Page 7

Chapter 7

ZACK

Walking Amber home every day after practice is the hardest workout I’ve had all week—and not due to the walk. It’s an exercise in self-control that I wasn’t expecting.

We barely talk, but I can’t deny that my old feelings are starting to come back. Every day, I have to remind myself not to grab her hand or put my arm around her. Especially when she takes off her blazer to reveal her thermal shirt of the day that fits her in a way that makes looking away nearly impossible.

Being around Amber all the time has my mind stuck in the past, and I start to miss the way life used to be when I had a best friend. There’s no point making close friends on a minor league hockey team when any of you could get traded away, and it’s easier to stay closed off and just be teammates.

But Amber has brought back the memories of all the fun I used to have with her, and her brother, Mike. So after a few days of careful consideration, I gather my courage and send him a text.

Mike and I were best friends through high school, but things got weird after I broke up with Amber. He was so angry and disappointed about how I impulsively broke her heart. I tried to make amends, it wasn't the same with Amber and I so wounded by each other.

He went to college in Texas while I stayed up north. I had a pretty rough time my freshman year, too, and didn’t have much of a social life. We drifted further apart, and life had no reason to bring us back together, until now.

I mention in my message that Amber is working for the Blades, and that coincidence is what inspired me to get back in touch. I’m hoping that by telling Mike we’re working together and staying civil, he’ll let the past stay in the past. It would be nice to have a friend like him back in my life.

Mike responds enthusiastically to my message, setting my mind at ease. Apparently he just moved back to our hometown not far from here to help his parents take care of his ailing grandmother. We spend an hour or so catching up before he invites me to dinner, so we can see each other again.

I hesitate for a second. Is this a good idea? I feel like I have an uneasy truce with Amber at the moment, and reconnecting with her brother behind her back could go badly. But then I decide, why not–she doesn’t control my life. I accept the dinner invitation, looking forward to seeing Mike again, and hoping we can get a little bit of our old friendship back.

Mike’s free the next night, so after walking Amber home as usual I go home and get ready. Mike’s meeting me up here in Red Oak, where the dress code is pretty relaxed, so I throw on a Blades sweatshirt and head over to the pizza place we agreed on.

The sun is just starting to set, casting an orange glow over Red Oak’s Main Street. It’s a half-mile of mom-and-pop shops, selling everything from handmade trinkets to ice cream. I stroll past the storefronts, glancing casually in the windows as I pass.

It’s a weeknight, so things aren’t too busy, but there are a fair number of families going out for dinner. I really love the feel of this small town. The sights and smells and even the friendliness are somehow comforting to come home to after traveling so much during the season.

I stop at Mario’s, the best, and only, Italian place in town, taking a deep, calming breath before I go inside. The air smells like garlic and dough, and the thought of a delicious pizza has my stomach rumbling, so I step in.

And immediately stop dead in my tracks. Mike’s seated just to the right of the door, waving at me to come join him, but there’s already someone else at his table. That hair. That unmistakable flame of red. One glimpse is all it takes—and suddenly I can’t breathe.

It’s Amber. What is she doing here?

I push my worries aside and smile at Mike, who gets up to give me a rough hug. He’s put on a few, his button-down shirt snug across a slight belly paunch. I can’t remember ever seeing him in a blazer, either. He looks so adult compared to the skinny teenager in my memories. I wonder what he thinks of me, and self-consciously rub the stubble covering my jaw.

Amber makes no move to greet me, only nods as I sit down. Her shoulders are tight, and her mouth is set in a straight line. I’m sure my expression is similarly unhappy.

Mike doesn’t seem to notice the tension between us though. “It’s so good to see you, Harrison!” He beams a smile at me.

“Zack.” Amber and I correct him at the same time, then share a glance.

“Right, sorry.” Mike runs a hand through his thin blond hair. “That’s gonna take some getting used to. Zack. How are you, man?”

“Oh, you know.” I can feel myself closing off. I know Amber is Mike’s sister, but I was looking forward to spending time with my friend. Just my friend. I don’t want to talk to Amber about my personal life. I change the subject as quickly as possible. “What’s new with you? It’s been forever.”

“I know! Isn’t it so great for us all to be here together?” Mike reaches across the table and squeezes Amber’s hand. Her face softens, and she gives him a sweet smile. My heart skips a beat seeing the way her defenses fall, and I remember when she used to look at me with that same kind of openness.

“Just like old times.” Amber glances at me with a hint of a smile still on her face, and I find myself wanting to earn that smile. Just like old times, indeed.

The waitress interrupts our moment, and we give her our drink orders. Mike sets down his menu, looking between me and Amber. “So. what’s it like working together for the Blades?” Mike seems to think that ten years has healed a world of hurts, but not quite the case.

I’m not sure how to respond. That seeing Amber every day has got me tied up in knots, and I don’t know which way is up anymore? That I’m confused, too focused on the past to get my head in the game in the present?

Fortunately, Amber is the one who answers. “It’s been a learning experience, that’s for sure.” She doesn’t look my way even once as she tells Mike about how her colleague, Dr. Stone, left her to run the program alone. “But I think it’s going well. I’m seeing improvements in the players. And Zack walks me home every day.”

Mike’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, really? He didn’t mention that.”

Amber looks like she wished she hadn’t mentioned it, either. “It’s no big deal,” she says, immediately trying to brush it off. “Coach Green assigned him to me. It could have been anyone.”

I scoff, unable to hold it back. “Not really.”

Amber’s eyes narrow at me. “What do you mean?”

I thought I’d made my comment quietly enough, but she heard me anyway. I fold my arms defensively across my chest. “Coach Green knows I’m a good guy, that’s all.”

“Right.” Amber’s tone makes it clear she doesn’t believe me, but the waitress is back with our drinks, so she doesn’t push it any further. We place our orders, and Amber gets up. “I’m going to wash my hands,” she says, finally leaving me and Mike alone together.

I let out a big breath. How is it possible that every interaction with Amber feels so heavy and loaded?

Mike leans in. “Hey, listen. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you–”

I’m completely taken aback. Why is Mike bringing this up? “There’s nothing–”

Mike holds up a hand to cut off my protest. “Sure, sure. Maybe you just don’t see it yet. But I remember the way you two acted when you were together. You’ve got that same energy now.”

“She won’t even look at me!” I object.

“And you can’t take your eyes off of her.” Mike pins me with a knowing look. My mouth opens, but I have nothing to say in my defense. “I invited her to dinner tonight because I wanted to know if things were actually good between you two or not. And I was right. Things are weird.”

“C’mon, Mike.” I sigh. “We’re adults now. It’s been ten years. Everything is fine.”

“If you say so.” Mike shakes his head. “From where I’m sitting, it looks like you still have a lot to work out. And I’ve missed you, man, but I can’t let you hurt my sister again.”

I want to throw my hands up and storm away, but I settle for squeezing my hands into tight fists. “You want to know the real reason Coach Green assigned me to walk Amber home every night?” I say through gritted teeth. “Because I don’t date. Anyone. Haven’t in years. So trust me, Mike—Amber’s safer with me than with anyone else. We’re colleagues. That’s it.”

“Let’s keep it that way.” Mike pats me on the shoulder. “I think you should get out more, though. A girlfriend might do you some good.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I slump down in my chair. Tonight is not going at all how I wanted it to.

“I’m serious. Without Leah, I’d be a mess,” Mike says. “I’m thinking about proposing soon, I don’t want her getting away.”

“You’re proposing to Leah?” Amber squeals, having returned from the bathroom. “Oh my God, tell me everything!”

“I said I was thinking about it!” But Mike pulls out his phone to show Amber some rings, and she coos over them all. I’m content to sit back and watch, on the fringe of the excitement.