Page 18

Chapter 18

ZACK

The morning after my date with Amber, I arrive at practice feeling like I’m walking on air. I float through my morning workout, barely paying attention to what I’m doing. I spend twice as long on the treadmill as usual, replaying our kiss over and over.

She looked so perfect standing there in the moonlight. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, but her hand was warm in mine. It felt like it belonged there.

Amber was so beautiful in that green dress, the way it set off her hair and her eyes. It was all I could do not to grab her and pull her into a kiss the moment I saw her. But I waited, wanting to make sure she and I were on the same page.

And when she looked at me like that in the park, her eyes bright, the way she leaned into my hand… I knew it was right. I couldn’t resist her any longer. So I didn’t.

She tasted just like I remember—wild, with a hint of strawberry. I was planning to be gentle, but then she crushed me into her and my plans went out the window.

I let myself get lost in her, burying one hand in her hair, the other finding her waist. My body remembers hers, even though the way we fit has changed—for the better .

I wanted nothing more than to take her home with me… but we’re taking it slow. We have to be careful. Arriving at practice together would be a little suspicious, and we don’t want anyone getting ideas.

I can handle that for a few more weeks, I think.

Although after ten years of not having Amber by my side, I’m not sure I want to wait any longer.

I’m still thinking about her when I head to the locker room with the rest of my team to gear up for practice. I must be wearing a goofy smile, because Jason nudges me.

“Dude, what’s gotten into you?” Jason asks as he pulls on his shoulder pads. “You look… happy.”

“Do I?” I try to relax my face, but that doesn’t really work, so I try to deflect. “What’s so weird about that?”

Jason laughs at me. “Are you kidding? You’re “Mr. Dark and Stormy” most of the time. All of the time, if I’m being honest. You’re the last person I’d expect to go around smiling to himself.”

I shake my head at him, sitting down on a bench to strap on my shin pads. “A guy just can’t have a nice weekend anymore.”

“Wait, Zack’s in a good mood?” Brody comes over to stare intently at my face, and I glare at him. “Should we check for a fever?” I swat his hand away when he tries to put it on my forehead. “Seems fine to me.” I keep swatting at him until he walks away, chortling.

“He must’ve been with Joyce last night,” Blake calls as he walks by. I roll my eyes and resist the urge to stick out my leg and trip him. “Tell me, how was it?”

I open my mouth to tell him to shut up, but then I realize, it’s as good an excuse as any.

Joyce has been keeping the guys off my back for years. What’s the harm in letting the little white lie play on a little longer? Seems pretty harmless.

Plus it still works.

The guys were constantly wanting me to go hang out at sports bars, trying to hook me up with girls. I got tired of the scene. Even minor league teams in small towns have some Puck Bunnies.

I wasn't interested. I haven't felt like dating since…well, really since Amber. She was my first, and, evidently, my only love?

I never intended to mislead the guys. It was just a simple "mis-direct". They think I'm dating a woman named Joyce, but actually I am "dating" a bunch of elementary age kids at place called, The JOYCe.

When I first started volunteering there, soon after I moved to Red Oak, I didn't realize the guys didn't know that The JOYCe is a local youth center here in Red Oak…The Jefferson Opportunity Youth Center…or, as the locals call it, The JOYCe for short. I help out there some evenings after practices, and weekends whenever I can.

I just happened to say one time way back when, that I couldn't go out with them because I was busy with JOYCe. They just assumed it was a girl I was newly dating named Joyce, and just like that, I had a perfect alibi for turning down invites out with the team. They tease me about Joyce, my non-existent girlfriend, and I get left alone. Win-Win.

“You got me.” I sigh and pull on my socks. “Joyce and I had a hot date at Melt.” Not sure why I push the Joyce thing a bit further than my normal shrug and silence.

Jason lets out a low whistle. “Hot date, huh! So did you two… fondue it?” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively.

“Shut up.” I shove Jason, laughing. Trust him to be able to come up with a dad joke about a fondue date.

“Well yeah, of course they did.” Donatello looks around, confused about why we’re all laughing. “Isn’t that Melt’s whole deal? They’re a fondue place, right?”

“Yeah, but Jason was saying… never mind.” Brody laughs and ruffles Donnie’s hair. “I’ll explain it when you’re older.”

Donatello protests, and I chuckle to myself. He’s a good kid. I hope he’s able to build up his confidence a little more on the ice.

Jason corners me again when I’m pulling on my jersey. “Seriously, dude, I’m happy for you.” He grabs his helmet and walks with me out to the rink. “When do I get to meet this Joyce?”

“Oh, um…” I go for my usual dodge, but Jason’s not letting it go this time.

“C’mon. She’s been around almost as long as you’ve been on the Blades. I want to meet the girl who makes my friend so happy !”

I can’t get to the rink fast enough.

Jason and I skate onto the ice, and my eyes immediately find Amber in her usual spot in the stands. She gives me a little wave, and my stomach does a somersault.

But I can’t wave back, not in front of the guys. I give her a nod and turn back to Jason. “I don’t know about you all meeting Joyce, man. I’ll have to see what she wants. She's pretty shy. And you guys are a bit much to take in!" I joke through my lie.

Jason gives me a look that I can’t quite make out from behind his mask, but we are fortunately interrupted by Coach Green before the conversation can continue any further.

Coach Green works us so hard at practice I don’t have time to think about Amber. He’s decided that, since we had a nice break over the weekend, today is for conditioning. So he starts us off with Herbies, one of my least favorite drills.

We start at the goal line. When the whistle blows, we have to skate to the nearest blue line, and then return to the goal. Then turn and sprint out to the center line, and back again. Then the far blue line, and back. Finally we skate to the opposite goal line, and all the way back. It’s brutal.

Keeping my feet moving gets harder and harder with every lap, but I push through and finish the drill around the middle of the pack. I’m a good skater, but far from the fastest on the team. And with the way I can’t catch my breath, I’m starting to think I should have gone a little easier in my warm-up this morning. Those extra miles on the treadmill are catching up with me.

After the rough start, Coach keeps the torture going with shuttle drills, where we practice our long passing skills, and finishes up with laps. By the end, I’m soaked in sweat and barely standing.

When I get my wits about me enough to look for Amber in the stands, she’s already gone.

Back in the locker room, I take the quickest shower I can manage and go find Amber, hoping to catch her before she has her first session. I knock on the open door to her office and her head pops up, surprised.

“Zack! I wasn’t expecting anyone for another half hour.” She gets up and crosses to the door, stopping a few feet away from me. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to say hi.” The space between us is too much, so I step forward…wrapping my arms around Amber’s waist. “I can’t stop thinking about last night,” I murmur into her hair.

Amber sinks into my embrace. “I know, me too.” Her breath warms my chest, and we stand there for a moment, wrapped around each other.

The moment is too short before she pulls back, her hands braced against my shoulders. She looks up, her wide green eyes meeting mine. “We should do it again sometime,” Amber says, trailing her fingers down my arms and sending shivers of pleasure through me. I pull her closer with a low groan, my eyes slipping shut as I bring my face down to hers— our lips touch.

Suddenly, she’s pulling away, her hands hard on my chest. My eyes snap open as I try to figure out what’s wrong, and then I hear the footsteps coming down the hall.

We spring apart. Amber straightens her blouse just as Donatello barrels into the office without knocking.

“Zack! There you are.” He glances back and forth between me and Amber, having no idea what he just interrupted. “Sorry, Dr. Morrison, there’s a team meeting and Coach Green was looking for Zack.”

“No worries!” Amber’s voice is a little higher than usual as she waves Donatello off. “We’re just about done here, you can have Zack back in a few.”

“Great!” Donatello nods and heads back down the hall.

I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. “That was close.”

“Too close,” Amber agrees. “We need to be more careful.”

“I know.” Even though I know she’s right, I still don’t want to do it. Being with her and not being able to touch her is going to be much harder than I thought it would be when we agreed to take a chance on this thing between us, whatever it is.

“I’ll see you later.” I say it like a promise.