*Leah's P.O.V*
I shut the car door and sat down in the passenger seat, my face still bright red from being out in the cold.
I looked over at Wes with a small smirk and he looked at me the same before putting the car in drive.
He headed out towards town, looking for a place to eat.
"Can I ask you a question?" I said turning down the radio slightly.
"Anything." Wes said, making me lose my breath in my throat.
"Do you think I'm a good hockey player?" I asked sheepishly, "and don't say yes just like Jack and Leo do because they feel like they have to. I want to know. Honestly am I a good hockey player?"
Wes looked away from the road for a quick second and toward me.
"God yes Leah. You're amazing, everyday when I watch you I wonder why you don't play. You have no trouble keeping up with the boys on the ice. Some days I wonder why you were ever a gymnast."
"So you think I could play for the Hawks and not have trouble catching up?" I asked excited to hear an unfiltered opinion.
"Yes, I do." Wes said genuinely. While turning the car towards the part of town that hosted all of the fast food chains.
"What about against Randy?" I blurted out.
I had never seen Randy play, but the way CJ talked about him and the way Wes got defensive it made me believe he was a really good player.
Wes gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. Careful I placed my hand over his letting him know I was going to take it off of the steering wheel.
I placed it gently on my thigh, and held it there. I could hear Wes catch his breath slightly in his throat,000 whether it was over Randy or where his hand was placed I'll never know.
"Randy's not a good player. He wasn't even starting line up on my old team, he was second rotation. He doesn't have good skill, technique, nor is his shooting any good. The only thing that makes him good on the ice is his aggression." He paused for a moment and squeezed my thigh lightly sending shocks through my leg, "you could outplay and outsmart Randy on the ice any day. Hell I think you even shook him up a bit all those weeks ago after the hockey game in the lobby." He said with a chuckle.
I let a small smirk slide onto my face as I recalled that night in the lobby. Sure comments were said about me I didn't want to hear, but I was pretty bad ass that night.
I watched as Wes pulled into McDonald's his brown hair moving with his head as he checked to make sure he was clear to pull in.
"Going through the drive through, what do you want?" He asked looking at me with his soft complexion.
"A frozen coke and some chicken nuggets are fine." I stated.
Diets were still so engraved in me that eating out at any fast food restaurant felt wrong so I liked to keep my orders short. It made me feel less guilty about myself.
Wes noticed and looked at me, reading over my facial expressions like he could see right through me.
"OK, but I'm getting you a 10 piece with fries too." He said quickly leaving no time for me to interfere and tell him no it was too much before he started ordering.
After he order, he left no debate for the fact that he was paying. Receiving the food he placed the bags on the floor in front of me.
He pulled out of the drive through and took me down a road I'd never seen before.
"So tell me why hockey?" I questioned trying to learn more personal things about Wes without pushing about his past.
"My dad used to play it and my mom was a figure skater." Wes said with a small smile. "I guess thats why I'm so quick on the ice, I grew up on it."
I nodded my head and continued to stare at the side of Wes's face.
"That's cool." I said taking my eyes off of his face and looking towards the road.
"Why gymnastics?" Wes asked quietly knowing it was a touchy topic.
I let out a long breath and smiled slightly.
"I didn't always hate gymnastics. In fact I loved it when I started. My mom brought be to a MSU gymnastics competition because she's a state fan and a friend of hers had floor passes." I paused remembering that day, "then a little while afterwards I absolutely fell in love with Simone Biles."
"Who doesn't love Simone." Wes joked slightly.
I laughed with him. He was right, who didn't?
"Shortly after she put me in gymnastics, nothing fancy it was just rec. But I ended up be really good and they quickly moved me from rec to pre-team I didn't even finish out a full year in pre- team before they put me in level 4. I loved it I really did, you know till I didn't anymore." I said with a rugged sigh.
Wes looked at me and pulled the car into a empty parkinglot on a side of town I'd never seen.
"Not every sport is for everyone. You like it till you don't." Wes said. Putting the car in park.
It was only noon but snow was starting to fall heavily all around us creating a beautiful scene.
"Hand me my food won't you? I'm starving." Wes exclaimed squeezing my thigh one last time before letting go to eat.
We sat there in silence eating for a while, something inside me a bit nervous from the way we were just sitting in an empty parking lot.
"Why the parkinglot?" I finally asked through bites of my fries.
I was honestly surprised I had finished my 10 piece chicken nuggets and I was almost done with my fries.
"Well it was either this or someone's open field. There's not many places to go when you live in the mid west." He said with a chuckle.
I let out a small laugh myself and brushed my blonde hair back. It was still lightly damp from the sweat I'd accumulated through or little hockey game.
Our hockey game.
The hockey game that Wes had one.
"You know I did say you'd get a show if you won the game." I said quietly.
Putting my empty fry container in the bag.
Wes looked at me with a small smirk.
"I don't need a show Leah, I get weak just looking at you." The last part he said softly.
I small blush crept to my cheeks as I heard the last part. I'd hung out with plenty hockey boys who only ever wanted me to be their slut. It was one of the reasons Leo had his preference on who I dated on the team.
This was different, he didn't need a show. He didn't need anything else than to spend time with and around me.
I leaned over and lightly kissed Wes on the cheek. My lips connecting with his soft skin.
He turned to look at me his eyes scanning my face, we were inches apart.
"I really don't need a show Leah." He said softy his breath hitting my face.
"I know," I said softly, "thats why you're only getting a kiss on the cheek."
Wes chuckled slightly and looked at me.
"God, let's get out of here." Wes said looking back at the parkinglot
"Where to next mystery boy?" I questioned slightly.
Enjoying this moment alittle too much.
Wes squinted he eyes for a second thinking.
"How about your house, your moms at work."
I nodded my head.
"You still have practice tonight." I stated thinking about how I just wanted to spend the night with him.
Wes nodded his head now and put the car in Drive.
"Yeah, but after tomorrow's practice I'll be coming home with you so it won't be that big of a deal." Wes stated looking at me with a smirk.
I smiled back and and looked forward.
"Let's get going shall we?" I said, thankful I had decided to skip school today.
"We shall." Wes said with a small chuckle.
Without putting any thought into it, Wes placed his hand on my upper thigh sending shocks up my leg. He began to drive back towards town.
The entire time I drove I tried to put a label on what we were doing. Because we were being more than just friends and I loved it. There was no way to explain how it made me feel but I could hide the smile and the blush I got whenever he was close to me.
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