Off the Ice | ONGOING

12.

CHAPTER TWELVE

ROWAN HART

Waking up yesterday at Elias' place was nothing short of mortifying.

He made sure to not make it awkward, but I still felt it every second when we were eating breakfast. The breakfast he cooked for me.

I'm not even sure how all of this is supposed to make me feel. One day we're arguing and I can't seem to get far away from him fast enough and the next I'm telling her about my dead mother beside him in his truck.

Life is fucking weird.

Not to mention, the fact that I woke up with my makeup all over my face and my dress disheveled. Normally, I wouldn't really care about appearances, but I don't think I've ever felt more embarrassed in my life than when I saw myself in the bathroom mirror.

I have a shift at the library today and only two classes, so today shouldn't be too long of a day, which I'm grateful for. Elias is currently on the road going against North Dakota as the second game of the season so it's just me for today's journalism lecture. He left the first thing this morning after dropping me off at home.

I find myself looking over to his seat more than once during class, not exactly sure why. Yes, the guy spites me, but arguing with him riles me up in a way no other person can. I've grown accustomed to it somehow.

As soon as the professor dismisses us, I race home. My shift at the library isn't until later so I have a bit of time to relax before going.

Nadia is in the kitchen when I enter our town house, cooking something that smells amazing as always. I've yet to get the opportunity to sit down with her and ask her what happened with Aidan yesterday, the curiosity almost eating me alive.

I drop my bag down by the bar and sit on a stool before her attention goes to me. Her cheeks flush, and all I know is what she's about to tell me is about to be fucking good.

"So," I draw out. "I'm dying to know, how was last night?" I ask eagerly.

She sets down a plate full of food in front of me and herself, and I immediately dive in, starving. "I don't even know where to start," she mutters. "But thank you for letting me bring him over, I know it wasn't easy saying yes."

I scoff. "This is your house too, Nadia. You don't need my permission for anything."

"I know, I know." She repeats. "I still just wanted to say thanks. I'm guessing sleeping over at Elias' wasn't a ten out of ten experience?"

I shrug my shoulders. "It wasn't too bad. He cooked me breakfast then drove me here." I told her. "You were at class."

"Did you let him inside?" Nadia questions.

I shake my head before taking a bite of food. "Not yet. I don't know when I'll invite him over. He says he doesn't mind constantly working at his house but I know it's slowly beginning to annoy him."

Nadia nods her head like that makes sense and I narrow her eyes at her, realizing what she has done. "You still haven't talked about what happened." I point out the obvious. "I heard Aidan coming through the door last night."

Her shoulders drop in defeat and she pushes her plate away from her, looking as if she suddenly lost her appetite. "Everything was going fine at first," She explained. "We made popcorn, started watching a movie, but you know how I get Ro."

I raise a brow at her, waiting for her to continue.

"We started... making out." She mutters shyly. "And it was going good, so fucking good but I pushed him away. I got scared."