Page 84 of The Flirty Forward

She raises an eyebrow, challenging me. “Shouldn’t you watch me play hockey first before you make that call?”

My grin widens.And this is why this girl lights me up. “I don’t need to see you play hockey for me to know you’re my dream girl.” She doesn’t. She doesn’t need to prove a single thing to me. I take her hand in mine. “Skate with me?” She nods, and I turn and maneuver next to her. The rink is a little crowded, but we stick to the outside of the rink and try to avoid the congestion in the middle. The longer we skate, the more she relaxes. When I look down at her, her face is flushed, her eyes are bright, and she has a smile on her face. My heart tugs in my chest, and I take a breath and force a smile to my face when she looks up at me. I don’t know how to tell her that I crave her more than I crave my next meal. That look on her face? I want to put it there every single day. A tug on my hand pulls my gaze to her. She lets go and skates over to where Brielle is obviously struggling.

“Hey Bri,” I say as I stop in front of her and Aiden. “Looks like it’s going well,” I casually observe.

“Go away,” she tells me, causing me to laugh.

“Ignore him,” Aiden says.

“You’re getting better,” I tell her.

She looks over at me with an exasperated look. “Yeah right.”

“You are. The last time I skated with you, you could barely move.”

“I seem to recall that the last time we skated together, you plowed into me and knocked me over,” she says with a scowl.

Stephanie turns to me. “You knocked her over?”

“Yes,” Aiden says in response.

I defend myself. “Okay, let’s just remind ourselves what actually happened. I was skating along when Bri stopped right infront of me. I couldn’t stop from running into her, but I did try to catch her and break her fall.”

A whistle blows, drawing our attention that way. “It’s time for the kids’ games,” Rico says he skates over to us. We all head to the side of the rink and step off the ice and head over to the seats.

Stephanie stops and turns towards me. “I’m going to find a bathroom.”

“Me too,” Bri pipes in.

“I can show you where they’re at,” I start, but Bri waves me off.

“I know where to go.” The two of them take off, walking carefully in their skates. I put my blade protectors on and head over to the office where I can grab some blade protectors for Stephanie. It takes me a while to get back because I get caught by several different fans, here today for the event. When I finally make it back, I walk over to where Aiden and Brielle are sitting, engaged in a deep conversation.

“Where’s Stephanie?” I ask, glancing around.

“She got stuck talking to somebody,” Brielle says, waving me in the direction I’d just come from. I turn around, looking for my girl. I’m on way back to the lobby area when Gunner and Rico come towards me. Something about their expressions make me instantly on alert.

“Some guy’s out there with your girl,” Rico says. “He’s in her face and—”

I don’t wait for him to finish as I stalk towards the lobby, wishing I didn’t have my skates on so I could run. I throw open the door and scan the area. I don’t immediately see them; they’re over in a corner, tucked away from people walking past. I stride that way. I don’t like the way he’s in her face; not at all. I take in the expensive suit, the gelled hair, and the polished shoes the way I instantly take in a defender in a hockey game. I categorize the details and file them away in an instant and make ajudgment call. He’s tall; I’ll give him that. But I’m taller and now happy that I’m still wearing my skates. I notice that Stephanie has taken hers off at some point and is back in her sneakers, making us both tower over her. I join the conversation, stepping up next to Stephanie and sliding an arm around her waist. “Hey, Love.” Her surprised eyes meet mine, but I can’t bring myself to apologize for my actions. “I’m Sebastian,” I say putting out my hand.

He ignores my outstretched hand. “I am aware.”

His words rub me the wrong way. “And you are?”

“William.”

I barely keep the scoff off my face; his name even sounds rich. “Thank you for stopping by, William,” my girl says. “I hope you’ll remember what I said.”

Every part of me wants to know what she said to him, but I keep my mouth shut. I can tell he doesn’t like whatever she’s referencing, and my body tenses. If he’s looking for a fight, I have no problem giving him one. “I think you’re making a mistake,” he says, making me even more on edge.

“I know what I want, even if nobody else agrees with it,” Stephanie says in determination.

“Everybody just wants what’s best for you, Stephanie.”

His use of her name is too familiar; I don’t like it. “Hey, Pal, this is a private event. So, there’s the door.”

“I know it’s a private event; that’s how I got in.”

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