Page 46 of Stay
I suck in a deep breath before pushing it out again and force my muscles to relax.
A few minutes later, he returns with some equipment before tossing me a pair of gloves with a shake of his head. “Un-freaking-believable.”
Unable to help myself, I raise a brow. “Un-freaking-believable that a girl can play hockey?”
In the years I spent skating, I came across my fair share ofpompous asshats who thought a girl had no business being out on the ice. Especially with them. Not necessarily my teammates, but definitely ones we played against. Instead of getting frustrated or quitting, it forced me to elevate my game and prove I was a worthy opponent. I learned to skate faster, play smarter, and be tougher.
His brows draw together. “No, just that you played hockey and didn’t tell me.”
“Oh.” I feel ridiculous for overreacting. Heat fills my face as I glance down at the white leather gloves and flex my fingers. They’re a bit big but they’ll do.
Cole tosses me a stick. It’s been a while since I’ve held one in my hands. Without waiting, I take off again. I fly forward before seamlessly switching to skate backwards. He grabs three black rubber pucks from his pocket and drops them onto the ice.
When he passes one to me, I dribble it with my stick blade, moving the puck faster across the ice.
Cole watches me for a while before murmuring, “You’ve got really soft hands.”
I glance up and meet his inquisitive gaze before giving him a slight smile. “That’s what my dad always said.”
“How long did you play for?”
Even though it’s a casually asked question, I suspect it’s more than just curiosity that has him delving carefully into my background.
I’ll tell him, but that doesn’t mean I plan on giving him the uncensored version. As much as I’m starting to trust Cole, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to lower my guard and bare my soul.
“I began skating when I was three, and played on the boys’ house team until I was eleven before making a girls’ Triple AAA team until college.”
Questions flicker across his expression as he digests what I’ve said. His gaze drops to my stick as he watches me handle the puck.
“Pass it to me.” With a tap, it slides right to the end of his stick as he moves across the ice. “What made you decide not to play in college?”
He snaps the puck back to me. Instead of responding, I race upthe ice before hitting it top shelf. In the middle, near the top of the metal bar is where it ends up. I can’t deny the satisfaction that slides through me as the puck lands exactly where I placed it.
As I circle the net, Cole skates over.
“You didn’t answer the question.” He shakes his head, a small smile curving his lips. “You’re really good.” A chuckle falls from his lips. “You know that, right?”
I smile tightly, no longer wanting to discuss hockey.
“Cassidy, why aren’t you playing college hockey?” His words are softly spoken as if he understands that he’s treading on shaky ground. “You must have been scouted.”
Without answering, I take off backwards, once again creating distance between us. It’s not just physical. It’s emotional as well. The further away I get, the more in control of my emotions I feel.
“Do you mind if we just skate?”
With every question he voiced, I could feel my chest tightening up. I don’t want the amazing time we’ve had to be ruined by another anxiety attack. I want to forget about everything except the feel of the ice as I glide over it.
His gaze follows me until I reach center ice. Just as I wonder if my silence has pissed him off, he fishes the puck out of the net and passes it before blowing past me.
“Don’t think I’m going to take it easy on you because you’re a girl.”
I inhale a deep breath before releasing it as my muscles loosen. True to his word, he doesn’t push me.
A sly smile lifts my lips. “Be prepared to get your ass handed to you by this girl.”
That’s all it takes for the thick tension to dissolve.
“Big talk,” he says with a grin. “Now I’m really scared.”
