I cleared my voice and prepared myself not to choke on his name, “But this is Grey’s team?” I asked, slightly shaking and hoping to break away from talking of our past.
He paused, “Yes. but don’t worry about that. It’ll be fine. I honestly want your little rugrat to play for my organization. He’ll probably be an awesome skater…” he eyed the names on the clipboard he snatched from the table and spoke to me as he studied them, “Assuming you taught him? What’s his name?”
That surprised me. I always did like Max though; we had a few heart-to-hearts back in the day.
“His name’s Canyon,” I smiled. It was easy to talk about my wonderful little boy. “I did teach him. He was a natural though.”
“Bowlegged like his Mommy?” Max laughed and I just nodded. It was a bit advantageous to be built that way when learning to skate, because you were already starting out with some natural edges. “Alright… kid’s gotta cool name… last name?” he asked, and I could tell he was trying to catch a glimpse of my left hand. I was thankful I’d stuck it back in my pocket. For some reason, I didn’t want him to know of my divorce.
“Tate,” I said.
He gave a soft smile, “Well, it’s nothing like Hurley, and I’m not gonna lie, I might accidentally call him Lil Hurls, but-”
“Wait,” I said, “no favors though, okay? If he makes the team- great, he does want to be with his friends that are already on this team, but if he doesn’t, it’s probably for the best… I don’t know if…”
“Damnit Ju’j,” he said it jokingly, exactly how he used to say it, putting me at ease. “You worry too much. I won’t let anyone know his name.”
He studied me then, narrowing his eyes to meet mine, making me feel uncomfortable.
“Tate…” he said again, tsking. “Always thought you’d be a Scott girl,” he drawled slowly with a sad smile.
I felt my chest tighten and my throat hurt with clogged emotion, but I tried to play off the comment with a polite smile.
With that, he gave me a wink and turned to march back to the ice.
Chapter Four: Grey- Present
“Did you find out the kid’s last name?” I asked Max.
He pretended not to hear me while he demonstrated some goalie trick for the kid in front of him.
“Max. Did you. Find. Out?” I was grinding my teeth so hard my jaw was throbbing.
He blew the whistle and turned to me, waiting for the kids to file in front of him.
“Which kid?” He asked, clearly playing dumb.
“Don’t play fucking mind games with me Max, you know who I’m talking about.”
“No, I do not. Get your head in this- in what’s front of you, dude,” he urged me. “And no f-bombs around the kids.”
I rolled my eyes, “They’ll hear it in the locker room eventually. There isn’t a Hurley on the list.”
“She didn’t have a baby all by herself, man. Would you have a kid with a great woman and not claim it?” Max said it without making eye contact, like he knew he was testing me.
He could’ve just sliced a knife right into my heart instead of saying that and he knew it.
Fuck. This. He convinced me to coach- no, begged me to move back here and help him out. I could’ve gone anywhere, but I chose to shove my past of this place aside and be a good friend. And now this shit? I had no idea which was her kid, and I couldn’t go around looking into their helmets for resemblance...the tyke could easily look like the dad anyway...which would be a shame… No. Fuck. The frustration I was feeling was off the fucking charts. I could not handle seeing her on a weekly basis. The thought of that made me want to yak. I shut that particular door years ago, and it needed to stay shut…
Chapter Five: Jules - 9 years ago
I was anxiously waiting in the dark parking lot staring at the rink doors, willing them to open with my eyes. I hugged myself in my long down coat, trying not to freeze in the late February night. I felt kind of awkward standing around the rest of the families and girlfriends of the players, not knowing who to socialize with. Grey’s team just finished up their game and it was tradition to wait for them afterwards. They would come out freshly showered with their suits back on and chat for a couple of minutes before having to get on the team bus that drove them back to the university.
I actually found him hotter after the game than before it. Just thinking of him walking out made me feel giddy like some kind of groupie seeing their rockstar crush. He always came out all tousled and his suit- sans tie- was always crumpled and never on straight. That boy lost so many ties at different rinks around the country that I told him he should start signing them so people could return them to him.
I usually didn’t make the trek to away games, but I think Grey really wanted me to be here this time. As a senior, he was getting to the end of his college game days and I knew this made him nervous. I was happy to play the supporting girlfriend though. Being from Vancouver, over a 24-hour drive away, his parents rarely made it to games. It’d been like that since we started dating. He’d lived with a billet families since he was 15.
Guys started walking out the heavy rink doors, and I stood on my tiptoes in my sorel boots to try to catch a glimpse of him. I was so incredibly attracted to him that I still couldn’t believe how lucky I’d gotten… to have someone I loved as much as him and he loved me back too? And to get it right the very first time? I would never get tired of being with Grey, I just hoped he felt just as strongly about me. And I was hoping we’d be done with long distance sometime soon. It was easier back in high school and we didn’t take advantage of it. I had to laugh at that. We could’ve been intimate with each other for years before we were but Grey never pushed me, he let me be my innocent high school self. I loved the guy for it.
