Breaking Ice

Chapter 9

Chloe

The first game is fast approaching as it is literally in two days time and everything has been going so much more chaotic than usual. The players are stressed, staff are stressed which means in turn I am stressed too.

It's been almost two weeks since Alexander gave me the medal and I've kept it near me ever since. Be it in the bag when I'm at work or on the nightstand if I'm home. I might have been wearing his shirt to bed almost every night unless it's a wash day. But that's obviously besides the point.

"Girl, so what will you say if we fly to Atlanta to watch the first game? I know you love hockey more than most and I got tickets." This girl. What did I do to deserve her?

"Are you freaking shitting me? Katie, how?" it is a pretty known fact that it's almost impossible to get tickets to the first game and with how busy I was, I just didn't get the chance.

And yes, she asked me to call her Katie since apparently I insisted it suits her well. Absurd as any name would suit her but I do remember some of my gibberish from that night.

"Well, I knew which game would be their first and got the tickets as soon as they went on sale. I'm pretty good at catching any sale, be it shoes or a game. So are you in?" she asked waving her phone and I nodded like a stupid teen.

"Katie, you are honestly the best. Let me pay for our tickets. We have to leave probably tonight. The game on Sunday is an early one." I was always good at planning and loved doing so. I do prefer to have a little more time to organise everything, but of course, Katie is one of those 'go with the flow' kind of people. I'm too anxious for that.

"Might be a good idea as the only thing I planned is the tickets itself. Then I forgot about them and well got the reminder about it this morning." She smiles sheepishly. Yup, as I said go with the flow. Not my forte.

"Kind of figured that one." I laugh as I grab my laptop from my desk and motion her to follow. It's lunchtime anyway. Good use of it since my hunger suddenly disappeared as the excitement and the anxiety took over.

"Let's plan out the first girls' trip then. We better make it count." Pulling up a tickets app I search for the flights. Unsurprisingly most of the good flights are gone or are being sold at a ridiculous price. After a little while I did manage to find an alright flight departing at 11:30 pm. We might be tired tomorrow, that is the least of my concerns though. We get to explore Tampa on Saturday and watch the game on Sunday. Win, win.

"Watcha doing Chloe?" Liam is standing over Katie and me with no doubt Alexander following close behind. The lucky bastards got their flights booked a long time ago so they are flying at 7 pm tonight and will have plenty of time to rest and be on ice tomorrow at dawn to have one more practice.

"Nothing that you need to worry about, Knox." Katie bites back before I even get the chance to open my mouth. What happened between those two again?

Her mood and opinion of Liam changed kind of a lot but she still refuses to talk about it. She keeps saying it's nothing important and he is a nobody to her. That is one of the biggest lies that I've heard but gotta respect her silence. Won't stop pushing her a little more, hopefully, one day she will change her beaten-up response.

"Don't be such a party pooper, Smith." Liam goes to ruffle Katie's hair but she flinches and I think that gets her point across more than clearly as Liam puts his hands up in defence. Lovers drama ain't no fun. One of many reasons why I am single and will stay that way. No matter how much my body craves the touch of certain someone.

"Liam, you annoying the girls again." Welp, speak of the devil and he shall appear. I don't have to turn around to know who the voice belongs to. I know it a little too well.