her honesty and by how quickly she owns it. There’s something refreshing about it. No mask. No sugarcoating it.
“I get it,” I tell her, taking a sip of my drink. “And to be honest, I agree with you. But that’s Declan’s business. And Megan’s. I don’t know either of them but I also don’t need to. They will make their own choices, their own mistakes, and face their own responsibilities.”
Avah takes a deep breath, slowly and thoughtfully. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. That’s such a healthy way to look at it. I guess I’m still learning how to pause before I react.”
I give her a soft smile. “Responding with grace isn’t always easy in the heat of the moment. Believe me, I know.”
She laughs quietly. “Blurting out ‘Michelle’ sure wasn’t my best moment.”
“Well, at least it gave me a front row seat to some first classsass,” I say, nudging her playfully. “But seriously? It’s not everyday you meet someone who’s real about their shortcomings. Especially not five minutes into meeting someone.”
Avah glances over, her expression shifting to something warm and sincere. “I like you Hannah. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how this was going to go…given how things can be with the other women. But I’m glad we met.”
“Me too,” I say, meaning it. “It’s nice to not feel so alone here.”
“Well, you’re not.” She clinks her glass gently against mine. “Not anymore.”
A smile tugs at my lips. It’s the first real feeling of belonging I’ve felt since stepping into this world.
“Now,” I say, picking up my glass and motioning toward the ice. “Let’s go sit so we don’t miss the puck drop.”
Moving back toward our seat, Megan moved her bag and placed it on the seat between us. A clear boundary drawn without a word.
“Ooh, it’s about to start,” Avah says, propping her feet against the glass with practiced ease.
Blue lights swipe across the rink, the sound of the fans cheering like a wave crashing over itself. Red and white lights flicker to the beat of the music as time counts down on the jumbotron. The bass thunders beneath our feet and I can’t help but smile as excitement thrums through me.
Each player is introduced with dramatic flair, their names echoing through the arena as images of them flash on the screen and they skate out onto the ice.
When Lucas is announced, the fans jump to their feed, yelling his name.
“Your man is a crowd favourite,” Avah says, nudging me with her elbow, a knowing grin on her face.
Just after Lucas, EJ is introduced, his picture displayed on the screen. Now, with his photo up there, the resemblance isstriking. They have the same light skin, the same blue eyes and light hair.
“So’s your brother. Are you twins?” I ask, genuinely wondering.
She laughs. “Almost. He’s only like eighteen months older than me. But he never lets me forget it. As far as he’s concerned, I’m still his little sister.”
