Frozen in Ice

Chapter 41

Luke's POV

"Wait, timeout, what the fuck?" I asked.

Mom was glaring at Matthew and I really didn't think that it was his fault.

"Start from the beginning," I told him.

"Your Mom and I used to be together. She left when she was pregnant and didn't tell me why or where she went. I tried finding her but it took ages. Every time that I found her she seemed to have just left," Matthew said.

"So that is why we really move?" I asked Mom.

She didn't say anything but I could see how guilty she looked and I knew that she was right.

I really didn't know what to say and I tuned out of the conversation that Mom and Matthew were having. I couldn't listen to this anymore. I stood up and headed out. I heard both adults calling my name from behind me but I couldn't stay.

I had my hockey bag with me and that was the only place that I could think of going. I pretty much ran there. Fortunately it was empty but the door was also locked. The locker was old and I managed to pick it in a couple of minutes.

I changed and flicked the lights on. I had headphones in so that I wasn't so stuck in my own thoughts. It wasn't really that late and I was surprised that there wasn't a rec team using the rink. I knew there was a schedule but I didn't care for anyone other than my own team.

After a while I started shooting pucks at the net, making them as hard and fast as I could. I was working myself as hard as I could. I had already been there for a couple of hours when I heard someone speak from behind me.

"Sorry, I didn't realise that anyone else was going to here," he said.

I turned around to see a man standing on the edge of the rink. I wasn't sure what to say to him because I wasn't sure if he knew that I wasn't supposed to be in here.

"I was just coming to sit here and think. You can keep working," he said.

I nodded and turned my back to him. He took a seat on the stands and I continued to work. I knew that I could spend much longer out on the ice as I was starting to tire but I didn't want to leave yet. The guy didn't say anything the whole time that I was working and was still sitting there when I packed up.

"You are a good player," he said.

I offered him a shy smile and nodded.

"Who do you play for?" he asked.

I told him about my school team and we talked about that for a couple of minutes before I decided that I should shower, change and leave. He nodded and I was pleased that he never asked about whether I was supposed to be in here.

It was weird being in a completely empty and silent locker room but I did appreciate not having to deal with Mark. Once I changed I sat down and I had time to think. I wasn't completely sure what I should do or where I should go.

After a five minute mental discussion with myself I decided that I would start by getting food since I had been working for hours and hadn't really eaten since lunch.

There was a small restaurant near to the rink. I ordered something simple and it didn't take long to get it out to me. I grabbed my phone out and saw the number of messages I had from Mom. I locked my phone again without reading them because I didn't want to deal with it today.

In the end it was an easy decision to end up at Brynn's. I couldn't go home tonight in case Mom was still there and I couldn't do that tonight.

Brynn was the one that answered the door and she was surprised to see me standing there. She didn't question it and let me in which was lucky because it was nine at night. Her parents were in the lounge and they also didn't question it and I just followed Brynn into her room.

We both sat down on her bed, our backs resting against the wall, our feet intertwined.

"What happened?" she asked simply.

I told her about Matthew and our conversation yesterday and then our conversation today and the things that I found out. She didn't say anything for a minute and we sat there.

"So, she never told you why you moved?" she asked.

"She always told me that she was getting transferred. I should have realised that it was lie," I said.

"And what did she say about you Dad?"

"Nothing, I gave up asking years ago because she would never tell me."

We didn't talk anymore and I was so tired from training that I didn't have the motivation to get back up again and I drifted off to sleep like that. I was vaguely aware of Brynn moving beside me and she changed our position so that we were both lying down.

I woke the next morning with Brynn still close to me. Her arms were loosely around me and her face was buried in my shoulder. I knew that I couldn't move without waking her so I didn't. We had at least another ten minutes before we had to get up for school and I wasn't intending on getting up until then.

I felt Brynn groan against my skin and she knew that I was already awake.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

I just shrugged because I wasn't really sure and I didn't want to talk about it.

"I'll go home tonight. I just wasn't sure if Mom was going to be there," I explained.

She nodded and we both slowly got out of bed. I used her bathroom after her and changed into the spare clothes in my hockey bag. I talked to Brynn's parents as bit as I ate and headed out with Brynn to school.

I was still tired and I knew that it was going to be a long day but I could deal with it.

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The Wise One