I can’t say that I have the best track record when it comes to girls. Well, there isn’t a track record at all. I think that’s the problem.
I have no idea what to do when it comes to dating. I’ve avoided it at all costs, not wanting anything to take my attention away from my family or hockey. I guess that’s what’s biting me in the ass when it comes to Ava.
The feelings I have when I’m around her are so different from anything I’ve ever felt before. Sure, I’ve had my fair share of one-night stands where I maybe got a little giddy from their company. But those slim encounters don’t come close to the kind of electricity that jolts through me when Ava so little as smiles in my direction from across a crowded room.
Her down to earth personality will be the thing that drives me to my grave. I have no doubt about that. After spending so many years being surrounded by status-hungry airheads, meeting a girl like Ava who doesn’t just see me as a one-way ticket to money town is a massive breath of much- needed fresh air that I don’t want to miss out on.
It’s only been three days, and I already miss her. Hell, I missed her the minute she stepped out of my arms. I’m turning into such a pussy and it downright terrifies me.
What makes it even worse is the fact that I’m pretty sure she’s avoiding me. I took the plunge and reached out first after our date only for her to kindly shove me off. If that doesn’t make me look like a desperate fucker then I don’t know what does.
I know that our schedules don’t exactly match up as much as I would hope due to hockey, but something feels off. Asking Matt about it was pretty tempting, but I decided to wait until after I got back from Penticton.
Today is the first time I’m seeing my family in one immensely hard month and I couldn’t be any more excited. I pull up outside our house at noon. I even went as far as to time my arrival specifically for lunchtime
hoping that my mom would have missed me enough to cook me a hearty meal. I’m a starving boy these days.
Gracie wrenches open the front door and runs straight for me as soon as I hop out of my truck. I drop my overnight bag down beside me and my sister crashes hard into my chest.
“Hey, kiddo, I missed you too.”
“Duh. We haven’t seen you since August. Are you too good for us now or something?” I roll my eyes and tuck her under my arm. I use my fist to mess up the smoothed down hair on the top of her head.
“Hey! Knock it off!” she shrieks, elbowing me in the gut until I let her go.
“Are you ready for this competition or what?” I ask as we make our way up the sidewalk.
She opens the door and holds it open for me as I let my bag fall to the floor with a thump and hurry into the living room. I flop down on the couch and stretch out my legs. Gracie sits down with an exaggerated sigh.
“More than ready. I’ve been spending every spare minute I’ve had in the studio.”
She does look exhausted, and it doesn’t surprise me by any means.
Being over-committed to things we love runs in our family.
“Yeah, you do look like shit. You should get some sleep before you end up turning someone into stone.”
She gives me a nasty glare, leans forward and punches my leg.
“You know, you’re a real ass sometimes,” she scoffs. “My boyfriend seems to think that I look just fine. Thank you very much.” Wearing a smug expression, she crosses her arms. Now it’s my turn to glare.
“Ah, yes. Your boyfriend.” The corners of my lips quirk up. I cross my arms and lean back against the armrest. “Jacob Lane. Seventeen-years- old. He plays on the Minor hockey team and drives a fancy BMW. Am I right on the money?”
Her smugness vanishes. It’s quickly replaced with one of pure rage. “You looked him up? Are you kidding me,
Oakley? He’s a really nice guy! Mom thought it would be nice to have you both meet him tomorrow at the competition, but now I don’t think I even want you to meet him at all.”
Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. But in my defence, Gracie never gets this mad. Usually, I just get a lecture about letting her live her
own life or whatever she wants to draw on about.
I put my hands up in surrender in an attempt to calm her down. “Is it serious? You know you always have my support, Gracie. I just don’t want you to get hurt. I want to meet him. I promise I’ll behave.”
She stands up, lets out an exasperated sigh and runs her hand through her long blonde hair. “Yes. I happen to like Jacob. He’s not a bad guy.” Taking a deep breath, her face morphs into a look of consideration. “Okay, fine. But the minute that you say anything rude, I’m punching you in the face. I’m serious.”
“Have a little faith in me. I can behave when I want to.” As long as he’s as serious about her as she is about him, we won’t have an issue.
“Mm. Sure. Anyway, I have rehearsals in an hour, and I need a ride. Wanna get ice cream first?” She grabs her dance bag from the rack by the door and slips on the pair of biker boots that I bought her last Christmas.
“Do I have a choice? Where’s Mom?” When I talked to her yesterday she said she’d be here.
“Oh, right! I forgot. She got called into work—said she wouldn’t be home until dinner. Are we going or what?”
I get up from my comfortable position on the couch—unhappily, I might add—and meet her in front of the door. After putting my beat-up trainers back on, I open the door and hold out my arm in front of me.
“After you, Princess.”
 |
“Oakley! My man!” Andre shouts from across the freshly rained-on football field.
After I dropped my sister off at the dance studio, I invited Andre to throw a football around at the small field we managed to get blessed with in this tiny town. I could really use an old friend to talk to right about now.
“Hey, buddy. What did you do to your hair? It looks sick.”
Slapping our right hands together, we lean in for a one-handed hug. Andre’s head of onyx coloured shaggy hockey hair has been cut to a medium length, styled up in a slight swoosh with short shaved sides.
“Figured it was time I stopped looking like a total douche. Got it cut a few days ago.” He runs his fingers through the top a few times before spinning the old, faded football in his hands.
“About time.” I give us a few yards of distance and clap my hands in front of me, signalling for him to start throwing the ball.
“How do you like your new team? I hear you guys have been kicking some serious ass this season. You’re putting us to shame.”
“It’s good. Different, but good.” I don’t notice my body tense or the change of tone in my voice until Andre does.
“Something you wanna talk about, man? I’m all ears.”
I throw the ball and run a hand across my jaw. “I met a girl.”
He laughs and throws it back. “Wow, you met a girl? Who would have thought?”
Catching the ball again, I throw it with a little more force and roll my eyes. “I mean, I met a girl, dude.”
Emphasizing the word seems to do the trick because he misses the ball entirely. The leather ball hits him straight in the stomach, and a loud oof escapes his lips.
“Ow! Did you have to throw it that hard?” Rubbing his belly, he grabs the ball off the grass and launches it back at me. “I never thought that I would live to see the day. Who is she? And what about her makes you look hella constipated?”
Ignoring his insult, I say, “Her name is Ava. She’s fucking great dude. I took her out a few days ago, and it went better than I expected.”
There’s no stopping my smile as I remember how adorable she looked when she stumbled around on the ice, pretending not to know how to skate. I figured out that she knew how the minute she stepped on the ice, but I decided to go with it. And I made the right call.
“Yo, you still there, Oakley? Damn, you’re pussy whipped already.” He makes his way over to me. “You still haven’t told me what’s bothering you, though. Is she not into you or something?”
“It’s about her ex-boyfriend. I know something’s up but I haven’t brought it up. I don’t want to fuck anything up, and I get the sense it isn’t something that she wants me to know about.”
Andre sits down on the grass and pats the spot beside him. I sit down as he furrows his brows. “What about him? Something serious?”
If it weren’t serious, Matt wouldn’t be so protective, and I don’t think she would have such a problem talking about it.
“I just have a bad feeling. The whole thing makes me want to beat his face in. He’s on the team too. There’s bad blood, I know it. My buddy Matt and his friends avoid him at all costs.” Realizing my fists are clenched, I unclench them and run them through my hair instead.
“I think you should formally introduce yourself to the guy.” He looks over at me, his lips pulled in a sneer. I know exactly what he’s suggesting, and it isn’t going to be an enjoyable introduction. Not for David, at least.
“I think I’m going to do that. Thanks.”
“No worries. I expect to meet your girl, though. I have to know what kind of girl it takes to tame the great Oakley Hutton.”
“I have to get her to be my girl first.” I let out a chuckle as my phone vibrates in my pocket. Gracie’s demanding text makes my eyes roll.
“I gotta pick up the princess from practice. I’ll see you again before I head back, yeah?” Standing up, we both brush grass off our jeans. I text my sister back, letting her know that I’m on my way.
“Yeah, I better,” he warns. “Tell the devil spawn I say hi. See ya,
man!”
Waving, I set off in a jog towards the parking lot.
