Page 7

Tyler and I caught a bus to his practice rink. We could've walked, but the blistering eight degree weather, topped with wind, was too much to be out in for long. Both of us were bundled tightly against the weather, but our heavy coats did nothing to protect against the slicing wind.

I was actually excited to enter the ice rink. It was warmer inside, which was a weird concept. We warmed up in the lobby for a few minutes, Tyler pointing out little things about the place. Then he took me into the practice rink itself. I wrinkled my nose at the initial smell.

There was a younger kids team flying around the ice, so skilled on skates at such a young age. I used to be able to skate that good. My siblings still could. I'd given the hobby up when I discovered my love for aquatic life and the beach.

We watched the kids play for a bit. Then Tyler took my hand, making me blush.

"Do you know how to skate?"

"Um. Kinda. I haven't skated in like...ten years." He grinned.

"Wanna skate?" He motioned over at the rink on the left side, where families were gliding or slipping over the ink. There was more falling and slipping than anything else. I hesitated. I didn't want to make a fool of myself, especially in front of someone who wore skates more than regular shoes.

"It's ok, really. I'll help you balance if you don't remember how." It was as if he'd read my mind. Or maybe it was the glaring apprehension on my face. Either way, his soft words convinced me.

"Ok...I guess." His grin was addicting. Still holding my hand, he lead me to the skate rental area.

I found out rather quickly that the rentals were only for me. A staff member disappeared after she'd given me my skates, returning with a bag from who knows where. She handed the duffel to Tyler. He explained as he pulled a pair of heavy hockey skates out.

"We keep skates here, just like the main rink. I'd rather use my own skates." I nodded, watching him as he expertly laced up the tall skates. I followed suit with my figure skates, much slower as my slightly numb fingers worked with the laces. Tyler finished way before I did. "Need some help?" I looked up, blushing at the way he was watching me.

"Yes please." I let out a gasp as Tyler's hand swept my foot onto his lap. I hadn't been expecting that. Like his own skates, he laced up mine in seconds. I felt embarrassed in my lack of ability.

Tyler stood, making it look easy. I kept forgetting how natural this was for him. I wobbled as I tried to stand quickly. I yelped and grabbed for him. He started to laugh, but stopped when he saw my glare. Still smirking, he led me to the rink.

I moved slower than him, trying to get used to the feeling of heavy skates on my feet again. My eyes found the ice that we were quickly approaching. My toe hesitated to touch the ice. Tyler reached out a hand, inviting me to join him on the slick surface. Finally, I accepted.

It took me awhile to warm up. At first, I held onto his arm as tightly as possible, taking little glides. I remembered how to skate, but forcing my legs to work with my brain was hard. Tyler's abilities didn't help me. He could skate backwards and weave through people, leading me with our hands intertwined tightly. After a few laps around, someone recognized him. It was a girl, probably around sixteen. She proudly was wearing a Blackhawks sweatshirt, though her skate skills weren't hockey level. I was one to talk. With wide eyes, she approached Tyler.

"Hey...um. Are you Tyler Dewalt?" His grin was obvious.

"Yep. That's me."

"Can I have your autograph? And a picture?" She looked to her mother, who was grinning encouragingly. The older woman handed the girl a sharpie. I skated back a little, watching as Tyler posed for a picture. Then he signed the hat the girl was wearing. I had to grin at how excited he was. When the girl shakily skated away, he glided back to me.

"That was the first time that's happened." I looked at him in surprise.

"Really? You looked like a pro." His smug smile almost made me regret the compliment. He took my hand again, warming my skin with his touch. I rolled my eyes at his confident strides. Tyler was obviously prone to his ego. Good to know.

We continued to skate for almost an hour more. By the time we stopped, my ankles and legs were sore from trying to keep with Tyler. I had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time I had to deal with him on the ice.

We handed my skates in, getting my sneakers back in exchange. My feet breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled my comfortable shoes back on. Tyler was waiting for me, lounging back on the bench near the entrance. As I approached, Tyler stood.

"Where to now?" He grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Cloud Gate."

"What's that?" He looked shocked.

"The Bean? Please tell me you've heard of it. Biggest tourist trap."

"Oh! Yeah, I have."

"Ok, good. There's a bunch of good art and botanical stuff there. But it's not very green right now." He paused, holding out a hand again for me to grab. We'd been doing a lot of hand holding lately. I blushed, consciously grabbing a hold of his rough hand. "And there's Shedd Aquarium. We could do that tomorrow, though." I shrugged.

"I'm just a tourist. You live here and know what's good."

"I'd take you to the United Center but there's a basketball game tonight and it wouldn't be the same. I want to take you when it's the rink. We'll drive by it but that's it." I nodded, understanding.

I let Tyler lead me to the bus stop again. We traversed the car-filled streets, pausing by the sign that declared the spot was where the bus would pick us up. We didn't have to wait long.

The bus was fuller than before. It was past noon, and lunch traffic was everywhere. It took us awhile to reach our destination with the amount of stops and slow moving traffic. The closer we got to the tourist section, the thicker the crowds grew. I was surprised how many people were out in the freezing weather.

I spotted a few sprinkled people with Hawks jerseys. I nudged Tyler, pointing it out. He grinned toothily, encouraged by the support for his team. The bus deposited us in front of a large open plaza. I almost ignored the wind as I took in the sight of Chicago's skyscrapers and the beautiful park located next to the lake. I could tell how beautiful the place was in the summer. Even in the cold weather, tourists gathered around for picture opportunities. My heart jumped. Would Tyler take a picture with me? Could I even post it, considering who he was? I asked him, quietly tugging on his arm to get his attention.

"If we took a picture, I couldn't post it, right?" He looked at me carefully.

"It's up to you. Personally, I wouldn't. Not yet. Only because fans are crazy, and I don't want you exposed to that yet. I could take a picture of you, if you want." I nodded, expecting as much. I still wanted a picture, just for memories sake. I wouldn't send it to anyone, just keep it for myself. If it wasn't what he wanted, I wouldn't post it.

We asked a random lady to take our picture, posing with the Bean in the background. I smiled when the woman handed my phone back. It was a good picture. If I'd seen this post on my feed, I would assume we were together. Tyler's arm was comfortably slung around my shoulder, pulling me tight to him. I had both my arms wrapped around his torso, grinning like it was the best day of my life. Maybe because it was. After I'd inspected the picture and approved of it, Tyler took a picture of me standing in front of the large metal structure. I posed with my hands in my pocket, smiling with less enthusiasm at the camera. The absence of Tyler at my side dampened my mood.

"Now I can post this one, right?" I pointed at the picture where I was on my own. Tyler nodded, smiling. Then a thoughtful look crossed his face.

"Wait...isn't your account private?" After I nodded, he grinned. "I mean, you could post the one with us on your Instagram, since you're private. Some people are already speculating since Kirby and I both follow you. I guess it wouldn't hurt to post it." I looked up at him hopefully.

"Are you sure? And I can tag you?" I was surprised when Tyler pulled me in for a hug.

"Yes, I'm sure. Show those Duke kids how awesome your boyfriend is." We both froze as he uttered the b-word. "I mean...um...uh." He stuttered, pulling away from me. His cheeks were red, and not from the wind. He rubbed his neck, not meeting my gaze.

"It's ok, Tyler. Maybe that can be my caption." I tried to joke off the tension. "'Right after this he said the b-word to me.' That's good, right?" Tyler laughed awkwardly.

"I'm sorry, really. I have no idea how to do any of this."

"What do you mean? Haven't you had a girlfriend before." He shrugged, still not looking at me.

"Not really. Never had time. Spent all my time at the rink worrying about hockey, not girls."

"Jeez, what changed?" I was still trying to be lighthearted, but Tyler's intense gaze made my heart beat rapidly.

"I met someone who changed my mind." I blushed, starting to walk away. I shivered, both from nerves and the cold. Tyler jogged lightly after me. "Where are you going?" I pointed at the grill across the plaza.

"Lunch?" His smile was reassuring. We both put the little pocket of awkwardness behind us, focusing instead on the thought of warm food. I tried not to think about what he'd said. Did I want him to be my boyfriend? Of course I did, what a silly second thought. But this soon? Something told me we'd only grow closer the longer we knew each other. It didn't feel like we were rushing things. It felt like we'd known each other for years. Would it be bad to get into a relationship this quick? Neither of us had much experience, though. I'd had one boyfriend, but that was in freshman year of high school when relationships were texting each other one word and breaking up after a week. It hadn't lasted longer than I'd known Tyler. I promised myself that I would call my roommate when we got back later. Emily would know what I should do. She always did.

&&&

We were frigid when we rushed back through the apartment door. I could barely feel my toes through my thin sneakers. I immediately beelined for the shower.

By the time I was sufficiently heated, I'd steamed the bathroom mirror up completely. I sighed heavily, grabbing a towel from the counter. The piece of cloth looked like it came right from the locker room of the United Center. It was adorned at the bottom with the Blackhawks logo, much to my amusement. I had no doubt the towels in the bathroom had indeed been snagged right from the team's stash in the arena.

Instead of pulling one of my own T-shirts on, I raided Tyler's drawers. Would he notice? My heart beat rapidly as I started for the living room. The faded tee was from some tournament he'd played in years ago, obviously from before his time in the NHL. I'd studied the worn print, which was flaking away with every cycle through the laundry machine.

The second I walked into view of the couch, I could see the way his eyes lit up. At first, just because of the fact I'd reappeared. Then, because I was wearing his shirt. With the soft fabric of the T-shirt, my legs felt noticeably bare in a pair of Nike shorts. Note to self, next time steal some sweatpants. Tyler stood, half clearing his throat.

"Um. What do you want to do for the rest of the night?" I shrugged, walked close enough that I could fall onto the soft cushions.

"I don't care. You could put on a cheesy soap opera and I'd be fine."

"Netflix?"

"Sure." I ignored the screen as he picked up the remote, focusing on admiring him. When Tyler noticed, he blushed.

"What?"

"Huh?" I tried to play his question off. He shook his head, returning his attention to the TV. A few seconds later, I scooted closer to him. My leg touched his lightly. Enough contact to drive us insane, yet not enough to sate us. I wanted more. But I had no idea how to go about it. I wasn't Emily. I wasn't confident in my abilities at flirting, much less anything else. Something told me I couldn't just trust my instinct on this one.

We sat in a tension-filled silence for way too long. I didn't pay attention to the random movie Tyler had selected. I didn't think he did either. It felt like forever before he broached the quiet.

"Thank you for coming up." I looked at him sharply.

"Thanks for inviting me? I guess." I laughed awkwardly. He didn't share my amusement.

"Do you wanna know something?" His voice was serious. I sobered.

"Yeah, sure." I shifted my body so I was facing him more, giving him my full attention. I pulled one leg under myself and let the other hang off the couch. Then I leaned back, bracing myself with my arms.

"I thought about you every day from that night in Toronto. I'm not kidding, you can ask Kirby. I never shut up about you. And when you practically were deposited in front of me again in Carolina, I couldn't function for a solid thirty minutes."

"It was a little weird how we ran into each other like that again, huh?" I didn't meet his gaze. I looked down in an attempt to control my flaming face.

"I think it was meant to be."

"What was?" I asked stupidly. I made the mistake of looking up. Except it wasn't a mistake. It was a spark. My breath hitched in my throat at the intensity of his gaze. He was closer, though I hadn't seen him move. Unconsciously, I leaned forward as well. Our faces hovered mere inches apart.

"Us." He'd set the spark fizzling into a steady flame. My heart thundered in my ears as he continued to lean.

Our noses bumped. We both stopped. I was trying to control my heaving chest. I was panicking yet excited all at once. Did I kiss him? Was he going to kiss me? What do I do? I opened my mouth to say something, anything.

And then he kissed me. It wasn't like any kiss I'd ever felt before. Not that I had much experience. But I could tell this was different.

It was raw and tender. Energy and passion. Unspoken tension lingered in the way our lips melted together. I could taste the lingering ghost of mint gum. It was cold and ice, a testament to everything he loved.

His hand brushed against my thigh, leaving trails of goosebumps where his fingers touched. I shivered at the sensation. With each second that passed, I was having more trouble controlling my wants. This was everything and a thousand times more than I'd ever expected. Tyler was electrifying, exhilarating. Almost on their own accord, my legs moved. Before I knew what was happening, I was straddling Tyler's lap. The lingering touch between our lips had never broken.

His hands moved from their spot on my thighs, crawling up my hips until they settled on my waist. His fingers rode my shirt up until his fingers touched bare skin once more. When they danced onto my lower back, I let out a gasp. I'd involuntarily arched inward at the touch, pressing myself against him more. My quick inhale had pulled us apart for a second. Like before, our noses remained touching. I leaned my forehead down, until it was resting against him as well. My eyes were squeezed closed still. I didn't see his reaction, if he had any.

"Too much?" His voice was barely a whisper. I shook my head, knowing he would feel it through the contact of our skin. I took a deep breath before letting my eyelids lazily open. He was staring at me with his intense eyes, searching and gauging my reactions. If eye contact hadn't been a mistake before, it definitely was now. I was trapped all over, lost in the emerald forest. I knew how to come to terms with my straying off the path. I let our lips graze slightly, teasing him with my touch.

My hands left the back of his neck, moving down. As I started to move, his lips trailed down from my mouth. My legs shook as he lightly pressed them against my throat. I forced my fingers to find the hem of his shirt, pulling at it. We separated again for a split second. The amount of time that it took for him to pull the T-shirt over his head was excruciating. I took a second to glance down at his bare skin before continuing our kiss.

This time, it was my fingers who trailed over his skin. His chest was warm and smooth, like a pebble on the shore during a sunny day. At that point, I don't think I could have stopped myself. And I don't think I would have. The next thing I knew, a loud yelp came from the doorway. Tyler and I froze, turning slowly to the newcomer. Newcomers, plural. There were multiple people.

"Not my couch, eh?" Kirby's whining voice would've been funny if I wasn't so mortified. I immediately jumped away from Tyler, leaving him sitting shirtless and stunned. Behind Kirby lingered two blonde guys, neither of whom I recognized. The taller one laughed, clapping Kirby on the shoulder.

"You said it'd be safe to come over. Not that they'd be at it like—" Kirby elbowed the man sharply in the gut. I looked helplessly at Tyler. He motioned down the hallway. I nodded after a moment.

"Relax, Alex. You three bachelors can do whatever the hell you want."

"Not so sure I want to touch that couch now." Alex wrinkled his nose. I beelined away, heading for the safety of Tyler's room. I collapsed on the bed, Tyler following suit by flopping onto the bean bag chair.

"Sorry about them. They give everyone hell for having girlfriends." I blinked in surprise.

"Girlfriend?" Tyler looked surprised at his own words as well. It was the second mention of relationships that day.

"I, uh, I mean. Like when other guys were starting out. Not that...ya know."

"Ty, we just had a pretty intense make out session. In my books, that lands on girlfriend level. And you did call call yourself my boyfriend earlier."

"Me too." I hid my grin behind my hand at his response.

"So...?"

"So?" He didn't take my hint. After a moment, his mouth formed an 'o' of realization. His face split into a grin after a moment. He pushed himself off the beanbag. Still shirtless, I wryly noted. Not that it was a bad thing. He was a sight for sore eyes.

He walked over to me. When he was in front of where I was sitting on the bed, he dropped into a crouching position. His smile persisted.

"Oh, sweet and wonderful and amazing Halle, would you be my girlfriend?" I had to laugh. I hadn't expected him to actually ask.

"Well duh. Did you think—" I was cut off by strong arms bowling me over. I let out a squeal as Tyler pushed me back. When he was poised over me, he dropped to give me a light peck on my lips.

He was mine. He was my boyfriend.