“There’s a dance studio in Evergreen.” The town next to Silver Falls. “They do adult classes on Thursday evenings.”
She scoffs, crushing me. “So I can wear a leotard and have everyone stare at me?”
My face falls. “People just wear normal workout clothes. They do barre exercises to pop music.” My voice gets quieter because I know this isn’t working.
“You’re always going on about how we’re the boss of our own bodies.” Her tone is sharp. “So let me say what I want about myself.”
My mouth clamps closed, and silence stretches between us.
“I should get going,” she says.
“Okay.” Cold misery settles in my stomach. “Bye. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
The call ends and I sit there, staring at nothing. I failed her. Again.
“Hey.”
I jolt to find Rory towering over me in his Storm jersey and skates. The tension around my heart loosens. “Hi.”
He tilts his chin to the phone in my hand. “Everything okay?”
When I don’t answer right away, he sits beside me, arm coming up around my shoulders to pull me into him. I melt against him.
“That was my mom.”
“Yeah?” He watches my eyes with concern.
“We had another argument.”
“I’m sorry, Hartley.” He lets out a heavy breath with a heartbroken expression, like my pain is his pain, and even though I’m upset from the call with my mom and I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing with Rory these days, the look in his eyes makes my heart expand.
He gives me the softest, most affectionate kiss, and all the stuff with my mom fades to the background. His fresh scent surrounds me and I smile against his mouth.
“You always make me feel better,” I whisper.
“Good.” He smiles, and I fall a little harder for him.
The text from earlier snags in my thoughts. “A student sent me this.” I open the link and hand the phone to him, watching as he scrolls through.
“This is nicer than the studio I sent you.”
“More expensive, too.”
“And a better location. Close to your apartment and mine.”
My stomach does a slow roll. It shouldn’t matter that Rory’s apartment is close to this space—I haven’t even seen his place—but deep down, it does. I love that he thinks about these things, even if I’m not ready to.
“I don’t know.” My brow wrinkles.
“Okay.” He hands my phone back, and his gaze is steady and encouraging. “For what it’s worth, I think you should take a look. There’s no commitment in just seeing the space.” He nudges me, mouth tipping up. “I’ll go with you.”
I can picture it—us viewing the space together—and the image makes it so much less terrifying. “I’ll think about it.”
He winks. “Good.” He glances to where kids, parents, and players filter onto the ice. “Ready to go show them what you’ve learned, Hartley?”
I nod and smile. “You bet.”
He pokes his tongue in his cheek, hiding a smile. It’s his I’ve done something bad grin.
“What’s that look?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.
“I hung the spiderweb thing in McKinnon’s locker stall.”
I burst out laughing so loud people glance over before clapping a hand over my mouth.
“I’m surprised you were able to hang it up.” He shredded the thing.
His eyes spark with mischief as I shake with laughter while he laces up my skates, and when he stands and holds a hand out to me, I take it without hesitation.
CHAPTER 51
HAZEL
Half an hour later, I’m skating around the rink, a kid clutching either hand, while Rory skates backwards in front of us. On the other end of the ice, Jamie teaches kids to goaltend using a wiffleball as Pippa takes photos. Music’s playing, and the kids, parents, and players all seem to be having a blast.
“Are you trying to steal my girlfriend?” Rory asks the kids holding my hands, and they giggle.
He wears his Hazel is cute smile. My skin tingles with delight.
The kids want to skate with Rory, so I head to the boards and watch with a smile as he has them hold his hockey stick while he pulls them around the ice. He’s unbearably cute, laughing and teasing them, light shining out of him.
Rory would be a good dad. He’d be nothing like his own father. There’s a warm tug in my chest at the idea of kids who look like Rory, bright-eyed troublemakers with hearts of gold. The image of him chasing them around our house, playing with them, makes me ache with affection.