"Come to practice tomorrow. 6:30. I'll meet you outside."
"I'll be there."
When I walk back inside, Serena is sitting up in my bed, looking like she expects something. I grab her clothes off the floor and hold them out.
She stares at me.
"I have an early morning," I say.
She leaves without making it a thing, which I appreciate.
I'm at the parking lot thirty minutes before practice starts.
Silas appears beside me, gear bag over one shoulder, rain misting down around us. "What the fuck are you doing out here?"
"Waiting."
He follows my eyeline. "For what?"
Theo comes up on my other side, that shift in air pressure that always precedes him. He looks at me, not asking. Just assessing.
"Trust the plan," I say. "I'll bring her in."
Theo's expression doesn't move, but something behind his eyes does. He turns and walks inside. Silas follows.
She's ten minutes early.
I watch her cross the lot through the mist — black raincoat buttoned to her throat, expensive jeans, bright red rubber boots. She looks completely out of place and entirely unaware of it. There's something almost determined about the way she's walking.
"Hi." She's slightly breathless when she reaches me. She extends a cup. "I brought you something."
I take it. "What is this?" Not sure if I’m asking what the drink is or what the hell she’s thinking buying me a fucking drink.
"Creatine." A blush starts in her cheeks. "You have practice, and I figured — I don't know. You can throw it away."
I look at her for a moment. Her fingers are twisted together. She can't hold my gaze for more than a few seconds before she looks away.
I take a long sip.
Fruity. Pretty tasty.
Something moves through me that I don't acknowledge.
"Is this what you did for Cody?" I ask.
The tears gather fast. She shakes her head and looks at her phone. "You're going to be late."
I gesture toward the inner doors. "Go through those doors and take a seat in the rink. I'll see you in there."
She starts walking.
"Hey."
She stops and turns.
I hold up the cup. "This is good." I let it be genuine, just for a second. "Thank you."
A small smile. Then she keeps walking.
