Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 65354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
I headed to the rink for the skate and greeted my team with a smile. We moved to the ice and went through the usual practice skills as well as some extra conditioning. The team we were playing tonight was known for their speed, so we’d be busy out there. I joined the team in the gym for a hard workout, and Justin jumped in to spot me lifting weights.
“Are you happy, buddy?” His face broke into a smile when I looked up at him.
“Yeah, I am. She wants to keep her place as a studio. I don’t know how to feel about that,” I admitted, and Justin frowned.
“She’s been through a lot, Bells. You know that as well as I do. She might cling to that little space of her own, and Tori told me that she paints better alone. That doesn’t have to do with you,” Justin tried to assure me, and I nodded, wondering what the hell was wrong with me. I never felt this shaky about any woman.
“That’s what Elyse told me. Do you feel anything like I do about this?” I asked, and he smiled.
“I don’t know what will happen, Bells. We’re not supposed to. We just need to go with our hearts.”
I pressed a hand to my chest and feigned shock. “Did the biggest Casanova in sports just say that? Who the hell are you?” I teased him. Justin shook his head and laughed.
“I have no fucking idea, but I like this new guy.”
We finished the long workout and headed home for a few hours to relax. Elyse was out talking with the latest gallery to show her work, but she was coming to every game before we went on another road trip in two weeks. I hoped to see her before the game, but I took the alone time to talk to my family in Canada for a while. They watched all my games and made the ones they could get to, and I appreciated their support. Mom asked about the holidays just over a month away, and I told her that I wasn’t sure about my schedule yet.
I did tell her about Elyse. I’d held back before now, but it was serious, and they deserved to know. They were both thrilled and urged me to bring her home to meet them. I was tied to Colorado with my job during the season and Dad had to keep his design company going at home, so it made it difficult to get together. “I swear I’ll get us all together soon. I want you to meet her.”
I ended the call and watched a show before I dressed to leave for the game. I heard a voice and walked to the door, looking through the peephole to see Elyse on the phone. Her face strained as she spoke urgently into the device as she paced. I knew she was upset but waited to see if she was in any danger before stepping in. Her voice rose and she dropped the hand holding her phone as she looked up at the ceiling of the corridor. I opened the door and looked out. “Elyse? Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She sucked in her breath and walked towards me. “My aunt isn’t so happy. She’s against everything about you and us.”
I frowned. “She doesn’t want you happy?” I asked, pulling her inside by the hand.
“She’s protective. You know that. Anything big in life like this worries her, and she thinks I’m going to get hurt. There hasn’t been a lot of incidents, but she did it with Tori. She wants to keep me in her protective bubble, and I love her for that, but I need to live my life.” Elyse slipped her arms around my neck and pressed her body against mine. “I finally feel a little free now that you know everything. I don’t even care if the public knows as much as I worried about you knowing the truth.”
“She’s allowed to love you, but you are also allowed to live your life,” I assured her before pressing my lips to hers. “Still coming to the game?”
“Of course. Tori is picking me up for sushi before, and we’ll be there.” She pressed her mouth to my neck, and my body jerked in response. “I’m coming back here with you tonight.”
“I know, love. I saw your stuff,” I told her as she dropped her head to look at me. “I like it.”
We talked until I had to go, and she promised me with a kiss that she’d see me later. I hurried down to the car and made my way to the game to meet the others. We were all stoked and went over plays and the things we needed to watch out for with certain guys.
When we skated on the ice in front of our fans, everyone clapped and yelled at us. I grinned and looked around as my eyes made their way to the seat Elyse should be in, seeing her cheering for me. She looked so pretty, and I winked at her before we moved to one end so the other team could come out to loud boos. Our fans were faithful if nothing else.