I freeze, the smile fading into a flat line as I take in what he said. He’s talking about the past. About us. Why would he bring that up? He doesn’t have a right to bring up our relationship as if he has fond memories. He’s the one that ruined it.
“Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” he asks innocently, like he doesn’t know he just shoved a dagger into my heart.
“Try to act like you care about our past. You don’t, and that’s fine. But don’t bring it up like you give a shit.”
His brows furrow and he looks at me inquisitively.
“Ellie, I didn’t m—”
“Do you have any ideas for the event? Like, what we actually want to do?”
Jamie clears his throat and nods. “Yeah, a hockey game.”
“A hockey game. That’s your big idea? A regular hockey game?”
“Not just aregulargame. One that offers more.” He stands from his seat and begins to pace back and forth. My stomach twists as I watch him do something I’ve seen him do a million times. This is what he’s always done when he’s thinking. He used to tell me it helps him think better.
Shaking my head, I say, “I don’t understand.”
“What if,” he says slowly, “mid-game, right when people think they know what’s going on…we stop.”
My eyes narrow. “Stop what?”
“The game,” he says as if it’s obvious. “The lights go down. The music hits. Everyone’s silent because they have no clue what’s about to happen.”
“Jamie…” I have no idea where he’s going with this, but the smile on his face screams mischievous.
“Hear me out.” He sits back down and looks me dead in the eyes. A small shiver runs down my spine from how intense it feels. I haven’t seen him smile like this since he got here. He’s been broody and sad for the most part. “We’re in full gear. We’re on the ice, and instead of a play…”
He pauses, watching me.
“…the team performs a choreographed dance,” he finishes with a goofy smile. He’s screwing with me, right? There’s no way this man just offered up his whole team to dance in front of an audience.
I stare at him, unblinking.
“You want the hockey team to dance,” I say flatly.
“On skates,” he adds.
“In front of a crowd.”
“Yes.”
I open my mouth to speak, close it, and then say, “Absolutely not.”
Jamie grins. “I knew you’d say that.”
“This isn’t a joke, Jamie,” I tell him sternly.
“No, it’s not,” he replies. “It’s unexpected. People would lose their minds.”
He’s not wrong. Seeing a bunch of jocks perform a dance routine would be pretty entertaining. The girls would go crazy for it, and the guys would probably find it hilarious.
“Fine,” I say reluctantly, crossing my arms over my chest.
His eyes light up. “Yeah?”
