Danger: Thin Ice

Ch 26: Goaltender

Darcy’s POV

Weirdly enough everyone seemed to be enjoying each other’s company so much it was like we had been friends forever. I never thought hanging out with Cade would not give me a headache but low and behold here I was sitting in the back of his pickup next to him laughing at a story he was telling about his snooty hockey instructor. The amount of time that man apparently spent yelling at Cade about his stick position before he was even on the ice was almost cringe worthy. For once I wasn’t worried about Harvey or Ms. Lilith or anything really. I was having fun and it was something I didn’t know I desperately needed at the moment.  

“Well my breaks over.” Finn said still laughing at Cade’s story.

He picked himself up off the truck and ran back to the store hurrying to clock back in on time before old Mr. Stevens caught him sitting when he was supposed to be working. I laughed at the thought of old Mr. Stevens yelling at him cane and cigar in hand going on and on about how much of an idiot he is. He wasn’t the friendliest person but he ran a good ship around here, besides he always let Harvey and some of the other homeless hang out outside when other business owners in town wouldn’t. He wasn’t too bad.

“Glad that confrontation’s over with.” Cade said puffing out a breath of air.

“Hey no one’s more relieved than me.” Darcy said. “It got tiring avoiding you after a while Darcy.”

“Same here.” I said grinning.

“Well I’m going to go buy some more snacks!” Cade said hopping out after Finn.

“Wait if you didn’t call me to come pick you up today then how’d you even get here?” Darcy said scooting over closer to me.

“I may or may not have walked…”

“You walked?! Wow you must really have a thing for Cade to actually walk somewhere.” She said teasing me.

“He asked me to be here so here I am its simple really.”

“Suuurree.”

“Oh whatever Adelaide.”

She just gave me a death stare as I cracked up practically in stitches at her expression. She always got so annoyed when I did that it just made me want to do it more, especially when she was teasing me like she was right now. I was happy our playfulness was back in full effect. We haven’t had an awkward moment yet and for that I was incredibly thankful.  

“Thanks for being civil with Finn.” She said smiling at me nudging my shoulder.

“Funny I was just going to say the same thing to you. Surprisingly enough he’s not half bad, just incredibly too caught up in what everyone thinks.”  I said shrugging my shoulders and grabbing a stray bugle off my lap.

“What would you do?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you were me, I mean I know you already voiced your opinion like you always do” she said nudging me again “but if you were me and not you what would you do?”

“I don’t know I think I’m just starting to realize people aren’t’ always the stereotypes they’re assumed to be. I guess I’d just take it one move at a time.”

“Move?”

“Eh it was my dance pun for the day.” I said laughing.

“You should take the same advice yourself. Cade isn’t bad give him a chance.”

Distressingly I realized that even before Addie had told me to give him a chance I had already started to. I didn’t know when it had happened but somewhere between all the chaos I started to feel for him, and I was beginning to figure out exactly what that feeling was. It wasn’t pity although I think at once was, it was the same feeling I had the day he ran over my brushes which felt so long ago. There was something there, something that I could relate to a voiceless person yearning to speak. He was in so few ways like me yet it didn’t feel like that at all.

“Way ahead of you.” I said looking at her knowingly.

She smiled and threw her arm around me creating cooing noises and making the tips of my ears blush, and not from the cold.

“I knew it!” she practically sang

I laughed and shook my head immediately straightening up when I heard the bell above the gas station door toll once again signaling Cade’s departure. I could hear the rustling of bags and my stomach growled at the sound. “Yes more food!” Addie said grinning leaning over the side of the truck and grabbing the bags out of his hands so he could climb back up with both hands.

His left hand started to falter and without thinking I quickly grabbed it and tried to help hoist him up so he didn’t fall, granted there was five feet of snow covering the ground but it still probably would have hurt enough and I couldn’t afford to have him break a leg now, at least that’s what I told myself initiated the random act of kindness.

“Thanks.” He said huffing as he dragged his legs over the side. I totally forgot I was still holding his hand and quickly took it out of his reach almost making him stumble over the side onto the floor of the truck making Addie snicker and throw her hand out to him.

“Sorry.” I said “my hand slipped and I just- yeah.”

You just yeah?” Addie said amused.

I glared at her while Cade laughed situating himself in-between us both on the hard seat.  “Cheetos?” he asked grabbing them out of the bag and offering them to us both. Addie and I both brought out a giant handful and crammed them into our mouths leaving very little left in the bag. Cade laughed tipping the bag and downing the rest in one chew. Next he took out the gummy worms and Addie practically started to drool at the mouth.

“If I had known food would make you nice to me I would have bought you some Twinkies a long time ago” he said looking at me.

“Ha-ha” I said sarcastically.