Off-Ice Collision: Chapter 33

Sitting on the bench in our foyer, I pull on the only pair of boots I could find in my closet. My mother approaches me, her eyebrows drawn together as she takes in my appearance.

“Honey, are you okay?” she questions me. “You know it’s the middle of summer, not winter, right?”

Laughter slips from my lips and I giggle as I grab my sweater and beanie sitting beside me. “Emery asked me if I wanted to go ice skating tonight, so I’m supposed to be meeting her at the rink around eight,” I explain to her before I lift the lid to the bench and dig inside until I find a pair of gloves.

“Well, that makes a lot more sense.” Mom laughs along with me. “You had me a little concerned there. I didn’t know if we were going to need to take you for a mental health vacation or something.” She winks at me, not meaning the last part of her sentence.

“Nope!” I smile back at her. “I’m not sure what time I will be back, but I’ll let you know.”

“You’re a big girl and you have a key to the house,” she nods at me. “Just be safe.”

‘I always am.”

Leaving my mom in the house, I head out to my car and send Emery a message. I let her know I’m leaving my house to head to the rink but she doesn’t respond before I begin to pull my car out of the driveway. It isn’t a long drive and when I pull into the parking lot, there aren’t very many cars.

Emery told me the public skate started at eight, so when I get there a few minutes after, I’m surprised to see that more people aren’t here. Then again, it is summer. I’m not sure that ice skating is a common activity for people who aren’t the ones that practically live on the ice.

I hop out of my car and pull on my sweater before putting the beanie over my head. Holding my gloves in one hand, I open up my phone and see that Emery never even read my message. I send her another message.

I’m here. Where are you at?

I wait a few moments for Emery to respond, but she doesn’t, so I head inside. When I walk into the rink, they have the lights dimmed and there’s a disco light flashing from the center of the ice. I pay the admission and skate rental fee at the front desk and then head over to where I get a pair of skates.

The girl hands them to me and I ask her if she saw Emery here yet. She shakes her head after I describe what she looks like and apologizes. I thank her and take my skates as I go sit down to put them on.

Before I begin to lace them, I call Emery, and to my surprise, she actually picks up.

“Where are you?” I ask her with zero hesitation.

Emery is silent for a second. “Don’t hate me… I’m not going to make it.”

“What are you talking about? I’m already here. What am I supposed to do, ice-skate by myself?”

Emery laughs softly. “Just go out. You’ll be fine and you’ll thank me later.”

My eyebrows draw together. “Why the hell would I thank you?”

“Gotta go!” Emery exclaims as she laughs again. “Talk soon. Love you!”

She abruptly ends the call and I’m left confused as hell. Part of me is wondering if she even planned on coming at all. It would have been common decency if she would have told me before I had to call her, after the time we were supposed to meet here. It’s not like I really feel like skating around in circles by myself right now.

Thankfully, growing up in a state where it grew cold enough for water to freeze, it made it a lot easier to learn how to ice skate. Between the multiple rinks that are around us and the fact that our winters are cold as hell, there were a lot of opportunities to learn. It kind of came with the territory of living in the northeast.

I finish tying my skates and put on my gloves as I start my walk over to the other side where the door is to get out onto the ice. There are a few people skating around, but not very many. As I get closer to the door, I notice someone standing there, staring out at the ice. As I close the distance between us, I realize that it’s him…

My breath catches in my throat and my heart feels like it could pound through my rib cage as I approach him. He turns his head to look at me, his bright blue eyes colliding with mine. A look of shock passes through his expression and the corners of his lips twitch as a smile threatens to consume his mouth.

“Hey you,” he breathes as I walk up to him. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” I tell him with nothing but curiosity in my voice. “Emery invited me to come skate with her and then she stood me up.”

A soft chuckle rumbles in his chest and he stares down at me. “I don’t think she stood you up… I think she set you up.”

I tilt my head to the side, my eyebrows pulling together. “What do you mean?”

“I ran into her when I was here earlier today. She brought up the public skate and I said I was coming tonight.” He pauses for a moment and I watch the smile actually lift the corners of his lips. “She was never going to meet you here. She knew I was going to be here.”

My stomach does a somersault and my heartbeat is erratic as it continues to pound in my chest. “She’s sneaky as hell,” I mutter, shaking my head. “This is different, you spending all this time at the rink. I’m surprised you’re here tonight.”

“I’m going to start coaching here in the fall,” he says proudly. I watch his tongue as it darts out to wet his lips. “I realized this is what I’m meant to be doing and it pays really well. I discovered I can still have a future that has to do with hockey without me actually playing.”

I smile at him, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. I’ve been waiting to hear these words from him, or something at least similar. Just to know that he’s been putting in this much effort melts my goddamn heart. But to know he took on an almost mentally impossible job for himself and is making it work is something completely different.

He’s been following through with his words and he’s grown so much in such a small amount of time. Emery was right… people will surprise you when they’re on the verge of losing everything.

And I just so happen to be everything to Vaughn Carter.

I close the distance between us, wrapping my arms around the back of his neck as I bring his face down to mine. He doesn’t fight me as our mouths crash into one another’s. He kisses me back, our lips melting together as our tongues dance with each other’s.

Vaughn is the one to pull away. He rests his forehead against mine, his eyes desperately searching my gaze. “What was that about?”

“I love you, Vaughn.”

The corners of his lips lift into the most heart-stopping grin I’ve ever seen. “I love you, London.”

“I’m so proud of you. I never once doubted you, but seeing the effort you’re putting in tells me you’re actually serious about it all.” I pause for a moment, trailing my fingers over the back of his neck. “Tell me what your future looks like to you now.”

Vaughn stares down at me, his throat bobbing as he swallows hard. “You and me, together forever. Me coaching hockey and helping to manage the rink, you working as a therapist. Us getting engaged and married. Having a house and babies. I want it all with you, London Hayes. I always have, and I want to know if you’re willing to give me another chance.”

“I want all of that. Every last part of it. That’s the only future I can imagine.”

“Be with me, baby,” he murmurs before pulling away. He hooks his fingers under my chin, tilting my head back to look up at him. “Let me be the man you deserve. Let me show you how amazing our love can be.”

“I’m already yours, Vaughn.” I pause for a moment, popping up on my tiptoes as I press my lips to his in a haste. I slide my gloved hand against his, our fingers lacing together. “Skate with me?”

Vaughn hesitates. “I’m afraid to get back on the ice,” he admits, his voice quiet.

I stare at him, my eyes desperately searching his. “Why? I know your accident was traumatic, but you’re safe here.”

“That’s not what it is,” he says as he shakes his head. “What if my leg can’t handle it? What if it’s too much?”

I squeeze his hand with mine. “I got you. Come out with me and we will take things slow.”

Vaughn swallows hard as he stares back at me. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Do you trust me?” I question him, asking him the same thing he once asked me.

He nods. “With everything.”

“Then come with me…”

Vaughn lets out a ragged breath and I step out onto the ice first. Just when it I think he’s going to go against his word, he follows out after me. I spin around and begin to skate backward and he follows, going slow at first.

He looks like he was made for the damn ice.

“How does it feel? Are you okay?” I ask him, trying to keep the concern free from my tone.

Vaughn’s ocean blue eyes meet mine. “I feel fine… I expected it to hurt or for my knee to buckle or something, but it doesn’t.”

I don’t bother fighting the smile as it consumes my lips. My vision blurs with tears and I let go of his hand as he takes off and begins to skate around the entire rink. I spin around to skate after him, but I take my time, letting him soak in the moment. He’s doing something he thought was impossible.

He thought his life on the ice was over, but he was wrong all along. It’s like watching a phoenix rise from the ashes. He’s been born again. His life might look different than how he originally envisioned it, but it is far from over.

This is just the start… the start of something even better.

Vaughn races back to me, coming to an abrupt halt in front of me. “Thank you, London,” he murmurs as he pulls me close to him, enveloping his arms around me. “Thank you for everything. For pushing me, for not giving up on me—for being you. The most amazing person I will ever meet.”

“I love you, Vaughn,” I murmur as I wrap my arms around the back of his neck. “I will never stop challenging you. I will never give up on you. I’m yours and I will never be anyone else’s.”

“Good,” he smiles down at me. “Because you’re the only person I would ever want to be mine.”

He captures my mouth with his own, kissing me under the colored lights on the center of the ice. He steals my breath away and I give him everything, because it was never mine to have.