Ice skate with your heart

Ninety nine

Right, so this book has one more chapter left so this is the time skip Chapter. Of everything that happened in the last 7 years or so.

Lia's PoV

The 7 years have been an absolute blur. It was full of fun times, scary times, upsetting times, some heartbreak and love.

The first year of uni was fun. Parties, alcohol and lots of ice hockey. broke my nose twice.

The second year was when it all went to shit. Rocco and I weren't spending as much time as we'd like but because we had no time together, any time we did we would fight meaning Becca or Ethan had to take Sami away so she didn't see us fighting. The only time we didn't fight was the holidays when we went home.

The third and fourth year we broke up. I gave Rocco his ring back but we promised to stay friends. we thought it was the best thing to do and it was hard to do. We didn't go to class for a few days, accidentally alerting the school and we were retested. Obviously, they were more worried so we were sent home for a few weeks. When we went back we made plans on who would take care of Sami during the classes and we were good friends. We did date other people but to me, it didn't feel right. I knew in my mind Rocco was the only person for me and that's what made it so hard, he looked happier without me whereas I was a complete mess but hid it because I loved him.

I think the fifth and sixth year were easier, I had a girlfriend brought her home for Christmas and Rocco brought over his. We said that we wouldn't tell our girlfriend that we dated because it was just a lot easier like this but by the time we graduated with honours and with contracts to the New York Rangers and the US ice skating winter Olympic team we broke our relationships off so we could concentrate on our careers. We got apartments in New York for our first year and having Liam the only one in a relationship life was ok until I got a call from Rocco that brought us together again.

"Hey, Lia."

"Hey, Rocco what's up?" I asked roaming around my apartment eating ice cream after practice.

"Something, Sami's locked herself in the bathroom and she's crying pretty hard and she's asking for you. I don't know if it's dangerous but she's been coming home crying after school and shes saying shes fine even though I know she's not but she's been in there for a good 20 minutes. " Rocco rushed. By the time he had finished talking I was in my car.

"Rocco I'm on my way."

Literally a 5-minute drive later, I get to Rocco's apartment complex. He buzzes me in and as soon as he lets me in the door he hugs me.

"Thank you."

"It's fine, really."

I walk over to the bathroom and knock telling 11-year-old Sami it's me and she lets me in. Its been little over a month since I've seen her. I've just been really busy, I know that's not an excuse but that was the case.

"Lia I'm dying. I'm bleeding." She cries.

"Sami your not dying and the bleeding is normal. You've started your period and I realised why you are so scared because you were tutored we forgot to teach you about this stuff and that is actually our fault but it means that you're becoming a woman." I tell her wiping her tears.

"How do I stop it?" She asks. I look around for pads or something but apparently, Rocco isn't prepared for this.

"Hang on." I went out the bathroom and Rocco is pacing back and forth in front.

"Is she ok?" I nod going into my bag taking out a pad and a tampon and showing him and breathes out.

"I thought it was really bad." He sighs.

"Now I suggest that you buy pads and tampons and chocolate for her because she needs it." He nods and kisses me.

"Where would I be without you?" He asked before grabbing his wallet and running out, probably to the shops around the corner shop.

I go back in and I teach her about it all about it and that was when I found out why she came home crying. She told me that the girls in her school would make fun of her because she didn't wear a bra - which she did need to- so she bought one and it was too tight. She showed me and it was leaving marks on her back and shoulders. I made her take it off immediately and told her we would go shopping for it tomorrow.

As we left the bathroom Rocco was outside with everything I asked him to buy for her.

"Lia, you told him? Why would you do that?" She was really embarrassed.

"Because we are an open family and he's dealt with me and now it's your turn. It's nothing to be embarrassed about so don't be." I tell her.

"Here take these. Eat the chocolate and put the stuff in the bathroom." Rocco told her and she ran out the room.

We sat on the couch in relief and I told him the whole bra situation and he thanked me before moving into a 'we need to talk seriously' position.

"Ok, I need you to hear me out." He didn't even let me answer before he continued talking.

"It's very obvious that Sami's at the stage in life where she needs a female role model to help her with things like this because I'd have no clue what I'm doing with her at this point and to be honest I'm still in love with you, I've always been in love with you. From the moment I laid eyes on you, when you made me look like a fool on the ice, when you carried our child and those were the best time of my life. I don't want to sit on the sidelines watching you carry your life without me involved. I want you to start off again as my girlfriend, then back to my fiance, next to my wife and finally to the mother of my kids because that's how much I love you." He poured out his heart to me and I'm so happy he did.

"I love you too. I never stopped and never will." I kissed him and you know that feeling you get when you see something so cute that your heart drops? Try times that by 1000 and more, thats how I felt when we kissed.

It was that point that we realised we need each other because life isn't the same without him.