Kiss My Ice

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My brows furrowed. "Who said anything happened?"

He didn't hesitate to answer. "Maybe the fact that you actually asked me for a favor?" Chris leaned back on heels. "I mean the last time we talked; you weren't exactly happy that I started a conversation."

"That was different," I grumbled. "I was in a bad mood for several reasons."

"Right, of course. So, you would have happily had a conversation with me if you hadn't been hungover?"

I sucked in a harsh breath. Chris wasn't stupid, he knew that I still wouldn't have wanted to talk to him. I couldn't blame him for being suspicious. Technically something had happened, or he was right, I wouldn't have talked to him.

He's just teasing you, Zoe. It wasn't a secret that I tried to avoid the hockey team.

His grin didn't fade as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his sweatpants. He rocked forward on his toes, back to his heels. "So, what's this favor?"

I took a breath.

"I need your help to learn hockey."

Chris's smile fell, replaced quickly by confusion. "Isn't that Aiden's job? I thought that was kind of the whole point of your punishment."

"Technically. That's why I need your help though."

I went into detail with Chris, explaining to him what had happened with Aiden earlier in the week. I explained to him why I was hoping to learn some tips and tricks about hockey so that I could use them on Aiden. If he wanted to trick me into a bet, well, I figured two could play at that game. I told Chris my theory of Aiden getting help from someone else, explaining how highly unlikely it was that he had never been on a pair of figure skates. He had to have gotten help elsewhere.

Minutes of silence seemed to pass. Chris's face held an unreadable expression. He looked deep in thought, but about what, I didn't have a clue. Each minute that passed made my anxiety grow. I needed him to give me answer. Or, at the very least, say something.

"So?" I finally asked, letting my impatience get the best of me. Good or bad, I needed to know his answer.

Chris snapped his eyes to mine, instantly filling me with dread. His expression was blank. I still couldn't tell what he was thinking.

I swallowed a hard lump that'd formed in my throat. "You're going to tell him."

Finally, his eyebrows shot up; the first expression I'd seen from him in minutes. He shook his head, let out a soft chuckle. "I didn't say that." He pulled his right-hand from his pocket and ran it through his hair. "But you do realize how childish this sounds, right?"

I sucked my lips in, held my breath. Letting out that breath, I looked down. "So that's a no?"

Chris chuckled. "You are awfully persistent."

I glanced back up at him, a hopeful smile rested on my face. That was not a no. "So?" I pressed once more.

A lazy grin fell onto his face, and I knew that his answer was yes without him having to verbalize it. On impulse, I leaped towards him and engulfed him in a giant hug like the two of us had been friends forever.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am going to owe you big time!"

After several seconds, my thoughts finally caught up to my actions and I quickly jumped away from Chris. Heat rushed to my cheeks, surely turning me into a tomato.