ella
escaped my lips befo
oked
neither of u
laced himself between us. "
coming back
ri
hampi
st game
then
face and focus on the assignment in front of
he athletic tra
mbn
ok his
zine
N
n prob
N
grabbed the
they looked like that. Inside,
r y
s nothing more than a painful memory. And now I was kneeling
ared across t
ill," I
't move away
them stop and
ath the old oak tree, his thumb drawing circles on my knuckles, pressing his forehead to mine and
e time I'd complain about being cold be
the gauz
win
sor
mouth curved upw
him a
he knew m
on mine. There was
ng I re
hat made my
gaze awa
n'
n't aff
he
t
with
rward,"
a
staring at me. I k
art s
ould still do tha
thletic traine
r lookin
fr
f silence stret
nded myself
ead. "Your concussion seems to be mo
smi
t s
o
d that
still recognized it before my brai
ine,"
t thrown int
survi
rtuna
le disa
y were true but his eyes changed. The playful
ort of
I was imagi
back to
that and some other clean-ups," the athletic trainer said after a
his lips, his gaze grew
hed. "It's my
His voice
use it still sounded familiar. The
used to say
time we
allo
get you of
get up. When he finally stood, he wobbled sl
ingers touched
my body remembered him as if I'd n
m go imm
ed at m
n a
ered on
lo
to shift inside me. I br
urse
I was
because I
t sure
e athletic trainer took control there. She
he cream from it to my index finger. My
my gaze travelled from the c
rying to ign
, I stayed because that wa
red equ
ed sup
his basic
away from him. Yet I still felt him watchi
here
ing
e trying to
ng to find the gir
him fo
e part of me wante
ame r
after the referee confirmed that he could join the gam
from the m
I did. He played as if
ic
cu
ntle
he puck. I tried to remind myself that I was watc
ing
t becaus
utely
ended, the whole are
had
mates sw
is stick ab
was cel
he medical team, but my smile fel
nded m
the success of m
was
he night pass
ort preparations, and enough chaos to make me forget fo
rything was ove
ulders
rain
hea
oing to dw
unteer vest and co
r glanced at me. "Y
d. "Tha
nce this was y
didn't embar
" She patted
ome sleep. We'll s
ed and
etics building. During games, it was the main treatment area for players, but on re
glass doors and cool
a deep
na
as o
ld go
ld sh
d go t
that today had
steps along
sto
le in my b
l in his team jacket. His hockey bag was lying next to him. His hair was we
was w
r
perhaps he was waiti
e was
d back
immediately and he took
mach c
on my bag. "What a
For a second, he said nothing. T
no resentm
itte
a que
s waiting to ask
we need
red a
would've given any
sure whether I w
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