Page 77 of Jesse and the Ice Princess
"What?" She pulled away.
"Your parents just left thinking I'd drive you home. But I don't have my car. I rode with Hadley."
"Then it's a good thing Hadley is such a terrific friend," the girl in question said from the doorway. "Come on, you love birds. Let's blow this popsicle joint." She looked to Jesse. "But Jess, you may want to de-pad if you want to fit in my car."
He looked down at himself, realizing he'd never even removed his skates. Giving Charlotte one more quick kiss, he gathered her discarded gear and took off to the locker room. The guys were gone, but the joy of this win remained.
He couldn't stop smiling as he changed. Hours ago, he'd played on a winless hockey team and wanted a girl he could never have.
But now... now he had the girl of his dreams and a game he'd never forget.
And all because of timing. He fell in love with Charlotte Morrison's skating the first time he saw her fly across the ice.
He fell in love with her attitude when she'd fought with him at school.
But Charlie... well, he couldn't pinpoint when he fell in love with everything she was because it felt as though there was no time before.
He hiked his bag on his shoulder and rejoined the girls, wrapping an arm around Charlie to keep her upright.
"Thanks for lending me your strength. I'm feeling a bit weak right now." She smiled up at him.
He kissed the top of her head. She didn't need any of his strength because there was nothing weak about her.
His brothers raced through the parking lot ahead of them, but Jesse took his time because he wasn't ready to let go yet.
He'd hold on for as long as she let him.
22
Charlotte
Four months later.
Charlotte used to pray for graduation to come, to end her high school torture.
But now it was here, the day she'd get to move on to something bigger, greater.
She had spent three and a half years hiding behind her figure skating and cold personality, only letting one friend in. But now, here she was surrounded by people she didn't want to leave behind.
It was a different world than she'd ever thought she'd live in.
Of course, Charlotte wasn't the one leaving. An arm wound around her waist, and she leaned into Jesse. "That was some ceremony."
Roman joined them. "If by that you mean boring, why yes, dear Charlie, it was."
Jesse rested his chin on the top of her head. "We aren't in high school anymore."
Their entire group smiled at each other before bursting out in fits of laughter. No more walking the halls of Gulf City High. No more high school classes and standardized tests.
"Can we go for a walk?" Jesse asked.
Charlotte nodded, threading her fingers through his. They left the gym behind, their blue robes swishing around their legs. Back somewhere among the sea of caps the students hadn't been supposed to throw were theirs, decorated with the Hurricanes logo.
Hockey season ended months ago, but Friday night pickup games at the rink hadn't. She lived for those nights with her people.
With Jesse.
They didn't speak as they walked through the empty halls, halls she'd once feared. They didn't seem so scary now.
