I cough.
“Now who’s mind is in the gutter, Carmichael. I’m adaptable.” Her gaze falls to her knee. “Forced or not.” Shoulders roll back, standing tall, the skates giving her extra inches. “Do you want more?”
“Up to you.”
“Hmm…one more. I like my hair, too.”
We keep going until Sutton earns M-O-O-S-E first, but only by one letter. Together we skate back to our bags. She sits down, unlacing her skates and putting the guard back on. I take a drink of my water, spraying it into my mouth. My upper body warms and when I dip my eyes, I catch her staring at my throat, pupils flaring at each swallow and bob of my Adam’s apple.
“One more question.” She shakes her head, in the way that pulls you from a daze. “Why skating tonight?”
Sutton answers with a question. “Did you have fun?”
“A lot.”
“There you go.” Her expression is soft but mixed with the sharpness that comes when she knows she’s right about something.
I think I get it.
Not once did I think about hockey, the game and gravity of it. Only for that short blimp did I fall to the stress, otherwise I was light. Relinquished.
Out there on the ice was the old—fuck, that word hurts because it’s not old. The guy who loves hockey is in me still, I know it. I felt it tonight.
“Thank you, Sutton,” I say to her outside the arena.
She smiles tightly. “Good night, Cooper.”
FOURTEEN
COOPER
Dave
Hi
Hi
Dave
Where are you?
My bed. Where are you?
Dave
Not there…
*attached a video*
I click play.Her face fills my screen before the phone tumbles to the ground.
Are you drinking?
Dave
Definitely not
Maybe a little
