Page 18 of Meet Me in the Penalty Box

“She doesn’t want anything to do with me, man.”

Wes raised an eyebrow. “Did she tell you that?”

I grabbed a bottle and squirted some water into my mouth. “She thinks the moment between us has passed. It’s too risky, so she says, for us to even see each other.”

“Ah.” Wes nodded like he suddenly had the answers he was looking for. “That explains the fight. You’re trying to work out the shit in your head.”

I stared at him for a moment. “Are you a player on the team or our shrink? Stop overanalyzing me, Cole.”

“Can I give you a piece of advice?”

“No.”

Wes laughed. “Well, you’re getting it anyways. Don’t give up on her yet. Maybe try to do something normal like take her out to dinner or some shit. Be her friend, get to know her.”

“I never said that I didn’t want to do any of that.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t want to push her away. I’m trying to play it smart.”

He shrugged. “Well, either you push her away or toward you. Where you stand right now, I don’t think you have much to lose.”

I mulled over Wes’s words and before I knew it, it was time for us to head back out to the ice. I pushed it all to the farthest corner of my mind and played my ass off. We ended up with a shutout and the boys were on a whole different level with their energy. Everyone wanted to go out and celebrate.

I just wanted to go home.

The guys all made plans to meet up at a local bar and I told them that I would maybe stop by. I headed out alone and there weren’t very many cars left in the parking lot. After pulling out and making my way around the stadium, I slowed down while passing the staff parking lot.

Harper’s car was still there and I couldn’t stop myself as I pulled in and parked next to her. It was stupid and I knew it, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to see her—I needed to see her. After everything tonight, she was the only one I really wanted to talk to.

I waited until I saw her exiting the building before getting out of my car. Her steps faltered for a moment as she crossed the parking lot, undoubtedly noticing my car sitting next to hers. As I stepped around the front of my vehicle, she gave me a small nod and put her stuff on her passenger’s seat before walking over to me.

“Nico,” she said softly, yet her expression was filled with a look of questioning and hesitation. “What are you doing out here?”

I shifted my weight on my feet and tucked my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie. “I was waiting for you.”

Harper stared at me for a moment as she wrapped her arms around herself to block out the cool evening breeze. “Why?”

Her cheeks were tinted pink and wisps of her blonde hair blew across her face. Instinctively, I reached out and brushed them away, tucking them behind her ears. I heard the sharp intake of her breath as the tips of my fingers grazed her soft skin. Harper’s eyes bounced back and forth between my own.

I shrugged as I pulled my hand away. “I don’t know. I just felt like I needed to after I saw you earlier.”

Her expression softened and she took a hesitant step closer to me. She lifted her hand to cup the side of my face and her gaze dropped to my lips as she gently touched the cut in my lip.

“I didn’t like seeing you fight tonight,” she breathed, her voice barely audible. Her touch was tender and her gaze collided with mine as she lifted her eyes. “What happened out there? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I told her, reaching up to wrap my hand around her wrist. I meant to pull her away from my face, but instead I found myself wanting to pull her closer. “Just normal stuff that happens on the ice.”

Her throat bobbed. “I get that. I’m not a stranger to watching the fights. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Her words slid through my veins, warming my body as they flowed from her lips. I stared down at her, the corners of my mouth twitching. “I didn’t know you cared.”

“I never said I cared,” she grumbled as I dropped my hand away from her wrist. “That doesn’t mean that I want to see something bad happen to you.”

A smirk slid onto my face. “I don’t know, Harper. That kind of sounds like you might care.” I lifted my hand up, holding my thumb and forefinger apart half an inch. “Even if it’s only this much.”

Harper dropped her hand away from my face and I instantly felt her absence. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “You can tell yourself whatever you need to if it will help you sleep better at night.”

You would help me sleep better at night.

“I don’t know about sleep, but it might help me play better.”

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