Jack Hughes | Golden Boy

Chapter Sixteen | Fool's Gold

Isabel and I sat at my kitchen counter, glasses of chardonnay in our hands. 

The two of us wore long, white t-shirts that read 'bride' and 'maid of honour' in inky black cursive. 

'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' played on the TV in the background, our laughter morphing into the laugh track from the show.

"God, I'm so glad we're doing this just the two of us. There's no place I'd rather be than with you," Isabel said with a smile, raising her glass in a figurative salute. 

Our friendship had come a long way since the day we met, but if there's one thing I'm glad about, it's that I could be with her on her special day.

"So am I," I chuckled lamely. 

I brushed my hand through my hair haphazardly and slowly brought my hand to my lips. 

"Shit, Izzy, you're getting married tomorrow," I huffed with excitement, watching as Isabel's eyes sparkled with abundant glee.

"I'm getting married tomorrow," she exclaimed with a tiny dance. 

She thrust her arms as she shimmied in her seat. 

"But enough about me. We've been talking about nothing but the wedding and Quinn and I for months. What's been going on with you?" she asked expectantly, her brow raised in question. 

"Any boys?" she questioned suggestively. 

Isabel always had a way of dragging the answers out of me, but I didn't mind all that much.

My eyes flickered down the hall to where Jack resided momentarily. 

"Not really," I uttered with a shrug, my lips turned down thoughtlessly.

Isabel shook her head repeatedly. 

"Hey, no way. I saw that look," she stated, pointing her finger down the hall to where I had previously peaked. 

"Jack?" she asked expectantly, a pleasant yet shocked look on her face. 

I flushed. 

"No, it's okay, Farah. Hey, and if everything works out, we could actually be sisters somewhere down the line," she assured, rising from her seat at my kitchen table, glass of white wine in her hand.

I blubbered, trying to stop her from leaving. 

"I'm gonna turn in early. I am supposed to be a blushing bride tomorrow, after all. I'll be in your room, I hope to not see you there later," she said with a wink as she traipsed towards the hallway that led to my bedroom.

Silence filled the room as she disappeared from view, but that silence was one that was shortly lived. 

"Oh hi, Jack," I heard Isabel state, her voice filtering throughout the house. 

I heard a soft grumble before my eyes met a pair of translucent blue ones.

Jack's face brightened significantly as he noticed my figure. 

I could feel his eyes scan over me. 

And I heard the chuckle that left his lips as he noted my shirt. 

I sent him a smile that he quickly reciprocated. 

He nodded his head towards the television, motioning towards it with his thumb. 

"There's a game playing on channel 27. I'm leaving early tomorrow to help Quinn out, so I figured I'd catch it now. Wanna join me?" he asked suggestively, his eyes flickering with hope.

I nodded eagerly, soon finding myself situated on the couch, encircled by Jack's muscular arms. 

Jack began to mutter random suggestions at the screen, tightening his hold around me whenever a player neared the net. 

His eyes sparkled with interest and desire; desire to be on the rink. 

Immediately, I knew that he made the right choice in pursuing hockey.

It was clear he loved it, and no one should ever be denied of a thing they loved so much. 

Slowly, Jack's gaze flickered down to my own. 

He seemed shocked to find it trained on him and not the screen. 

"You're missing the game," he said, a gentle smile on his lips. 

"I don't know much about hockey," I admitted to him honestly, watching as Jack's lips parted in what appeared to be both shock and awe.

A twinkle filled Jack's charming blue eyes and a beam filled his lips. 

"Well, then I'll just have to teach you a thing or two, won't I?"

All of a sudden, Jack was throwing terms at me, his eyes alight with excitement. 

His hold around me was firm and comfortable. 

And it seemed to tighten around me slightly whenever he described something that was directly happening in the game.

I might not know anything about hockey, I might not even find it interesting. 

But I'll say this, if watching hockey could bring this much passion out of Jack, it was undeniably worthwhile.