Page 59 of Pucking Grey

“Yeah,” I breathe.

“Wait, can I come?” she asks. That’s when I glance down at her shirt and witness the shape of her nipples under the thin cotton. She’s not wearing a bra. And she’s in short shorts to sleep in. I don’t know why she’s dressed like this.Dressed for what, Grey? Bed?“Oh, I don’t want to intrude.”

“No, you wouldn’t be intruding. Get ready.”

Her mood changes. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I nod, loving that she lit up like that. I open my bedroom door and say, “Make it fast.”

Madison hasn’t said a peep since we left the house. One moment she’s babbling nonstop and acting so bizarre, and the next second, it’s been so silent between us that I feel like her soul left her body. I don’t want to think about any of it, so I don’t. I step onto the ice behind Maddie as she glides with pure ease in front of me. She is beyond cool. The coolest girl I know. It’s going to make me fall on my ass if I don’t pay attention to my footing. She dropped the puck behind her as if to make me fall.

When she turns to smile at me, I know she’s messing with me. But I only stare, acutely aware that her smile is big because she’s grateful to be on the ice. I’m glad to at least give her a break from the thoughts swirling in her head. I still can’t wrap my head around half the things she rambled on about.

Fuck it. I zoom past her, skating a few warmup laps before grabbing the hockey stick that is begging to be swung around. Her name is Zellie, and there’s only been a few times she’s let me down. I shoot the puck ahead of myself before chasing it.

Without any words being spoken, Madison makes her way into my practice line and we’re side by side doing drills. This is oddly comfortable now. Every time our eyes meet, it’s because we’re impressed with each other. I see her potential on the ice, but I don’t ask why she doesn’t play. Play at college level, for fun, or even professionally. The job isn’t for everyone, and sometimes keeping something you love as a passion is all that it needs to be.

I think it’s been a solid hour of shooting the puck into the goal, and I can’t stand the silence anymore.

“Would you really tell a friend to go out with me?” I ask, and I know it’s so fucking uncalled for, but when she said it, I couldn’t stop thinking about how her idea of me has changed. I need confirmation that she finds me worthy.

“What?” she asks, passing me the puck. I stop it in front of me and wait for her answer. “That is what I said, isn’t it?”

I nod, hitting it back to her. She catches it and huffs.

“Yeah, I was trying to save myself because I was saying things that made me feel really awkward.” She shrugs. “But yes. You’re not as bad as your reputation,puck boy.” She slides the puck to me.

“Have you ever heard of the sayingdon’t judge a book by its cover, Maddie?” I ask, catching the puck. Playing pass-pass has never felt more fun.

Her lips pull into a shy smile. “Well, yes, Grey. I have heard of that. But have youseenthe cover andreadthe first page? No… the first chapter? It wasn’t for me until I was forced to keep reading, and now I can’t stop.”

I blink, keeping the puck under my hockey stick. Holy fuck, my heart is thumping against my chest. I don’t think anyone, and I mean anyone, has ever said anything that fucking meaningful to me.

She holds the hockey stick like she’s using it to lean on as she says, “You know when you’re eating a large-sized French fries and then you realize that you’ve eaten them all. You grab the container, disappointed it’s empty. And then you check the bag.” She shrugs with a funny expression on. “And then you find the bonus fry at the bottom. You had no idea it was there, so it’s not like you were expecting it. But it’s there. Well, you’re the bonus fry at the bottom of my bag, Greyson.”

I gape at her as she laughs at her own joke. But that makes one of us.Where the hell is this coming from?She complimented me… again. One night of only three hours in a car, and she’s hitting on me? This makes no sense.

“You’re comparing me to fries?” I ask, tilting my head at her. I still have the puck under my hockey stick as I try to understand what is happening to her. Are those heart eyes?

I skate to her because I need to know something. Something fairly important. She’s nervous as I close in, and I halt in front of her as her eyes widen. “Do you…” I laugh because I can’t keep a straight face. She looks so scared, and I don’t want her to be. When she watches my chest bounce from laughing, she lightens up. I manage to say, “Madison.”

“Yes,” she whispers, studying me with those blue eyes.

“I’m sorry, but… are you… starting to like me?”

“What?” she gasps like I’ve offended her. It’s adorable to watch her eyes roll. Now I need to know if she’s going to admit or deny it. After pulling those pickup lines on me, she better confess. I stare into her eyes, waiting patiently.

“Melikeyou?” She laughs nervously.

I nod, holding in my smirk.

“Is it because I called you my bonus fry? Do you know what that even means?”

I straighten my stance on the ice. “Enlighten me.”

“It means I didn’t know you existed because there were so many before you. You fell out, and I only found you because I searched for that bonus fry.”

“Okay. So, if you didn’t search then I would’ve been thrown away in the trash?”

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