When I step up to the doors, I find a lone figure on the ice. He’s not dressed in gear—just a hoodie and a hat as he moves around the ice with a stick. For a minute, I’m transfixed as I watch him. How elegantly and smoothly he glides. As if he’s weightless, and friction isn’t an obstacle.
After ensuring that he’s definitely alone, I make my way down the stairs. It takes me several more minutes to circle the perimeter until I find access to the ice at an enormous opening built for a Mack Truck. That’s where I pause, leaning on the half wall to watch him, once more with my flower against my face so I can breathe it in.
Hansley doesn’t see me for quite some time because he doesn’t look up as he glides around. Mostly just skating, but sometimes he moves with purpose as he attacks a stationary puck. He flies around imaginary obstacles, fakes a direction, and takes a shot.
Just as I’m beginning to shiver, Hansley finally looks up. His eyes lock on mine immediately, as if he’s drawn there. I smile tentatively, wondering if maybe he doesn’t want to see me today. Maybe he’d rather be on his own and I’m suddenly being clingy.
He smiles and comes toward me. His hands cup the sides of my face as he kisses me deeply. I practically melt in his hold.
When he lets me go, he leans over the wall and points. “Lift that and pull it back. The wall will open.”
I do as he says and Hansley pulls me onto the ice. He’s already nearly a half a foot taller than me but the additional couple inches from his skates make me feel tiny.
“I’ve never been on ice like this,” I warn him, keeping my knees locked. My entire body stiffens.
Hansley chuckles. He drops his stick and takes my flower from me, a wide smile on his face, and sets it on the edge of thewall. I yelp as he pulls me off my feet, wrapping me around him like a koala. I grip him tightly, terrified he’s going to fall.
At first, we float around. He doesn’t make any effort to skate at all as he hugs me tightly.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Definitely needed you,” he says quietly, making my heart skip.
“You could have said so,” I tell him.
He nods. “I’ve been abnormally busy, or I would have. I swear, everyone needs something right now.”
“What do you need?”
I feel his smile against my neck, his nose cold. “This. So much this.”
Hansley skates around a while with me in his arms. We don’t speak much as he moves effortlessly on the ice. I’m still terrified that we’re going to fall and split our heads open, but there isn’t even a moment when there’s any indication that this is a struggle.
It takes me a while to realize I’m shivering, not from fear of falling, but because I’m cold. I try to burrow into him further, breathing him in. Enjoying being in his arms.
He eventually picks up his stick without dropping me, and my flower, and walks me down the hallway and to his office. Sitting me on top of his desk, he takes my flower and sets it beside me before pulling his hoodie off and over my head. I sputter laughter as I push my arms and head through the holes. “I’m fine,” I insist.
“You’re freezing,” he counters, dropping onto a chair to unlace his skates.
I hug my arms around me, both to warm up and to smother myself in his hoodie. When he’s back in sneakers, he’s between my legs with his hands on my thighs and his forehead against mine.
“Thank you for coming to see me tonight,” he says. “I’ve really fucking missed you.”
My chest gets all gross and tight and hot. I press my cold hands to either side of his neck. “Thank you for my flower. It’s… really nice.”
Hansley is a perceptive man. I’m sure he heard in my voice that those were the best words I could articulate to tell him how much it actually meant to me.
“Come on,” he says, pulling me to his chest and wrapping me up again. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve had enough school for the day.”
He could ask me to join him in Hell, and I’d totally go. Wherever this man is, is where I want to be.
CHAPTER 28
HANSLEY
The next two weeks go by in a blur of activity. My team experienced their first loss of the season, which was rather remarkable since we’re now eight games in. They were devastated, and I realized how much their winning streak truly made them feel invincible.
It’s been interesting trying to get them out of their heads and convince them that one loss doesn’t mean they’ve lost their mojo. It’s one loss. Losses happen. They’ve all lost games before.
