Page 19 of Devil on Skates
IRINA
THE HALLWAY FEELS WAY longer than usual as I stand frozen outside Xavier’s door.
The things I heard... Raised voices, a heavy thud that made me jump, and then the older guy who kind of reminded me of Xavier storming past me without a word.
.. It felt as if I was interrupting something private and really, really bad.
My heart still beats like crazy in my chest.
Xavier’s in the doorway, his face guarded as he watches me. His usual cool confidence is gone, and what’s left seems almost fragile. Suddenly, he’s not just the cocky guy who’s been chasing me. He’s just... human.
We stand there, as if we’re both unsure what to say. Then, without thinking, I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around him. He stiffens, but then slowly winds his arms around me. With everything that’s happened, I don’t want him to let go.
“I have nowhere to go,” I whisper. “My dad wants me to either date Keith again or just leave. He said I have to fix what I broke or pay him back for everything he’s spent on me.”
Xavier hugs me tighter, his hand moving in circles over my back. “My dad wants me to stay away from you. He thinks I need to focus on hockey and treat... whatever this is between us... like a distraction I need to forget.”
It looks like he’s been dealing with the same crap as me, which only makes me think we’re meant to be. “My dad said something to you after the fight, didn’t he?”
“Yeah.” His voice is low next to my ear. “But don’t worry about it.”
He’s trying to protect me from more drama because he knows I’ve got enough on my plate. That actually means a lot.
“Hold me,” I say quietly, not thinking about anything else except for what I need right now. “Just hold me for a bit.”
He leads me inside, shuts the door softly behind us, and suddenly the dorm feels like a safe space.
We lie down on his bed without talking, my body curling against his side, his arm wrapping around me like a shield from everything outside this moment.
It’s not the fiery passion from before, but something calmer and deeper, and it feels just right.
“The two of us... What a combination,” he says, tracing his fingers over my shoulder. “Coach’s daughter and the star player, both stuck dealing with dads who think they know what’s best for their children.”
I laugh. “Well, my dad seems to think kicking me out of the house with nowhere to go is what’s best for me.”
His body tenses. “You can stay here with me for as long as you need.”
“Thank you. I’ve been trying so hard to hate you,” I say softly. “To see you as some player chasing a challenge. It’d be so much easier if that were true.”
His breath is warm against my cheek. “What if it started like that... but became something more? Something unexpected?”
“But it feels like everything’s falling apart.”
His fingers lace with mine. “Maybe that’s not the worst thing. Sometimes stuff has to fall apart so you can start something new.”
“Your dad seemed pretty mad,” I say, careful not to push too hard.
He’s quiet for a bit. “He always gets mad when I don’t follow his plan. He’s put too much into me and thinks I’m some kind of project. He doesn’t want me thinking for myself.”
I nod. “I get it. My dad’s support disappears the moment I step out of line.”
“They should go to Controlling Dads Anonymous.” Xavier chuckles. “Maybe they’d realize their kids have a brain and feelings.”
I laugh, and some of the tension seeps out of my shoulders. He relaxes too.
We just lie there, wrapped around each other. For someone like me who’s spent so long trying to keep it all together, this feels like a small revolution.
“You’re not what I thought,” I say.
“Disappointed?” He brushes his lips against my ear.
“No, the opposite.” I shift to look at him. “I thought you were just a player who wanted what you shouldn’t have, but there’s more to you.”
His fingers brush my cheek gently. “There’s more to both of us than what everyone expects. That’s what scares them. The idea that we might make our own rules.”
Suddenly, I realize that the anger from our dads isn’t just about us messing up. It’s about us refusing to fit into the boxes they made for us.
“So, what now?” I ask. “What do we do with this mess?”
Xavier is quiet for a moment. “Tonight? We sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out everything else. We have to decide what it is that we actually want, not what’s expected of us.”
Sounds so damn simple and not even a little bit overwhelming like it felt when I basically fled my dad’s house.
“I can’t go back to my dad’s,” I say. “Not with his ultimatum hanging over my head.”
“You don’t have to.” His lips brush my cheek.
Who would’ve thought I’d find peace and safety in Xavier’s dorm room? And he’s right. Everything else can wait. For now, at least.