[Complete] Ariel and the Bandits

36 - Into the Storm

February is one of the colder months, if not the coldest months, during winter. Scratch that, February is definitely the coldest month of the year. And winter nor February have been very kind to us this week.

I set a timer for the fireplace to shut off in ninety minutes. I'd be home by then. At least, I hope I'll be.

Liam calls me to say his flight home has been delayed since it's predicted we'll be having a snowstorm within the week. He's stuck in Chicago for at least another four days. Instinctively, I called the one Chicagoan that would help me make sure he is in good hands. If anything, it would be more like she's in good hands with Liam.

"Anything for you, Ollie."

"Oh and Babs? Let him cook," I say. "He's a very acts-of-service kinda guy so he'll want to show his gratitude by doing stuff."

"Well, I have a list of things I could use some help with so I'll make sure to take advantage of his superman abilities."

By the time the call ends, I reach and park in the stadium's basement parking lot. I called Coach Beau last night, but he didn't get back to me until today. So I try to reach the one person I've been trying to reach for the last twenty-four hours.

I enter the parking lot elevator and it automatically cuts off the signal so I dial again.

One ring, then voicemail.

"Hey! It's Ariel. So, haha funny story, my phone and I are playing hide and seek....aaannnddd...it's winning. Leave me a message and I'll call you back as soon as I find it."

Ugh, I couldn't get over how cute her voicemail is. It doesn't help calm the thousands of emotional sparks shooting through my nervous system. Especially after the voicemail I left her yesterday.

"Ariel, I just saw the news. I uh-- I was waiting to hear from you. Call me as soon as you can. It's uh-- Oliver, by the way-- which you already know because caller ID is a thing. And you have my phone number. Okay, well... I'll talk to you soon I guess. I love you--" I slapped my hand over my mouth. "I mean, I don't-- I mean-- oh god. Is it too late to ask that you don't listen to this? I'm just gonna hang up now."

I smack my phone a couple of times against my head. I don't bother to leave a message because there's nothing I could say to follow up after yesterday's voicemail. I don't want to deny what and how I feel, but the first I love you over the phone? That's the kind of thing that needs to be said in person. I don't have enough time to overthink. Beau's office door creaks open.

"You're here. Good. Come in." Coach holds the door open for me and shuts it when I enter.

"I'm not here, actually, this is a projection from... Mars... I moved there recently out of shame." I take a seat across his desk and he slides back into his seat.

Coach rolls his eyes. He fights the small smile of mild annoyance I bring him. "I assume you're here to talk about your girlfriend quitting."

"Well --uh-- technically, she's not my girlfriend."

Coach Beau abruptly stops his movement and his eyes judge me with a level of disappointment my own mother hasn't given me. He takes a long, profound breath and taps his fingers against his temple, almost as if he wanted to kill me telekinetically. "You've gone through all this trouble for a girl, she leaves the team, and you haven't made her your girlfriend?"

I'm flabbergasted. So much has happened that I don't even remember if I officially asked. People have referred to her as my girlfriend, and mentally, in my mind, she holds that title. Oh my god, did Ariel not know she's my-- Oh my god, she doesn't-- which probably means she isn't.