Shattered Truths by H. Hunting & Helena Hunting

Author:H. Hunting & Helena Hunting [Hunting, H. & Hunting, Helena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ink & Cupcakes Inc
Published: 2023-08-27T16:00:00+00:00

21 THE SAFEST PLACE

Winter

My mom is tired after all the excitement, so the Sunshine Center picks her up from the arena, and I meet the team at Iced Out, messaging BJ on the way. He’s not scheduled to perform until this afternoon, so I don’t expect to hear from him, but I wish him luck. I want to save the college news until he’s home, because it doesn’t feel like a text conversation.

My teammates bombard me with questions when I arrive. Fern decides my news about college is a reason to celebrate and invites everyone over to swim and hang out. Her place is small, like mine, but well maintained.

BJ messages at dinnertime with good news. He and Adele placed third overall, which means they’re moving on. They’re having a celebratory dinner in Chicago before they drive home, so I don’t rush back.

At nine he messages that he’s home, so I catch a ride with one of my teammates, but by the time I arrive, BJ is already dead asleep, with the light on, holding his phone. I set the device on the nightstand and cover him with a blanket before flicking off the light and leaving him to sleep.

The last couple of weeks have been intense; he’s been on the ice six to eight hours a day rehearsing, and despite his easy personality, the struggle to perfect that triple-twist lift was eating at him.

I work on an assignment for my class, but I’m exhausted from the high of today, so at ten I climb into bed. I wake at midnight to use the bathroom, and my brain turns on. Unable to settle, I go downstairs to get a glass of water and find BJ standing at the sliding glass door, eating a banana. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. His hair hangs down, freed from its usual tie, the ends barely reaching his chin. It’s shorter than usual, because he had it cut right before the competition.

“Hey,” I whisper as I move to stand beside him.

He turns his head, and I can see the five o’clock shadow on his cheeks. He had to shave his beard yesterday for the competition. It was a little startling to see him without facial hair. It makes him look more his age. But he has a strong, angular jaw, high cheekbones and full lips. I like both versions equally.

“You didn’t wake me up when you got home.”

I rest my cheek on his biceps. “You fell asleep with the light on. I figured you were exhausted and needed sleep more than anything.”

“Mm... I was pretty beat.” He wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. “Yesterday was long. My dad said you scored two goals and an assist. I wish I could have been there to see it.”

“And I wish I could have been there to see you compete.”

“Maybe next time.”

“Fingers crossed we can make that work.” Although I’m not sure Adele will be all that excited to have me there.

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