Page 44 of Ice Cold Hearts

Oliver - Liar.

Ian - As much as I hate to side with Oliver, I think he’s got you on this one.

Emily - … okay, fine. I could’ve done with just the one shirt, but I didn’t want anyone to feel left out. Happy?

Oliver - That is really fucking cute.

Emily - On second thought, maybe I will sell them all online. I can use the proceeds to do something nice for my parents since they’ve been helping me so much lately. I feel like I’m taking advantage of them.

Alexei - How about a hockey game? It’s family fun day tomorrow. Do your parents like hockey?

Emily - Does a bear shit in the woods?

Alexei - I’m assuming that’s a yes. Come to the game tomorrow. Bring your parents. Bring Audrey.

Emily - There’s no way I can afford last-minute tickets for all of us. Maybe we’ll all come see you play next family fun day? Send me the event calendar for the team and I’ll see what I can do.

Oliver - You’re joking, right?

Alexei - Do you want to go? Yes or no?

Emily - I can barely swing a ticket for myself, much less my parents and Audrey. I can’t this time. I really am sorry.

Alexei - You didn’t answer my question, Kitten. Do you want to go or not?

Emily - Yes, but I can’t. Tomorrow’s just not enough time.

Alexei - Do you think your family will have a good time if they come? It wouldn’t be too loud for Audrey?

Emily - I think they would. Like I said, if you give me more notice next time, we can come. The horse is dead. Stop beating it.

Alexei - We’ve got a team box. You have seats. I’ll send a car for you around 1. When I said we’d take care of you, I meant it.

Emily - We'll see. Have a good practice.

For the longest time, logic has been in the driver's seat. Use pretty words to get what you want, then leave before they get close enough to hurt you. Basically everything my parents never wanted for me.

Since Emily burst into my life, it's been harder to stick to those resolutions. My heart seems to have taken me hostage because every opportunity I’m given to push her back to an arm’s length away or further, I end up using to draw her in closer.

I look at my phone.

No new texts and two hours to go until practice.

I can't control whether I get a text, but I can control what time practice starts, at least for me. So after I stuff down some breakfast, I'm going to go to the stadium early and do some of the more complex drills out on the ice.

Right now, I’ll do anything to take my mind off Emily and the fact that I don't know whether I'm more afraid that she won't come tomorrow or that she will.

I refuse to dwell on it because I have a feeling the answer will scare the shit out of me.

15

EMILY

Mom still doesn’t believe me, but I swear I was able to hear Dad explode with joy from the other end of our street when I told them about the guys’ offer. I’d even be willing to bet good money the guys would have heard him in their bougie gated community too.

I know I should have told the guys we were coming, and I do feel guilty, but there was so much to do yesterday, I just didn’t get the chance. Usually, I split the big chores between Saturday and Sunday, but there was just no way I was going to be able to get myself ready, Audrey and all her accoutrements ready, and do housework. I’m a pretty good multi-tasker, but nobody’s that good. So, after breakfast with Audrey, I did chores until well after sundown.

It was worth it today, but I gained a whole new appreciation for Cinderella yesterday. How that woman managed to go back to drudgery and chores with a positive attitude after having a glorious night out is beyond me. I could barely make myself do the chores at all, forget about smiling and being pleasant. Managing a feat like that should have been enough to guarantee her sainthood. At least I think it should, but I might be biased.