Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“Kyler, oh my.” Millie holds up the black velvet box I found at a secondhand store for everyone to see.
“Open it,” I tell her.
She does and gasps. Inside, nestled in the velvet, are healing crystals. I learned more about their powers than I ever thought imaginable. Of course, I was stupid to think I could go in and fill the box with crystals and be on my way. Nope. You have to be careful and not mix them with the wrong ones so shit can happen.
“I don’t know what to say, Kyler. This is the most thoughtful gift. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, Millie.”
It’s my turn to pick a present. I reach for the box closest to me and read the tag. “To Nolan, From Devon.” I hand it to him.
“Nice wrapping job, Devon.”
“I ran out of time,” he says, shrugging.
Nolan rips into the newspaper and reveals a shirt that reads, “If you phuck with me, I’ll phuck you up.”
“Classy,” Jude says.
“I need one,” I add and give Devon a high-five.
“The whole team does,” Devon says.
“Boys,” Millie mutters. “Okay, Thea, you pick.”
Thea leans forward. I’m forced to sit on my hand because I want to touch her backside. She grabs a present and sits back down. “This is for Kyler, from me,” she says as she places the package in my lap.
My automatic response is to tell her she didn’t have to, but she did. It’s part of the game. I open the green wrapping to find a pair of gray sweatpants and another gift. If her brother and the others weren’t in the room, I’d ask her if she’d like me to model these for her. Instead, I open the other package, and a black leather bracelet falls into my lap. “This is awesome,” I tell her. “Thank you.”
“Here, let me help you put it on.” She takes it from my hand, and as soon as she touches my skin with her, our eyes meet. There’s no chance in hell she didn’t feel what I felt. Our eyes linger on each other’s long after she’s secured the clasp. “It looks nice,” she says, breaking the trance.
“Yeah, it does. Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.”
From this point, I ignore who got what because I’m focused on everything Thea does, from the way she laughs when she opens her present from Nolan which is a waffle iron, pushes her hair behind her ear, and casually looks over at me, giving me a soft smile.
The mood turns somber after every gift has been opened, the hot cocoa drank, and the cookies eaten. I never thought I’d feel this way about my roommates, but Thea’s presence has made me see things differently. They’re no longer just people I happen to share a house with, or play with on a team. They’re becoming more of a family than my own is and I can feel the walls I’ve carefully built up around me slowly coming down.
Hugs happen, and goodbyes are said. Jude, Nolan, and Devon will be back the day after Christmas, but the girls will be gone until New Year’s Eve, when Saul has promised to throw the biggest party Northport has ever seen. We’ll see about that.
I’m the last one to skate off the ice after our victory. I can’t explain it. It’s like I need to see the other team leave my ice before I do. When I reach the locker room, everyone cheers. They’re celebrating our tournament win. Granted, it was only two games, but nonetheless, we were the victors, again. I say again because we’ve won this holiday tournament twenty years in a row. Some teams take jabs, saying we’re choosing the weaker opponent. This is simply not the case. Teams beg to come here because playing the better team makes you better. It’s common-sense coaching. If you want your team to be the best, play the best. Playing weaker teams to assure a win is a weak mindset. Sadly, a lot of youth coaches think this way. If I ever become a coach, it’ll be nothing but the best for my kids. When we enter tournaments, we’ll always strive for greatness and play any upper-level team who wants to give us a game. It’s the only way for athletes to get better.
“Great game, Rose,” Coach says as he pats me on my back. I added another hat-trick to my list of accomplishments, which pleases me. NHL scouts are starting to come around, and I’ve fielded a couple of calls already. I’m not at the point where I need an agent, though. When the time comes, Coach and I will sit down and discuss all the options. However, I’m confident a team or two will show interest in me going into this new year.
After I shower, get dressed, and gather all my gear, I head outside. It’s cold, about forty-something, and a shiver comes over me. I hear my name yelled from somewhere in the darkness, and after a few more steps, I find my mother standing there.