Hockey Rivalry

Chapter 14

Lia

I always freeze at the worst possible moments.

I want to tell him that I can't get him out of my mind either but cat's got my tongue.

C'mon Lia. Say something.

"I..." good now a sentence, "I...I gotta go." I blurt.

Lia you stupid idiot.

My feet that were just frozen to the floor now shuffle to the door. Colton's hands drop to his side. He watches me the whole time I make my way out of the basement.

"Hey Maria, my dad wants me home. Thanks for letting me talk to him." I give her a fake smile.

"No problem! Drive safe! I love you!" Maria says as I make my way out the door.

"I love you too!"

I walk out and get into my car. I feel an overwhelming urge to just hit my head against the horn.

I drive home instead.

I have no clue what I'm going to do when I get home. But the last thing I want is to see people.

A lump forms in my throat and a tear falls out of my eye.

I don't remember being this hurt when Jake and I broke up.

_____

"If you could skate and play hockey every time you're heartbroken you could go pro." Alex says from the bench.

"I just don't understand." I say out of breath, "why do I feel this way?"

"It's called having a crush." My heart almost jumps out of my chest and my stomach drops. "I really didn't understand a word you said when you were crying and rambling but I did hear Colton a few times. And I know how he is."

"Yeah and he hasn't changed." I think about Christina.

"But the heart wants what it wants. Though I do want to protect you from all the bad guys and from heartbreak, I know I can't always."

I walk to the bench and sit down next to my brother.

"Brothers Are weird." I say.

"Why?" Alex looks down at me.

"One minute you want to hang me head first down a well and the next you'd put a pretty band aid on my boo boo."

"And both to me is how brothers show they love you." He messes up my hair.

"I'm such an idiot!" I yell putting my face in my hands.

Alex pets my head to try and comfort me.

"Ahhh young love." He mocks.

"Not even." I sigh, "tell me Alex. How was Carly like?" Colton's older sister.

"Just like a big sister." He smiles at the thought of her. "You and Colton were like fifteen and sixteen and Carly was twenty three."

"That's a big age gap between Colton and Carly."

"That's not the point. I remember when you guys were little toddlers and Carly was a little younger. She was always leader of the pack."

"What changed?" I don't have the slightest memory of when Colton and I had play dates.

"Carly's death." Alex's smile drops, "but I don't want to talk about it."

"Colton messed up his life at sixteen years old."

"He Just needs someone to mend his heart. But it's not going to be easy for him or whoever he finds."