“What’s running through that pretty head, kiddo?” I jump, turning my head to see my dad staring at me through the rearview mirror.
I give him a smile, waving it off. “I’m fine, Pops. This dress is just annoying.” I look down at the silky baby blue material. The dress was a thin spaghetti strap that fell right above my knee. Riggs had thrown it at me, claiming she found it in her closet, but it still had the tag on it and it was in my size. I hated it when she spent money on me. The dress probably cost more than the red Louis Vuitton’s she bought for my eighteenth birthday.
“You look beautiful, though. I can’t help but wonder how you’d look with your hair straight though. Those crazy curls are distracting from your beauty!” Preston’s voice comes as no surprise. It’s rare he doesn’t have an opinion on a topic.
I give him a smile at the compliment. I tug at one of my kinky curls, agreeing with him. They can be a little wild sometimes. I bet if it was straight this dress might not look as crazy on me. I’ll try it next time, I guess.
“I think her curls are perfect with that dress. She hates straightening her hair anyway.”
I look back at my dad. He is glaring at Preston through the rearview mirror making me want to smack the back of his head for staring. I am surrounded by the most protective people on the planet.
“Oh, I meant no offense, love. Just an option,” he states quickly, his hand lays on my bare knee, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb. My dad just grunts in response. I lean back into the seat staring out of the window, thinking about how different my life is now.
I went from being a kid who just wanted Lemonheads and to be on the ice, to a woman in the WNHL with little girls looking up to her. I have a boyfriend whose family had more than God, a healthy father, and the best friend I could ever ask for. I had a life people only dream of and yet, it still felt empty.
Missing him was the hardest part. I missed him all the time. His voice, his company, his hugs, all of it. It would have been easy to fall into Bishop’s arms the other night, to let him tell me he loved me, and we might have ended with a happy ever after.
But I owed it to myself to demand better. I wasn’t a girl he could want behind closed doors, and then when she moved on, he wanted her. I wouldn’t be that girl. I deserved better.
I owed it to Preston to be faithful to him. Falling back into Bishop looked a lot like jumping headfirst into a pitch-black hole. Would I fly? Would I die? Is there a bottom? Does it go on forever? There were too many what ifs to risk my heart with the person who broke it in the first place.
Preston leans closer to me, whispering in my ear, “Have you given any more thought about what I asked you the other day?”
I bite the inside of the cheek, holding back my temper. He waited until I was around my dad to ask this again, probably thinking I’d say yes to avoid an argument in front of him. That’s the lawyer in Preston coming out, always thinking with a second agenda.
I look over at him. “I’m not moving in with you yet.”
Preston had begged me to move in with him after college. He had just gotten a new luxury apartment from his dad in South Loop. The view of the skyline was beautiful. Sometimes when I would stay over, and he fell asleep, I’d walk to the window and just overlook the city. I loved the apartment, but I didn’t want to live with him.
Plus, Riggs and I had already had a great Brownstown apartment in East Lakeview that was five minutes away from Riggs’ work, seventeen minutes from the arena, and twelve from Preston’s apartment. It was perfect. Plus, I loved living with Aurelia. It was a sleepover every night of the week.
“You can’t live with your friend forever, Valor. Plus you are wasting money paying rent there when you stay at my place anyway.” His brown eyes plead with me to rethink this, but my mind is already made up. I’m not ready. Plus if I am anywhere all the time it’s the arena. I’m there more than anywhere else.
I lean forward, pecking his lips. “Not happening.”
For one second I see anger flash behind those obsidian gems, but he covers it up with a smile. I’m not in a rush. We just graduated from college. There isn’t any need to rush things. He was just starting law school, and I hadn’t even made it through my first year in the league.
We had time.
“I’ll tame that wild side one of these days, Valor Lila,” he says sweetly, kissing my forehead. I just shake my head laughing it off.
“Looks like we are here,” my dad announces, and I nod. Once we pull into our appropriate parking spot, we all get out of the car and head towards the entrance of the event. It’s being hosted at the arena, like most of these things.
Today we are hosting a charity event for children with chronic illness. This is one of my favorite parts of being an athlete. We get to have a hand in making these young children happy. There is no greater feeling than seeing a kid light up when they see you. You are their hero, and it makes all the lost games, the hard practices, and injuries worth it.
I make my way through the event, greeting coaches, players, and members of the organization. I don’t bother introducing Preston. He is fully capable of making himself known in the conversations.
I watch Jane cut her eyes at me as I walk by. I decide avoiding her is the best bet today. I don’t want her to sour my mood at this event. Since I start on the first line and had been moved up the other day, she’s been even more up my ass. They moved her down to the third line wing, and she isn’t happy about it.
I’ve learned to ignore her. The rest of the girls are warming up to me though. I think they just like winning and I’m their best shot at doing that. I am over people asking me questions about the epic legacy I have to live up to. It’s all anyone talks about─my last name. That shit has gotten old.
I was walking away from a little girl with epilepsy when I heard my name.
“Baby Sullivan?”
I turn to see Nico. He opens his arms for a hug. I swear this guy never ages. He still has that boyish face he had when I met him all those years ago. I smile warmly, stepping into his arms and hugging him tightly.
“How is it that you’ve been tearing up the ice for the same organization as me, and this is the first time I’m seeing you in what, three years or something?!”
I pull away from the hug, four years actually. I don’t bother correcting him. There isn’t any point. I gave him a smirk. “It’s all those women who keep you busy, Southie.”
“Hey now, keep it down. I don’t want all these kids’ moms to know I’m a player. I gotta keep my boyish charm intact.”
“God forbid,” I joke. “Where is Kai? I haven’t seen him.”
“He had a family emergency or something. He’s real secretive about it. I don’t even think he told Bishop.”
My dad arrives shortly after, shaking Nico’s hand. It pulls the conversation away from Malakai which has me curious. The longer we stand with him, the more nervous I get that Bishop is going to show up.
“Sorry love, I was talking to the general manager. Apparently he’s worked with my dad in the past, what did I miss?” Preston announces as he slips his arm around my waist looking at Nico.
“Preston, this is Nico, he plays for the men’s team. Nico, this is Preston.” I look at Nico. “My boyfriend.” Nico’s eyebrow rises at me. If faces had voices, he would be saying, this guy? Really? He reaches forward to shake Preston’s hand which he returns.