Page 19 of Off The Ice

“Thank you so much for today, Maggie.” I looked over at her from where she sat beside me on the couch, frowning down at her phone as she typed away. “I think I should probably head out now.”

Her head snapped up in concern, “What? Where are you going?”

“As much as it sucks,” I said, heaving a huge sigh. “I think I just have to go to my mom’s.”

“No way, Cass,” she said in a tone of absolute finality, reminding me of her older brother. “You’re not going back there.”

“Well, I can’t exactly stay here.” I forced out a laugh, looking around at her small, cramped apartment that was already filled with her mom’s bags. “Shouldn’t your mom be here soon, anyway?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Maggie shook her head. “She’ll love you.”

“And I love you for offering, but there’s no way the three of us can live here in this space for any prolonged amount of timewithout going crazy,” I said honestly. “And besides, I’m used to my mom. It’s nothing I haven’t already lived through. It’s not like I have any other options.”

“Well,” she said, biting her lip as she looked down at her phone and back up at me. “That’s not necessarily true.”

I raised a brow, inviting her to continue.

“Liam told me to bring you back there.”

“What?” I choked out incredulously. “Why would he say that?”

Maggie snorted and shrugged. “I honestly couldn’t tell you.”

“No way.” I shook my head. “I’m not invading his space like that. He already told me he prefers living alone.”

“I know my brother, Cassie,” Maggie said, her green eyes that looked so much like her brother’s locking onto mine. “He wouldn’t offer it if he didn’t mean it.”

I groaned in frustration, covering my eyes from the cruel reality in front of me. There was no easy solution to this problem. No matter where I went, I’d be a burden to someone.

“Come on, Cass,” she coaxed, pulling my hands away from my face. “It’s not forever. I’ll help you look for apartments every day.”

“Rooms,” I corrected. “I need to rent a room. There’s no apartment in this city I can afford on my own.”

“Right,” she amended. “We’ll find you the cutest little place with the nicest roommate we can find. Okay?”

I twirled a loose piece of hair, mulling over the options in front of me. I hadn’t lived with my mom for six years, and going back would be torture. Not to mention, it would be me trying to take care of her when I wasn’t even sure I was capable of taking care of myself right then.

If Liam was offering, it would mean my own space. I could keep out of his way, out of sight, and out of mind.

“Okay,” I agreed with an exhale.

It might not be the best option, but it was definitely the most comfortable. And if he was offering, it must mean he didn’t entirely hate me.

“Good,” Maggie said, grinning at me, “because I get the feeling Liam would’ve been pissed if he got home and found out that I didn’t bring you over. He’s bossy like that. First child syndrome, you know?”

And that’s how I found myself on his couch instead of Maggie’s, curled up in the near dark of his apartment, where the only light came from the muted glow of the TV and the city’s neon reflections streaming through the massive arched windows.

“What am I going to do, Mags?” I groaned in exasperation. “My life is like a cosmic joke from the universe. My boyfriend dumped me. I’m staying at your brother’s house, a guy I don’t evenknow,and I have no idea what I’m going to do next. I don’t even have any of my stuff.”

“One step at a time,” Maggie said, sitting beside me, partially for moral support but mostly because I was nervous to be alone in her brother’s house. “I’ll get your stuff tomorrow and drop it here while you’re at work. And like I said, we’ll find the perfect place for you. Okay?”

“Thanks, Mags,” I said, feeling a few pieces of my heart slip back into place at the way she was absolutely rearranging her life to help me out. She and her brother. “Where is Liam anyway?”

I bit my lip nervously, feeling like our next meeting would be too awkward to handle. I’d left this morning confident that it was the last of his generosity I’d have to take, only to be back on his couch the very same night.

“At practice,” she explained, throwing popcorn in her mouth, distracted by the episode ofFriendswe were watching.

“Practice for what?”

---