Page 21 of Lost on Ice
Clearing my throat, I shrug, “You know what? I’ll stick around. I can help with pregame drills or something.”
“No way!” Jordan cries in excitement.
“Can you show me how to spin away?” Theo asks at the same time.
“The other guys are going to freak out!” Bodhi declares with a wide smile.
Carter’s eyes light up and he smiles. “That’d be great! Actually, you want to stay another night? We haven’t gotten much time to chill together, and Sophie and Abbie are leaving today, so we can hang out if you don’t have to be anywhere tomorrow.”
I grin and nod. “That sounds awesome, dude. My schedule is pretty open for the next few days. I’d love to have some bro-time.”
Tom looks up at that with a frown. “Carter, remember that I’m taking Jordan home after the game? He’s got school tomorrow.”
Carter frowns and groans. “Oh, shit, that’s right. Sorry, Jake. Tom’s my ride…”
“Hey, no problem,” I quickly cut in. “I can give you a ride home tomorrow.”
“Seriously?” Carter’s excitement returns in an instant, but he tries to temper it. “You sure? You don’t have to go out of your way.”
I shrug. “It’s no big deal. It’d be nice to see Ivy Glen. It’s been a minute, after all.”
“Hell yes.” Carter claps me on the shoulder. “Well, you can definitely stay with me and Soph for as long as you want to hang around.”
“Thanks man. I’d love that.”
Yeah, that’s right. If I go to Ivy Glen for a little while, then I can figure out what the hell is going on with Abbie. Find out who the father of her child is, and how involved in her life he still is.
This is a good idea. It’ll drive me crazy otherwise. I just need to get some answers and put this whole thing behind me, then I can go back to Boston and put Abbie behind me once and for all.
Unless I’m the father of her child.
Fuck… I’ll just cross that bridge if I come to it. One thing at a time.
At that moment, Sophie and Abbie come to join the group.
“We’re going to head out,” Sophie tells Carter.
“All right, angel,” he replies, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her into him. “Drive safe. Let me know when you get home.”
“I will. You guys have fun, all right?”
Carter plants a lingering kiss on his wife’s lips. The way these two love each other is rather stunning to witness. It could make even a cynic like me almost want that too.
I glance at Abbie, who’s watching the two with a sort of dreamy look in her eyes, and I can’t help but imagine what it would be like to be loved by her. Really, deeply, unconditionally loved.
My chest aches again and I wonder if the father of her child knows what that’s like.
Sophie and Carter finally break apart.
“Okay,” Sophie declares. “We’re going to take off. Good luck, you guys!”
“Bye!” the group replies in near unison.
“See you all later,” Abbie adds with a wave, not looking my way at all. Ignoring me just as I worried she would.
As the two women turn to leave the hotel, I stare after her, feeling a strange longing to follow and not let her out of my sight.
It’s okay, though. I’ll see her again soon… in Ivy Glen.
