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

twenty seven

Vincent Thompson☽

Thanksgiving came and went.

There goes another holiday spent without my dad.

Thomas and I flew back in today. Dante and the Sullivans are going to be back tonight, giving me an ample amount of time to work on how to salvage whatever remains of our friendships.

I can hash things over with the guys. I value them and their friendship. Hell, I'd even consider them to be family.

I told Scarlett I wanted to change, so it's time I really shape up and do that. The only way I can earn her trust back is by proving that I want this for myself.

I miss the guys. I don't like arguing with any of them. Especially Dante. He's like a brother to me, just like Thomas and the rest of the guys.

By channeling this aggression and anger elsewhere, I can fix my friendships and hopefully, along the way, gain back her trust.

I've always turned to hockey for that, but last game I ignited a fight. I've already fought Aidan, Chase, and now Patrick. I can't be acting this way now with all eyes on me.

My chances with the NHL were almost fucked because of that stunt I pulled. I'm lucky Dante was so forgiving and told the scouts he started it.

"You wanna go for a liquor run? The guys should be back in a bit and I wanna go grab some meat for the grill tonight. Seems like a warmer night, so I was thinking hotdogs by the fire?"

"Yeah sure man, let me get my keys."

We lock up and head out to hit up the local grocery store and liquor store.

"You run into the liquor store and I'll start on the meat. Probably would be quicker than both of us going together," Thomas suggests. "The guys should be landing shortly anyways so let's make this quick!"

We park in the lot closest to the grocery store and I catch a glimpse of someone I think I know until she's gone.

Thomas walks into the store and I turn around to go to the liquor store.

I get a cart and start to pick out a few bottles and a couple of cans of beer that the guys like when I see the lady again.

"Hey! Lady!" as I push the cart swiftly through the store. The bottles make a lot of noise and I realize they might break.

"Hey! You handed me a letter the other day!" I shout down the aisle and she stops in her tracks.

I make my way over and she turns around.

"Do you know the lady who wrote the letter? Did she give it to you?" I ask her and she still remains quiet.

"Please! It's all I have left of my mother," I choke out and I can tell she wants to say something.

I start to turn around my cart before she starts to say something.

"I know her."

"You know her? My mother?"

"Kind of. I need to go, sorry!" as she scurries out of the store.

I gotta catch her. I leave our liquor in the cart and run out into the parking lot. She's gone again.

Fuck!

I run back in to go back to the cart and pay for everything. Thomas was waiting out front of my car with his hands full of grocery bags.

"That took you long enough! These bags are heavy. I'm burning a sweat," he groans as I unlock the doors.

We load up everything in the back seats and drive back home.