Equal Ice // Harry Styles AU

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Gabrielle’s POV

Another week or so had passed since Harry and I unexpectedly encountered his coach at his aunt’s house. Surprisingly since then I haven’t heard anything from anyone about me and Harry being together. Nothing from my dad, or Bella, nothing from anyone that Harry’s coach might’ve told.

I had to admit that I was pretty shocked that he hadn’t told anyone, shocked yet relieved and happy with the fact that he hasn’t said anything. I figure he was just waiting until the perfect time to get us in trouble with basically everyone who works or trains at that rink.

Today was the day that I was most apprehensive for, the day that the renovations were done and we could all go back to our normal schedules of training. Just a week ago I was so excited that it was getting closer and closer to getting to go back to the rink, and I should be feeling like that right now, but the stress is getting to me. I was worried that with everyone being back and everyone being at the rink, Harry’s coach may take that as the perfect time to tell everyone.

I wanted to stop thinking about all this but I couldn’t, I felt like I was back in public high school and was worried about gossip being spread about me around school, expect this time it was an ice rink which was a pretty different environment, but somewhat the same since gossip would spread around that place fast.

Someone could tell somebody something interesting about someone else in the morning and by afternoon everyone would know about it, so that it was I was worried about. Especially since as information goes from person to person, each person will always add something extra to it to make it more interesting to whomever they’re telling it to. Having workers around the rink talking about me and everything wasn’t what was really bothering and worrying me, okay it was, but it wasn’t the main thing.

What I was really worrying me and nagging at my mind was what the reactions from everyone I was close to was going to be.

For starters, Bella, I let her go on a date with Harry, let her have a crush and fantasize over him, and was responsible for one of the worst dates of her life. We have talked about Harry so many times and there were so many opportunities for me to bring him up and I didn’t take advantage of those many opportunities to tell her, because in this whole situation I was pretty selfish and didn’t want to tell her.

Then there is my dad, my own father who doesn’t know about his daughter’s personal life. I’m all he really has right now since the rest of his family life in Springfield, which is a solid five or six hours away from us. I never gave him the chance to be that over protective father to me when a guy comes over, not really meaning all the threats he gives but wanting to make sure he treats me right. Just like I did with Bella, I had so many chances to tell him about Harry.

He was the most suspicious, and he even got me to tell him Harry’s name, but I wouldn’t tell him that he was a hockey player even though right then and there I should’ve just told him everything and I probably wouldn’t be under the stress that I am now. Now that I’ve waited so long and still haven’t told him anything, I am going to be in even more trouble then I would’ve been if I had told him earlier since I’ve gone so long without telling him anything.

I was having mixed emotions about having him find out through someone else that wasn’t me.

On the plus side I wouldn’t have to worry about telling him and figuring out a way to tell him, but on the down side, it’s pretty bad for me if he found out from some random person at the rink, or even worse, Harry’s hockey coach whom he despises. I’d be in so much trouble no matter what, but if he found out from someone else I knew he’d be pretty upset with me with the fact that I wasn’t the one to tell him and he had to find out through the rink gossip.

I hoping that since he hardly ever comes to the rink that there’s a possibility that he might not find out, but this week would probably be the time he decided to come to watch me practice, he’d be coming when the gossip was going to be at it’s highest since everyone would’ve found out the new information to talk about a few days or so ago.

Even if he didn’t come to the rink, there was bound to be that one person who worked at the rink that my dad still talked to that would call him and start a conversation about me and Harry being together, and my dad have no idea what he’s talking about until his friend explained it all. And I knew he still talked to some of the people at the rink that were on his side with this whole feud thing, so at least one of them would be sure to give him a call to ask him what he though about his daughter going out with a hockey player of all people.

All these thoughts were going through my mind as I stood at my dresser, picking out what to wearing to the rink today. I went with a pair of yoga pants, a white stop, and a light blue jacket to put on over the top.

Once I was dressed I went into the bathroom that was connected to my room and began to do everything I needed to in order to get ready. Considering that I was just going to the rink there really wasn’t much I had to do. It was different not having to worry about my hair and making sure that my makeup was perfect. While on the break since I didn’t have to go to training, and since I was with Harry a lot, I had grown accustomed to looking nice every time that I went out. Now that I was going to the rink, I just put my hair back into a ponytail and put on some foundation and mascara and my appearance was ready.

That was pretty much the only thing I changed, the rest of my morning routine was the same as always. Another thing that was different now was the time I had to get up. Over the renovation period I had just been sleeping in or setting my alarm for later than I had to wake up now for the rink which was too early.

I grabbed my skating bag off my bed after I had made sure it as packed with everything that I needed, and then I grabbed my shoes and headed downstairs. I set everything that I was carrying onto the living room couch and then went into the kitchen were my dad was, to eat breakfast.

“Good morning,” my dad said once he had noticed I had walked in.

I could tell the he was especially happy today, most likely because he was glad that I was going back to the rink today and that I could get back on my normal skating schedule.

“Good morning,” I said back as I had headed to the pantry and got out a box of cereal.

“Excited to go back to the rink?” he asked me and then took a sip of his coffee as he waited for my answer.

“Yeah,” I said casually, not making eye contact with him whatsoever as I made my breakfast.

It was hard to talk to him or even look at him right now, especially since we were now talking about the rink. Even though he’s only said one thing about the rink right now, I already knew how excited he was for me to get back to skating, and it worried me because I knew that that happy feeling he had right now might not last him the whole day.

Once I finished my breakfast, I made myself look up to see my dad’s face one more time, saving the scene in the back of my mind because I knew if he found out today it’d be a long time until he was happy for any reason while being in the same room as me.

Soon after my dad had left for work, I lay down on the couch and did what I usually did when I was stressed, and waited for Bella and her mom to come pick me up.

Thinking about that I realized that I was going to be further than ever from getting a car once my dad found out, so I really needed to start saving my money if I ever wanted to have my own car instead of having to rely on other people when I wanted to go somewhere.

I continued to wait in my living room for Bella and her mom to be here, and I was waiting for the sound of the doorbell to ring. I was at the point where I didn’t want to go to the rink right now, but since I had to, I was tired of waiting for them to get here.