One of the things that Charlotte Rose Johnston loved the most, besides lacrosse and hockey, was her privacy.
It was time for her new adventure, and being that she received her first Division 1 athletic offer to play men's ice hockey at the Universit...
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Charlotte's eyes opened to a bright streaming light lazily flowing in and out of the room through the foggy windowsill. Puffy white clouds floated by the sun, causing the sunlight to ebb and flow like the ocean. Gaining her senses, she felt herself wrapped in a basket of strong arms, tucked under the chin of none other than Luke Warren Hughes. The feeling was more familiar than anything else, but the timing was foreign.
She rolled over, propping herself up against his chest that rose and fell at a slow tempo. He always slept like a rock. Luke's arms stayed clenched tight around her body, pressing her against his under the covers.
Lying on his chest now, Charlotte studied his features. His curly hair was almost gold in the sunlight, and it was adorably messy. Some loose curls fell onto his forehead and face. His eyes were shut gently, and his forehead lacked the lines that were usually apparent and caused by stress. His eye-bags were dull and his lips were parted in breath.
She watched him sleep with a tiny smile, feeling so incredibly small in his long arms. Just like old times. Just like the night of his seventeenth birthday.
Luke inhaled sharply, and shifted in his sleep. He rolled slightly from left to right before his eyes opened ever so slightly. Although he was still blinking the exhaustion from his eyes, he smiled a blinding smile upon seeing the red headed girl propped against his chest.
He took in her face. Studying her narrow eyes, thick eyebrows and puffy cheeks, she looked less irritated than usual. No, she looked happy. She looked at peace. Healed.
Her smile widened, prompting Luke's to as well.
"What?" Luke asked groggily.
Charlotte bit her lip.
"You still snore," she replied in a sharp tone, giggling as though on helium.
"You fucking jerk," Luke tousled her hair with on arm, messing it up and pulling it down across her face. She attempted to dodge his hand but ended up nestling further towards him. Scoffing, she blew a breath from her mouth to flick her side bangs out of her way.
"You're one to talk," she replied, rolling her eyes.
The two paused briefly, watching one another hold back a laugh before falling into a fit of laughter together.
"You do know that you talk in your sleep right?" Luke questioned through laughter, propping himself and Charlotte up.
Charlotte's features turned suddenly serious.
"Aw c'mon, I thought we were having a nice little moment," she snapped, shoving off Luke and standing. He protested with a whine. She shot him a quick middle finger over her shoulder. Stretching her arms up over her head, she felt her light silk sleeping shirt rise with her strong arms. She squeezed out a labored noise and leant to the other side too, feeling her back loosen slightly.
Luke watched, a furious blush creeping back into his features. It was too early for this. He pinched his nose with his hand and took a deep breath.
The gesture reminded him of his older brother and he remembered what they had spoke about just last night.
"Hey, it's our only day off this week. Wanna get breakfast?" He held his breath waiting for a reply.
"Sure, yeah, whatever. As long as I'm not paying," Charlotte answered, ducking into the bathroom. Luke could hear her brushing her long hair. He silently pumped his fist in celebration and stood, crossing to his much colder side of the room.
Charlotte sat across the table from her childhood best friend at a cozy off-campus café. No one would catch them there together and ask for an autograph or the address to the hockey frat. Luke wore a New York Yankees hat low over his curly brunette hair and an oversized tan patterned flannel over a hoodie. He was comfortable and so was she. Charlotte picked out her favorite sweatsuit and kept her hair long and cascading down her back.
She watched as the boy in front of her repeatedly struggled to spread butter across his thick slice of rye toast. His hand almost encapsulated the entire knife and he scraped chunks of toast clean off his bread. Charlotte stifled a laugh by biting her lip.
"Y'know Luke, maybe you should try the butter knife, and give the serrated knife a break," she suggested. Luke sighed and loudly placed his hand on the table.
"Really?" His eyes were wide with sarcasm.
"Hey I'm just saying!" She teased, shrugging her shoulders up and down. The soft must swelled in the background of their conversation, framing their interaction with nostalgia.
Luke faked a harsh smile before swapping out his knives.
Rolling his wide eyes, "I don't know how many times we're gonna say this today, but you're one to talk- especially after that burnt egg incident on my mom's birthday a couple years back,"
Charlotte's jaw hung shockingly open, and her eyes shot wider than usual.
"Holy shit," she giggled, covering her mouth as she did so, "-low blow man, low blow,"
She winced in a mocking fashion, taking another sip of her cold brew.
"You know that was an accident," she added, "-but you know what wasn't? You forgetting her birthday all together and posting a happy birthday post three days before her actual birthday!"
"She didn't even see it!" He complained, clutching his chest.
"Yeah but about forty-thousand other people did see it," the red haired girl added absentmindedly, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"You trended on Twitter for like four weeks. Remember? Hashtag Hughes-Mama-Is-That?"
Luke shrugged, frowning slightly.
"I think they just thought I was a mama's boy," guessed Luke.
Charlotte shook her head, running her tongue along her teeth.
"I have zero hope for you- how's your tea by the way? Did you make that right or do you need a how-to tutorial on how to use the tea-bag?"
Luke looked more offended than ever, setting the forkful of breakfast sausage that was just in his mouth back on the plate in front of him.
"Y'know what?" He took a long swig from the teacup that looked comically small in his broad hands, "-it's delicious, thank you. Unlike your damn post workout smoothies. What even are those? They look radioactive as shit."
It was now Charlotte's turn to pretend to be insulted as she almost doubled over in laughter.
"Fine Luke," she replied, "-guess I just gotta skip going to breakfast with you from now on now that I know you're just gonna complain the whole time."
Luke weighed his options, tilting his head from side to side. He chewed with his fist covering his mouth and swallowed.
"I'm just gonna make you pay."
"Oh hell no. Remember you're in the presence of a game MVP."
"I fucking hate you, Rose."
"You know you love me, asshole."
he is NEVER beating the loser allegations. also IK this chapter was kinda different. Lmk what u think <3 my babies what the fuck. excuse me while I sob. I love them so bad it hurts me.
