Page 73 of Heat It Up (Off the Ice)
“And you don’t want to go?” It could be worse.
“It’s near Jyväskylä. I have to spend the weekend there.”
Several emotions flare in me. I was right. It could be worse. What Joni has plannedisworse. He knows she’s battling with the decision of whether she should go back to Minneapolis at the end of summer or stay with her grandmother. We haven’t talked about it since she brought it up at the hospital, but I know she’s thinking about it.
“Why would you agree to that?” I snap.
She gapes at me for several seconds. “Because he’s my friend. And because the University of Jyväskylä has a world-renowned athletic research center. I mean, it’s not like I’ll get to do anything there, but it’s still cool to check out the place.” And no doubt Joni knew all of this before he asked her.
She looks at her watch and scrambles up. “I need to go. I’ll talk to you later.” She doesn’t look at me as she gathers her stuff and I don’t try convincing her to stay a little longer.
I just watch her walk away, taking a piece of my heart with her.
A piece of my heart I’ve unknowingly, bit by bit, been giving her.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Sofia
The next day, I step out of the sports center, practically bouncing off the walls after a meeting with Rafu this morning. Kyle is waiting near the road, watching cars drive past.
“Hi?” I say, unsure where we stand after yesterday.
He reaches for me and pulls me close, then murmurs in my ear, “I’m sorry for being such an asshole yesterday.”
I wrap my arms around his neck, our bodies pressed together. “Apology accepted. This time.” Even though I say the last two words with a teasing smile, there’s no missing what I’m really saying—as long as he doesn’t think he has the right to tell me who I can hang out with.
He kisses my neck, and the familiar electrifying warmth spreads through me.
“God, I’ve missed you.” His mouth finds mine before I can reply.
The kisses start out gentle, small tastes of what the other person has to offer. But the sweet samples aren’t enough, and the kisses become heated, to the point where I’m surprised we haven’t evaporated on the sidewalk. Who knew friends-with-benefits kisses could be so hot?
We wander along a side street, checking out the small stores on the lower level of the historic low-rise buildings. These aren’t the stores that draw tourists, who prefer sticking to the city’s core. But they still showcase designs unique to Finland—jewelry, dishware, glass vases and bowls—with their simple lines and geometric shapes. Kyle’s oddly quiet. He doesn’t even mention anything to do with physics.
“Rafu tracked me down this morning,” I say, the excitement from our conversation still bubbling inside me. “He did his Masters in Sports and Exercise Medicine at the University of Jyväskylä, and has arranged for someone to introduce me around. And I’ll get to talk to some people there about their current research.” The news comes out so fast, I’d be surprised if Kyle understands half of what I said.
“Hey, that’s great.”
“Work is giving me two days off so I can do this.” I was going to catch a train back to Helsinki, but Joni said he’s fine staying a few extra days to visit family.
For some reason, this part of my news isn’t met with the same response as when I told Kyle about what Rafu said. He points to a store with handcrafted glassware in the window. “Let’s check in here. I want to get my mom a present.”
We end up at a display of glass birds in an array of shapes and sizes. I stroke the head of a swan, its neck long and graceful. Next to it are the cutest little birds. They’re similar to the swans, only a lot fatter and neck-less. And unlike the swans, they come in a rainbow of colors.
“How about this one?” I point to a royal blue bird the size of a large apple. Its head is clear colorless glass.
Kyle picks it up and pays for it. Despite finding the perfect gift for his mom, his mood hasn’t changed much. Unable to hold back any longer, I finally ask him what’s wrong as we continue exploring the area.
“It’s nothing.”
I stop and shake my head. “My last relationship was nothing but lies. I don’t need you lying to me too.” Because if that’s what it’s going to be about, then I’ll walk away, permanently.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing.” He looks toward a small park across the street, where several teenage boys are playing street hockey on the concrete surface. He grabs my hand and leads me over there.
On the other side of where the teens are playing, Maija is sitting on the bench with a girl who looks to be six or seven years old. She waves at us and we join them.
Kyle glances at the teens, a look of longing on his face. It’s the same look he wore the other day when I watched him coach.
