Face-Off With Fate: A Rink Romance | Book #1 of UM Hockey Series

seven

Scarlett Redd☾

Of course, we'd end up at Sweetwaters. We make the best coffee.

I don't like going to work on my days off...don't wanna have the boss see me in this shape.

Lucky for me, Ailish was opening this morning as she said that Todd had an emergency to tend to. Something about a flood at his apartment and having to call maintenance.

The whole conversation her eyes are locked on Vincent as he gives her a slight nod of acknowledgement. He grabs my waist and pulls me closer to his body before her eyes shift back to me.

"Okay, let's get two coffees, mine black and his..." "With two sugars and a blueberry muffin!" he exclaims before handing Ailish a twenty dollar bill and snatching back his change.

"This isn't a date, I could have paid before that!" I shout.

He looks back at me with this goofy look on his face. For someone so tired, he seems to have a lot of energy. I think it was the adrenaline when I kicked him out that gave him the boost.

It wasn't too busy this morning, but he walked over to claim one of the couches while I waited for our coffees and his muffin.

"Girl, no way you bagged yourself thee Vincent Thompson, good for you!" Ailish whispers.

"No, no, I didn't bag anybody, we're honestly friends, sorta, I guess..." I quietly trail off.

She hands me both of our coffees and muffin and I make my way over to the couch he was sitting at.

"It's nice in here, it's a shame it took me over four years to step foot in it," he says before taking a bite into his muffin.

"But, you were here the other day?"

"Yeah, but it was a stop and go, never got the chance to soak it all in," he argues.

It was his loss anyway, this is one of the best coffee establishments in the area. I take a few sips of my coffee as he finishes eating his muffin.

"I'm gonna get another one, you want?" I shake my head and continue to slowly sip my coffee.

I can feel myself beginning to wake up and realize that people have been looking right at us.

Everyone always stares at Vincent, but I don't like the attention.

He makes his way back over with another muffin and before he can sit down, I grab his coffee, and head for the door.

"Hey, what the hell was that about? I was enjoying it in there!" he calls out.

"Shhh, you're being too loud, my head kills," I groan back. "Everyone was staring, I didn't like it."

"So we can't be seen in public? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" he snarkily replies.

"No, it's not that, if anything, you should be embarrassed to be seen with me," I mumble back.

"And where did you get that stupid impression? Why wouldn't I want to be seen with you? Get over the Max shit, it's not a big deal!" he says in an angry tone. "He's just a frat boy who throws a tantrum when he doesn't get what or who he wants, of course, he's gonna make it a whole thing."

I've tried to move forward from the Max thing but it somehow comes back up all the damn time. I shake off his comment and walk in the direction of the hockey house.

"I could use the fresh air, I'll drop you off and walk home," in an attempt to reason with him.

"I didn't let you walk home alone yesterday and most definitely won't be letting you walk home alone today. Only crazy people are up this early..." he concluded.