Page 88 of Neo

“No, I could use the walk. Thanks though.”

It’s still bright out and the rink is close enough for me to walk from the house, so I head on foot in that direction.

Neo is on the ice, practicing alone, the sound of his skates cutting through the silence. He hasn’t seen me yet, and for a moment, I just stand there, watching him. He’s so focused, so in his element, and so utterly beautiful to me.

“Cap!” I call out, my voice echoing in the empty arena.

He stops, turning toward me, surprise etched on his face. Slowly, he skates over to where I’m standing by the barrier.

“Violet? What are you doing here?” he asks, a hint of worry in his eyes. “It’s Wednesday.”

“What do you have against Wednesdays?” I say playfully.

“You’re supposed to be coming home tomorrow.”

“And why would you think that?” I ask, wondering if Kennedy told him the wrong day of my return to respect my wishes of my whereabouts not being shared.

“I guess I got the wrong intel,” he admits. “I’ve had eyes on you since we broke up. Just because you hate me doesn’t mean I’ve stopped loving you, Violet.”

“You know I could never hate you, Neo.” I take a deep breath, gathering my courage. “Just like I know that you’re not the self centered secret keeper that I thought you were.”

“Violet, I should of–”

“Quiet,” I shush him. “I know, Neo. I know about President Harmon’s threats to take my scholarship away. Kennedy told me everything.”

His expression changes, guilt and concern mingling together. “Violet, I... I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

I lean over the barrier, closing the distance between us. “I’m sorry you had to deal with all of this alone. Tell me what happened.”

“When Coach first told me about the NHL offers, I was pumped. It was everything I had been working towards, but then I thought about you. About us. We were just getting started, and I never felt like this before. I wasn’t ready to drop a bomb on it all. But then there’s my dad and everything that happened with Jake. I had to protect my parents because of all they did to protect me. That’s why I procrastinated telling you.” He looks down, his hands gripping the hockey stick tightly. “But when the president came for me, damn near threatening me to stay, I couldn’t let them take your scholarship away. Not because of me. All they want is another year from me and I could give them that. I could give them anything if it meant not hurting you. Luckily, the Devils were able to give me the best of both worlds.”

I reach out, touching his cheek, making him look at me. “Neo, you are the most selfless, caring, incredible person I’ve ever met, and I... I love you. I love you more than I thought possible. But guess what? I don’t even want their stinky ass scholarship anymore. I’ll figure out another way to pay for school. That’s what student loans are for.”

His eyes meet mine, raw and open. “I’ve missed you, Grinch. This was some really mean shit you did, locking me out like this.”

He pulls me into his arms, and I climb over the barrier, my feet landing on the cold ice. His embrace is warm and strong, a safe haven in the midst of chaos.

“I should have stayed and talked things through. I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again. ”

“You better not.”

I nod, resting my head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

“With everyone pulling you in ten different directions, has anyone bothered to ask you what you want, Neo? Because whatever it is, I’m behind you a hundred percent.”

“That was part of my problem, I was just too worried about everyone else’s opinions. But what I know for sure is that I love hockey and I love you, so I made the decision on my own to take the deal with the Devils because they were the only ones willing to wait for me. Plus, the home stadium is close to Philly in case you want to go to law school back home.”

“You’re making plans that factor me in? We were barely speaking to each other a day ago.”

“I’ve figured out a way to get everything I ever wanted and you’re part of that, baby. Any decisions I make from this moment forward will always take your happiness into consideration. More than hockey, more than anything, you’re my heart, and I promise, Violet, from now on, we’ll face everything together. No more secrets, no more sacrifices in the dark. Just you and me, against the world. I knew you’d come back to me. I just had to wait.”

As we stand there, holding each other on the ice, I know that this is just the beginning. I raise my arms and wrap them around Neo’s neck to pull him closer. The kiss is tentative and tender, like the kind you have on a first date. He drops his hockey stick on the ice and lifts me up by my thighs, wrapping them around his waist.

“Let’s skate together,” Neo says, his voice soft.

With my body wrapped around his, we glide across the ice, the world fading away until it’s just us, our love, and the promise of a future filled with endless possibilities.

It’s magical.

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