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

forty one

Scarlett Redd☾

I never liked this time of the year. It's been almost two weeks since I've been back and winter breaks has just started.

It's still cold and snowy out. I'm behind at least a month's worth of classes. I decided to stay back during the break to catch up where I lacked.

I haven't been to the library in a while. I wonder if the librarian misses me. I missed the library. And the rink. And surprisingly, I missed working.

Even with my newfound money, I told Aunt Lucy, I'd use the money to pay off parts of the funeral and then eventually sell the house.

A couple of thousand dollars, more like fifty thousand dollars, would be able to just cover the bulk of my loans.

Unfortunately, Aunt Lucy helped me out with all the funeral expenses and the least I could do was help her. She insisted that I should not worry, but it was not her responsibility.

It wasn't fair, not to her, and not to me. I insisted that I'd pay off the funerals and then once the house sold, I'd pay off my loans.

Luckily, the house is paid off. The problem is all the property taxes, and expenses it costs to keep a house running.

If I sold the place, I'd be able to buy myself a small apartment, pay off my loans, and not have to worry about money for a little while.

The house was just a house now. It shouldn't matter to me as much as it does anymore.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay here?" Brooke asks as she packs her suitcase.

"I'll be fine. Vin is staying back anyway, in case I do need anything. Look at all of this work I still have to do," as I gesture to the stack of assignments I was holding.

"I bet they would have just let you do extra makeup stuff later if you asked. You went through a lot the last few weeks," she reminds me.

"No, no, no. I'm just like every other student out there. No special treatment. I paid for my education, so I better make the most of it."

"Are you almost ready? You're gonna miss your flight," Stella shouts from the living room.

"Stella's gonna have Seb drive me to the airport on their way back. Have you spoken to Chase lately?"

"No, I just couldn't face him after his leg. I'm surprised he still came out for New Year's, crutches and all."

"He really did take it like a champ. Plus, all the pain medicine and drinking definitely helped him out to feel nothing," Brooke giggles.

"How are you and Dante?"

"He's still distance-y, but we're working on it. You know how he is," she mumbles. "Here. Sit on my carry-on. It barely can close."

I sit down as she struggles to close the zipper.

"I'm coming, just hold on," Brooke shouts as we hear the front door close.

"You better get going. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She gives me a quick hug before running for the door.

I set myself up to do my assignments when I got a phone call from Vincent.

"Short stack."

"Yes?"

"Open the door."

"You know I have work to do!  Get out of here," I shout before walking over to the door and opening it.

"Hi," he says with a smile on his face.

"Vin. I said no seeing me tonight," I say as I spin on my heels and back to my bedroom.