thin ice // mitch marner

CHAPTER 32

The day after New Year's, I called Auston to see what was going on. He didn't pick up. I texted him asking if we could please talk, and he replied with a simple 'No'.

I knew I had to leave him alone then, give him some space, or else I would really be nagging, and I did not want to be annoying. So on Saturday, the team was back in Toronto after two road games. I asked Mitch to let me know when he'd be out of the house and Auston would be home, and when I got the text, I set out on the bus to Auston's place.

When I reached his door, I knocked three times. I heard some shuffling leading up to the door, and a brief pause. "Go away." I could hear him say through the door. He probably looked through the peephole, and, seeing my face, wanted to wish me away.

"Please let me in." I begged. "My bus home won't come for another half hour, and it's cold out." I pouted, and sure enough, the door opened slightly.

I pushed it the rest of the way open, but Auston wasn't standing on the other side. I took off my boots and jacket and slowly made my way to his room at the end of the hallway. He was sat on the edge of his bed, controller in hand, playing a game on the Xbox.

"Hey." I said, sitting beside him. No answer.

"I know you're mad at me. I just want to talk about it." I say. He scoffs, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"How am I supposed to do anything if you don't tell me why you're mad?" I ask after the awkward pause. He wasn't even speaking to me.

"Uh, hello?" I say. His eyes stared straight ahead. Obviously I was mad. He claims to be annoyed at me but won't even have the decency to explain why.

I whipped the controller out of his hand. "Can you turn off your fucking game and talk to me?" I shout. His eyes widen. "You're being so rude right now."

He pulls the controller back, standing up to turn off the television screen. He looks at me with a very annoyed look. "Trust me, Natalie, you should not be the angry one."

"Then explain why. Please." I say.

He sits back down on his bed, this time across from me.

"You thought it'd be a good idea to kick me out of a party? Seriously?" He asks, his eyes boring into mine.

"That's why you're mad?" I thought his reasoning would be a lot worse. At least I could work with this.

"You yelled at me, humiliated me, and kicked me out. What the hell was wrong with you?" He looked angry, but this time, wouldn't meet my eye.

I grew silent. "Didn't I explain?" I asked. I remember giving him an explanation the night of, yet I don't remember my reasoning.

"Yeah, you said something about me being awkward and not fitting in because all your friends go to university, or something. You were wasted and had hickeys on your neck, you weren't making any sense."

I roll my eyes. "They weren't hickeys." I say. "And did I actually say that?" I instantly feel bad. Imagine how he feels, thinking he'd have fun joining me, Mitch, and our friends on New Year's Eve, but getting kicked out of the party after 5 minutes by his best friend.

He sighs. "I don't get it. You were being rude, yeah." He looks away. "What is it? Are you embarrassed of me or something? You don't want the attention?"

"Okay, no." I sigh too.

"But Marns was there. Because, what, he does fit in with your friends? You guys are all buddies?" He looks at me accusedly now.

"No, it's because he's been around my friends before." I knew I had to tell Auston a somewhat version of the truth, he did seem really upset about this, as much as I didn't want him to be.