Page 84 of Off The Ice

Cassie:Yep.

Liam:……

Liam:That’s actually genius

Cassie:Isn’t it, though?!

Liam:So, what are you doing? You okay?

Cassie:Of course, but your apartment is not.

Liam:??

I sent a selfie showing the mess that surrounded me. Laptop open, file folders everywhere, glue, and containers of glitter.

I saw the three dots indicating he was typing, then a pause. My heart hammered. Was he going to be mad about the mess? He knew it was a joke, right? That I’d obviously clean everything up before he got back?

But his text didn’t say anything about that.

Liam:Nice hoodie.

I looked down at what I was wearing, realizing with shame that I had on the hoodie he’d given me that first night.

I was humiliated.

I didn’t even know what to say. Sorry? I’ll give it back? I don’t actually wear this all the time when you’re not around because it reminds me of you?

But he sent another message before my frantic mind could figure out what to say.

Liam:It looks good on you.

I blushed, grinning at my phone like an idiot.

I didn’t know why I suddenly felt like a middle school girl texting her crush, but just seeing his name appear on my phone made me want to kick my feet and giggle. Which was a dangerous feeling, considering he was my roommate. And my friend’s brother. And a famous hockey player thateverygirl had the same exact feelings for.

I was hopeless.

A knock sounded at the door, and I froze. Before Liam started leaving for away games, he warned me to double, triple, quadruple, and quadruple-check who was there before opening because, in the past, he’d gotten some strange people showing up at his doorstep.

He made it sound like they just happened to stumble there accidentally, but after the way his neighbor had treated me, I knew he had some pretty deranged fans out there, so I was more than a little cautious when checking the peephole.

“Ahhhh!” I screamed, jumping back from the door at a huge eye magnified against the peephole.

On the other side, laughter sounded.

“Let me in, you dork. It’s me,” Maggie called.

“Maggie?” I gasped, fumbling with the intense lock system after the breath returned to my lungs.

The door was open half a second before Maggie was striding in, carrying coffees.

“Wow,” she said, spinning around. “You totally Cassie-ified the apartment.” Maggie clapped slowly. “I applaud you. It actually looks like a human being lives here now.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, gratefully accepting the coffee she handed me.

“Well, officially I’m here because Liam wanted me to check and make sure you were okay.” Maggie rolled her eyes. “Like I needhimreminding me to do that. But unofficially, I’m here because I need someone to listen to my word vomit about these disgusting feelings I’m having.” Maggie groaned at an insane volume, muffled slightly by the hand covering her face.

“Is this about Brody?” I smirked, drawing out his name the tiniest bit.

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