Page 104 of Wonderstruck

Those butterflies were revving theirengines as Daisy and I entered the Lionsrink, right before my phone buzzed with a notification. I opened it as Daisy’s hand tugged me, those butterflies soaring to the highest point they could as I saw the picture he’d sent in his jersey, his helmet firmly on his head, but I could still make out the fierce green shades of his eyes. But what had my smile aching was the caption attached to it.

I’ll look for you when I score.

I was ready to collapse.

There should be a ban on him sayingthings like that because my heart was ready to burst.

That urge to scan the ice for him, only toknow I’d blush and take a sudden interest in the laces of my shoes when his eyes found me, was still as strong as ever. So instead I kept my eyes on our seats until we settled into them.

“Hot chocolate?” Daisy asked, shoving asteaming cup into my hands. She’d insisted on getting it, despite my protests. Although that blank lid was calling my name.

“Thanks,” I said, cradling it for warmth. “And thank you for coming with me.”

Daisy sipped her drink, bundling herself inher sage green jumper. “Are you kidding? This is what my dreams look like. Watching grown men throw themselves at each other on ice whilst I snack? Yes please.”

I smirked. “Any of those guys in particular, say, oh I don't know, the handsome goalie,at the front and centre of those dreams?”

Those stark green eyes swerved to me.“Nope. Nu’uh. Not talking about it.”

My body slumped as a sigh fell out of me.“Oh, come on. What is the deal with you two? Why are you prolonging the inevitable?”

She knocked her head to the side. “Andwhat is the inevitable?”

I shrugged, casual as anything. “You andJesse admitting that you’re both madly in love with each other and living happily ever after writing music and falling even more in love than you both are now.”

I could see her fighting a smile. “I lovethat you put thought into that.”

I wasn’t bothered about how big mine was.“I can just see it happening. Although for it toactuallyhappen, one of you is going to have to crack.”

A few people coming into our rowsqueezed passed us, as we shuffled our legsto the side. “That’s the flaw in your plan, Ror. I doubt I’ll ever have the courage to tell him how I feel. And I don’t think Jess likes me like that to crack.” We shuffled back around. “And before you start with the ‘but you don’t see the way he looks at you’ speech, I do see it sometimes, and I know it doesn’t mean anything because he’s looked at me like that for sixteen years.” Her eyes flicked to me, her slight smile creasing the corners of them. “And that’s fine. I’m happy with that. Okay?”

It was hard not to believe Daisy. In everyaspect of our lives. Mostly because I don’t think she considered lying a good use of her time. She was too sweet for it. However part of me wondered whether she didn’t want to lie to anyone else because she was already lying to herself about whatever was going on between her and Jess.

It was coming, though. I just knew it.

“Okay,” I muttered, leaning into her softlybefore arching my back against the seat.

I felt Daisy shuffle beside me. “But whatwecantalk about is this kiss I keep hearing about between you and—”

“Ohhh no.” My curls whipped me as Ishook my head. “If you’re not talkingabout your love life then I’m definitely not talking about mine.”

But as the kiss wedged itself between thegaps in my thoughts again, I was pretty sure she had everything she needed to know what she wanted.

For the first time in a long time, I felthopeful about Finn and I. As though I waswalking around with stardust scattered over me when I remembered that there could potentially be an ‘us’. Everything felt right. Aligned. And now that I finally had a reason for why he turned me down, I felt like I could breathe.It wasn’t that he didn’t like me, it was thathe liked me so much that he was scared of losing me.

The second he told me that I felt the spacein my heart for him double its size.

Tripling when I kissed him.

God, I wanted to kiss him again.

As the blurry image filled my mind thelights dimmed, and the crowd roared as the announcer’s voice echoed over the speakers, calling out the names of the Liberty Grove players. One by one, the team skated out, their blades slicing the ice with a satisfying hiss.

And then there he was.

My heart sighed as he glided onto the rink,his jersey snug over his broad shoulders, his helmet obscuring most of his face but not the energy that radiated off him. He skated a quick loop,tapping his stick against the boards as the crowd cheered. My cheeks flushed, and not from the cold.

“Tell your face I said thank you for tellingme exactly how well your love life is going,” Daisy whispered.

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