“Mason I’m so sorry. She’s literally the pushiest person on the planet.” I place my hand on his bare chest while taking his face in my other hand. “You don’t have to go just because she asked.”
He turns his face so he can kiss the palm of my hand. “I know, but I probably should.”
“I just hate feeling like you’re being forced into this.”
“I am, but honestly I need a kick in the ass or else I’m never going to do it.” He shifts us slightly so he can wrap his arms around me again as he buries his head into my neck.
His voice is muffled by my curls when he says, “Plus I will finally get to make out with you in your childhood bedroom. Been wanting to do that for years. Maybe for foreplay I’ll climb in through the window.” He looks up at me and finds I’m shaking my head and smiling. “I’ll have you by my side the entire time, Vi. I can face anything as long as I have you.”
There’s nothing more I can say so I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him tight against me hoping he can feel how my heart beats for him. I’ll always be on his side whenever he needs me the most.
thirty-three
. . .
Mason
“Alright boys,that’s it for today. Let’s bring it in.” I wait for everyone to skate off the ice and head to the locker room. The past few practices I’ve taken the lead on coaching and while at first, it felt like I was pushed into the deep end of a bottomless pool, over time I’ve felt more comfortable. While this job had initially fallen into my lap, the more I coached the more it felt like this had been my calling all along. I thought nothing would ever match the rush of playing, until I got to guide my freshmen into scoring their first goals and helped our senior players set new personal records. Those moments filled my heart with the same amount of joy I felt when it was me scoring goals.
Whether Coach Jameson had noticed my impact on the team thus far was another story. He stops me before I head down thetunnel into the locker rooms. “Any thoughts about the lines for the game against Bolton?”
We are just over a month out from our big rivalry game, and the pressure to win is palpable. Bolton was slowly climbing up the ranks in the Hockey East division, and a win against us would put them right behind UCONN.
“I think we stay with what we’ve been doing the last few games.”
“The lines you picked.” There’s no judgement in his statement. Very matter of fact.
“The boys are getting increasingly comfortable playing in these new pairs, and it’s only benefitted us so far. Also, none of our opposing teams have figured us out yet which is always a good advantage to have.” I shrug as if to say, ‘But if we don’t do that it’s totally fine and don’t blame me if it doesn’t work because you agreed.’ Coach turns me into such a chickenshit sometimes.
All I get is a nod. “Any news on whether Jake will be in the mix? I can’t let him on the ice if his grades have gotten worse.”
“I have a meeting with him and his teaching assistant this afternoon to check in about how things are going with his tutor. I should have an update soon.”
“Well, if he’s been trying half as hard in class as he has been learning these new passing drills, he should be in fine shape.” With the ice cleared we both head to our offices. “Keep me posted on how the meeting goes. Better we start planning now if we need to replace Jake, instead of a week before the Bolton game.”
“Trust me Coach no one wants to beat Bolton as much as I do.”
“I guess that’s the perk of having a Coach who was once a player. No need to fake interest in the rivalry.”
“Is Bolton’s coaching staff still the same?”
“Sure is.”
“Good. It’ll be nice to remind them who’s in charge on this side of the city.”
He turns away from me as he enters his office. As I head further down the hall, I see a short figure with curly hair leaning against the door frame of my office, deeply immersed in her phone. “You’re here early.”
Violet glances up, jumping at the sound of my voice. “On time or naked, that’s what I always say.”
“I’ll be sure to show up late to our next date then.” I unlock my door and hold it open for her as she walks in. “Practice wrapped up about twenty minutes ago so Jake should be here soon.”
“Sounds good. I told Jake’s tutor, Eliana, to be here at 4 p.m.” Violet settles in one of the chairs across from my desk and I fight the urge to drag her chair around to my side so she’s right next to me.
I lick my lips as I watch her shrug off her winter coat and drape it over the back of the chair. She’s wearing a tight-knit cream sweater that covers more skin than it shows, yet I can’t help but imagine what a late Violet would look like naked in my office. The way she would tug on my hair while I trailed kisses along her neck?—
“Mason?” My name brings me back to reality and the smirk on her face lets me know she caught me daydreaming.
“Sorry, what?”
