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Chapter 63: Cassidy
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##Chapter 64: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveMy feet stutter to a stop as my breath catches at the back of my throat. My heart thumps a painful beat as I watch my dad stare down at his phone. He must be texting, or emailing, or something. Even though I've arrived at the restaurant early, he beat me here and is already seated at a table.I've been a nervous wreck all day in anticipation of this dinner. This is the first time since failing out of school last year that my dad and I are going to sit down to talk. And I failed out last December. It's now November.That's eleven months of radio silence.Apparently, when I failed out, I not only destroyed my own aspirations and dreams, but my father's as well. He always wanted me to play Division I hockey at a prestigious East Coast college. I had been poised to make both of our dreams come true until the pressure, stress, and rigorousness of my course load, coupled with the intense level of play, had been too much for me to handle.An
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##Chapter 65: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveHis guarded expression crumbles as he sucks in a quick breath before saying in a rush, "I know you are. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for how I handled the situation." With a shrug, he glances away. "Maybe I pushed you too hard. Or pushed you into playing a sport you didn't want to. I just don't know anymore..." A hint of a smile lifts his lips. "I used to think I had all the answers, now I realize that I don't have any of them. Raising children is a humbling experience."A thick sheen of tears fills my eyes as I shake my head. "No, Dad. I wanted to play hockey. I loved playing." I loved being out on the ice. I felt at home in a freezing cold rink. I still do. So many of my childhood memories are centered around the ice. Hard-fought wins. Crushing defeats. Time spent with my dad. I wouldn't trade any of those memories. They mean too much to me.My experience growing up wasn't a perfect one, but it's mine. And it's wh
STay Chapter 66: Cassidy
##Chapter 66: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveI trudge through the dorm hallway and am about to slide my key in the lock when I hear shouting from the other side of the door. I lean a bit closer, trying to hear what's going on, because honestly, I'm not in the mood to stumble into some huge ass drama.Just as I consider backing away, the door is ripped open, and I come face-to-face with Austin. With a scowl, he grunts something that might be a hey or hi before stalking past me. I watch him retreat down the hall before my wide gaze swings to Brooklyn, who wears a similar expression.Kind of like his and hers matching sweaters.Except scowls.Tentatively, I step inside the room. "Do I even want to know what that was all about?" My guess is that I don't. I didn't even know they were on speaking terms. Brooklyn has been icing Austin out for weeks now. I had assumed everything was still status quo in that department.She shrugs before flopping onto her bed with a groan.Without any pr
STay Chapter 67: Cassidy
##Chapter 67: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveNinety minutes.That's how much time I have to hit the books before I'm supposed to meet Cole for a quick dinner. He has a hockey scrimmage tonight, and Brooklyn and I are planning on being there to support the team.I still haven't worked up the courage to tell him that his mother is my psychologist. I keep putting it off. How familiar does that sound?Unfortunately, all too familiar.And here I thought telling him about all the meaningless hookups and failing out of school would be the hard part. I'd really thought we were past all the secrets, lies, and omissions.Turns out, we're not.With one last glance at my phone, I turn off the ringer before shoving it back into my messenger bag. Then I head up to the second floor. There's a quiet area buried behind the stacks. I always gravitate there because no one else ever uses the space.Imagine my surprise when I find someone camped out at the table I usually park myself at. Annoyance f
STay Chapter 68: Cassidy
##Chapter 68: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveI suck in a breath before deciding that I can't keep all this to myself. It feels like I'm going to explode. Once I turn on the spigot, the floodgates open and everything comes pouring out in a torrent.After I've told him the story, my shoulders slump as his dark blond brows shoot up across his forehead and he releases a low whistle.I can't help but wince.Apparently, this situation is just as bad as I suspected it was.Perfect."And you haven't told Cole yet?"I shake my head."Yikes."When a smile trembles around the corners of his lips, I crumple up a piece of notebook paper and throw it at him. For a moment, he looks stunned, as the wadded-up ball of paper hits him square in the chest, before he bursts out laughing. A few of the students working close by glare in our direction.As my attention returns to him, he stifles his laughter before angling his body forward and resting his elbows on the table. "Sorry. That is a completely s
STay Chapter 69: Cassidy
##Chapter 69: CassidyBook Two: Don't Leave"Are you going to tell me what's wrong? You've been all mopey since you came back from the library," Brooklyn asks as we sit in the bleachers, waiting for the game to get under way.Unable to stand the way she continues to eyeball me, I mutter, "No." I keep my gaze trained on the Zamboni as it slowly sweeps water over the ice to smooth out all the rough patches while my mind tumbles back to the ride home with Cole.None of this would be happening if I'd found my own table to work at. I wouldn't be sitting here in the stands with a pit the size of Texas at the bottom of my belly, feeling as if Cole and I are on the precipice of something terrible.Brooklyn refuses to take the hint. "No, there's nothing wrong? Or no, you're going to keep it all to yourself and not tell me what's going on?""I'll go with what's behind door number two, please."Before she can respond, the Zamboni disappears into a garage-type door at the far end of the rink,
STay Chapter 70: Cassidy
##Chapter 70: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveHe's playing with a lot more aggression than normal. Over the past few months, I've learned that Cole is a smart player who understands the fundamentals of the game. He hits when it's necessary and advantageous for the team. And his hits are always clean and legal. He's not one to draw a penalty for being a cheap shot.Just as I think that, Cole slams into one of the other team's forwards. The sheer force of his hit sends them both crashing into the boards. The crowd winces at the reverberation that ripples throughout the chilly arena. I freeze and watch as the other player drops to the ice.It's not a surprise when Cole receives a penalty for roughing.To make matters worse, he argues with the ref as he skates over to the penalty box before throwing himself inside. After he slumps onto the bench, one of his coaches rips him a new one.Stunned, I watch with wide eyes as the older man's arms cut through the air.Brooklyn leans toward m
STay Chapter 71: Cassidy
##Chapter 71: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveI suck in a deep breath as my thumb hovers over the screen of my phone.I'm scared.Scared to see him.Scared to hear what he has to say.But I know he's right. We need to talk about what's going on between us.OkTwo letters.That's all I'm capable of typing before I hit send. Even though our dorm room is tiny, I pace as I wait. It only takes a few minutes before there's a soft knock on the door. I grab the handle and open it to find Cole standing on the other side of the threshold."Hi." Barely can I force out the greeting. Already, everything feels different between us.He jerks his head as his whiskey-colored eyes collide with mine.As they do, I realize with a sinking heart that whatever is happening between us is much worse than I originally suspected. Cole's hands are shoved into the front pockets of his jeans. He's wearing a Western Timber Wolves sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head. His mouth is a tight slash acr
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##Chapter 92: ColeBook Two: Don't LeaveFour years later..."Hurry it up, babe," I call from the living room of our high-rise apartment in downtown Chicago. "Or we'll be late."I just got home from a team practice with the Blackhawks, and now we're heading out to meet up with friends for dinner. Austin and Brooklyn are in town for the weekend. And so is Luke and his new girlfriend. It might have taken time for the two of us to iron out our friendship, but it happened.Eventually."I'm coming."A low whistle escapes from me as she walks out of the bedroom wearing a little black dress that clings to her every curve. Even after spending a couple of hours on the ice, my dick stiffens right up.Damn, but my fiancée is hot."Is it possible to cancel our plans for the evening?" There's a beat of silence. "Because I'd much rather stay here and strip you out of that gorgeous dress. It would look perfect draped over the chair in the corner of our room."Color stains her cheeks as she do
STay Chapter 91: Cassidy
##Chapter 91: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveTwo hours later, we finally leave his room to scrounge up some food.After making love three times, I'm famished. I'm so hungry that my belly is rumbling and growling in protest.Once in the kitchen, Cole fills two bowls with cereal before saturating the flakes in milk."Eat up," he says with a wink before shoveling a spoonful into his mouth. After he swallows it down, he adds, "You're going to need all your energy."A giggle slips free as I spoon Frosted Flakes into my mouth. As we finish our bowls, his phone chimes with an incoming message. He picks up the slim device and glances at the screen.His gaze flicks to mine. "It's my mom. She's going to drop off some laundry I left at the house over the weekend."My heart stutters as my eyes widen.Dr. Thompson, who also happens to be Cole's mother.My teeth sink into my lower lip as an internal debate gets waged in my brain.Do I tell him that his mother was my psychologist?Or do I bury i
STay Chapter 90: Cassidy
##Chapter 90: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveOnce we're inside his room, he twists the lock and pounces, catching me around the middle and pressing me to him. When his hands settle on my ass, he hoists me up so that my legs can wrap around his waist. A growl rumbles up from his chest as I grind myself against him.His lips crash onto mine, and there is nothing gentle about how this kiss unfolds. "Too much clothing," I gasp."Agreed."His hands leave my bottom as I drop to the floor. My palms stroke over the solid planes of his chest before my fingers grip the hem of his T-shirt and I whip it over his head, tossing it over my shoulder. In the blink of an eye, my shirt also disappears. He removes my bra as I work the button and fly of his jeans. Even though his erection is still covered by his boxers, it springs forward. My thighs clench as I stroke my fingers over the hot length.I've missed this so much.Impatiently, he pushes the thick denim material down his hips and thighs b
STay Chapter 89: Cassidy
##Chapter 89: CassidyBook Two: Don't Leave"Pass it to me!"I wind up and hit the puck to Cole who flies across the ice. The rubber disk lands right on the end of his stick as he races with it to the goal and flicks it into the net. We've been here for about thirty minutes, and it feels just like it used to. I love spending time with Cole on the ice, and over the last month, I've missed it.Missed him.As difficult as it was talking with Luke yesterday, I'm so glad I cleared the air. Even if nothing changes with Cole, I know that remaining friends with Luke is what's best for both of us.After I thought about it, I decided that maybe Cole was right, and I was allowing what happened last year skew my feelings for Luke. I didn't want to believe that was a possibility, but when I tried to separate my emotions for him, I wasn't able to do it.They were too deeply intertwined."Water break?"I nod as we skate to our water bottles on the bench. After removing our gloves, we toss them
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##Chapter 88: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveA smile lights up Luke's face as he pulls me into the warm circle of his arms. "I have about thirty minutes before I need to be at practice. What's up?"For a heartbeat I allow him to hold me before untangling myself from his embrace. "Do you mind if we grab a coffee and talk?""Sure."After we order our drinks, Luke hands the barista a few bills before I can grab the money from my purse."I've got it," I say, quickly digging through my wallet. "I'm the one who invited you for coffee. I should pay.""You can get the next one." When he winks at me, the barista sighs. "Don't worry, I'll hold you to it."A few minutes later, he grabs our coffees from the counter, and we head to a table nestled in the corner. Once settled, we both take a few sips from our mugs. The weather has only grown colder, and it feels good to warm up."How are classes going?" he asks. "All caught up?"Luke understands how stressful my breakup was with Cole becaus
STay Chapter 87: Cassidy
##Chapter 87: CassidyBook Two: Don't LeaveI've spent most of today camped out at the library, with the exception of two classes. Now that Christmas break is right around the corner, it seems like almost every course has a paper due. My books are spread out all over the table as I tap away on my laptop.Every time I begin to feel overwhelmed, I close my eyes and inhale a deep breath. Once it no longer feels like my heart is being squeezed in a vise grip, I look over the list I've compiled to prioritize all my assignments.It's taken a lot of hard work to get my grades up to where they were before Thanksgiving break. I refuse to blow it now that we're in the homestretch. After my breakup with Cole, I'd let some of my classwork slide. Thankfully, Brooklyn was there to slap some sense into me, and I've been able to bounce back.Getting through that experience was tough, but it made me realize that life will always have its ups and downs. What's important is that you push through t
STay Chapter 86: Cole
##Chapter 86: ColeBook Two: Don't Leave"So, what's the deal between you two?" Austin asks. "You two aren't together, are you?"The suspicion in his voice is clear.My gaze flickers to his. "No, we're just friends." Sort of. I guess. Maybe. It's all a bit tentative right now. And weird. But it's much better than hating her guts.His brows furrow as we walk to class.I'm aware of how Austin feels about Jackie.And none of it is good.He might not know her personally, but he was there when shit hit the fan last fall. He's the one who encouraged me to get back out there again. Up until that point, I'd never been with anyone else but her. For a couple of months, I made up for lost time in that department before deciding that random hookups weren't for me.He gives me a bit of side-eye. "You sure about that?""Yup." I have zero desire to travel down that road again.When I say nothing more on the topic, his muscles gradually loosen. "Glad to hear it."To fight off the wicked
STay Chapter 85: Cassidy
##Chapter 85: CassidyBook Two: Don't Leave"I know exactly how long it's been." Even though I'd thought I was completely over her and what happened, I realize that it's still festering inside me like poison."I screwed up." Her eyes turn pleading. "And I hurt my best friend in the process."What sucks most is that Jackie had been my closest friend.I'd been ten years old when my dad died, and she's the one who sat up in the tree house with me for hours while I sobbed like a little girl. I still remember what it felt like to have her scrawny arms wrapped tightly around me, holding onto me for dear life as if I might float away if she didn't anchor me to the earth.I can picture her sitting on one of our lawn chairs while I slapped thousands of hockey pucks at the net in our driveway, attempting to channel all of my anger and rage toward something other than the drunk asshole who stole my father from me.In middle school, I made sure no one messed with her. Even though I wasn't a f
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##Chapter 84: ColeBook Two: Don't Leave"Someone's at the door, can you please answer it?" Mom yells from the kitchen where she's baking Christmas cookies.Already.That's not a complaint.It means I'll have more food to take back to school when I leave tomorrow afternoon. I pause, unable to rip my attention away from the big screen TV as the final seconds of the first quarter play out. The bell rings for a second time as the ball is being passed and-"Cole?" she shouts again.Except this time there's exasperation lacing her voice.And that's never good."I'm on it!"But not really.Fumble.Damn.With a shake of my head, I jog to the door and throw it wide open. Almost immediately, I wish I'd ignored it."Hi, Cole." The edges of her lips lift tentatively.When I remain silent, she shifts from one foot to the other before stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket."Hey," I force myself to say. If she thinks enough time has passed for me to forget about what happened betwee
