“That’s…okay.” Finn readjusted his bag on his shoulder and opened his mouth to say something else. I braced myself for the impending question, but he cleared his throat instead.
“Okay?” I asked, trying to prompt him.
“Yes. Okay.” Instead of elaborating, Finn brushed past me and started toward the door.
I pressed my fingers to my temple, frustrated I’d let him get under my skin. My hands dropped in a blink of an eye when I heard his heavy footsteps return.
“Naomi,” he said.
I took a breath and turned to him, fixing my face to my usual welcoming expression. “Yes?”
“We stay after ten on Mondays for practice. If you need a ride, we’ll be in the arena parking lot. I…we'll wait for you if you need some extra time to meet us.” The explanation was simple, straight to the point. I marveled at his ability to move forward from our weird moment seconds before. I suppose I’d follow his lead and ignore it too.
I nodded. “You guys won't have to wait, I'll be there on time. Thank you. I appreciate it.”
He gave me a curt nod and started back toward the exit. I watched him disappear. He didn’t look back once.
I replayed our exchange again and again to make some sense of things. Finn claimed not to have an issue, but something about our conversations felt off. He planned to avoid the lab because I was here but seemed to feel guilty, so he came back to offer me a ride. He was so freaking annoying and yet still, my mind kept replaying how my name sounded coming out of his mouth.
“Sorry about that.” Lettie appeared at my side with an apologetic smile. “Did the student leave?”
“Yeah, he said my help was…sufficient.” I shrugged, repeating the word. Who the hell talked like that?
Lettie looked pleased. “I’m sure it was. What do you say about joining our team? I know I didn’t get to shadow you for long, but I can already tell you’re going to be a wonderful addition.”
My annoyance with Finn was replaced with excitement in an instant. I forgot all about my grumpy roommate as I accepted Lettie’s offer. Forget Finn. I was going to be the best tutor in this building and by the end of the semester, he’d be begging me tosufficientlyhelp him.
Chapter Thirteen
Finn
Musclememorywasagift. In a sea of impossible, I stayed afloat because my body knew how to handle itself with a hockey stick in hand. I didn’t even have to think. Weaving through my teammates was like a steady inhale, slow and safe. Handling the puck was like an excited exhale, hopeful.
I never worried when I skated. I left every awkward, over-thinking action in the locker room. Because hockey didn’t require words. It didn’t look at me with beautiful brown eyes. It didn’t feel warm or sound like a dream. Tonight, I needed cold and pain. The ache in my back continued to spread, but I ignored it for a chance to be on neutral ground for once. To not think.
“Here,” I called, trying to get Henrik’s attention. He struggled to keep up with me tonight. Getting him to execute a clean pass felt like pulling teeth. When he gave the puck to Sam instead, my jaw tightened.
“Finn!” Coach Haynes waved me over to where he and a few other guys were sitting on the bench.
I let out a heavy breath, annoyed at having to break my focus. One guy on the bench stood to take my place in the drill we’d been running. I paused in front of the boards where Haynes stood.
“All good?” I asked, hoping this would be some quick note.
Coach Haynes was a large man with a close-cut graying beard. The red knitted beanie he wore sunk back on his head, revealing his balding scalp. He looked cold as he crossed his arms over his chest. The red on his nose was made worse by his constant rubbing it with tissues.
“I was going to ask you that,” Haynes said with a smile. “How’s it feel to be back?”
One of the other guys who was sitting with him joined us. He was younger than Haynes by at least a decade. The black polo he wore was tucked into gray dress pants. We made eye contact, he nodded like he knew who I was.
“I feel good,” I said and then decided I needed to give a little more if I wanted to make a decent impression. “Strong.”
Haynes looked pleased. “Glad to hear it. I was telling Stoll about your recovery story.”
The man in the black polo nodded and said, “It’s impressive. We’re glad to have you back, Howard. You’re an important part of the team.”
I raised a brow because something about that sentence seemed familiar. “Um…thank you. I’m glad to be back.”
“You look good out there,” Stoll continued. “Fearless, despite everything that’s happened.”
