Walking out of my midweek journalism class with an A on my test feels damn good. I’ve got some time to kill before my next class and head for the coffee cart to see if I can get a snack.
My good mood improves when I spot Maya sitting on a bench with her notebooks. We must have an overlap in our schedules. I never noticed her around campus before, but now she’d be impossible for me to miss.
Her hair is twisted up in a blue flower-shaped clip. I drag my gaze down the uninterrupted view of her neck, fighting back the urge to kiss it.
I smirk. “So you do wear Heston blue.”
I’m hoping for a smile, but all it gets me is a tired sigh that makes my chest constrict. I scan her face and my stomach tightens. She’s upset.
My bag drops off my shoulder and I kneel in front of her, covering her hand with mine. “Hey. Are you okay?”
She meets my gaze with a guarded look, eyes glistening. They’re puffy and bloodshot, like she’s been crying for a while. My heart bolts into my throat. I want to make her feel better, willing to do anything to take whatever pain she’s carrying away.
“What’s wrong, baby?” I rub her skin with my thumb. “Do you have any other classes today?”
Maya shakes her head. “Why?”
The defeated, flat tone of her voice hits me square in the chest.
I take her hand and urge her up. “Come with me. I know what will help.”
“Don’t you have stuff to do?” She grips my hand like a lifeline.
“It’s fine. It’s not important right now.”
She sniffles, threading her fingers with mine. I brush my thumb over her knuckles to comfort her as I lead her to where I’m parked.
I’ll email my professor later to let her know I missed class because I had a personal matter to handle. I haven’t missed a class yet, so hopefully she’ll be understanding. But if she’s not, I don’t care.
Maya is all that matters.
She stays quiet once I get her in the car and pull away from campus. I stop at the drive-thru and start an order. She pipes up to ask for a milkshake, digging in her purse. I hold out a hand to stop her. Everything I ordered is for her except for the large ice water I got for myself.
The lake isn’t far from the drive-thru. I find a good spot with a view and park. She’s halfway through her nuggets already.
“Thanks,” she finally mumbles.
“No problem. Better?”
“This is helping.” She picks at her fries. “Today sucks. But now it sucks slightly less.”
“Want to tell me why today sucks?”
Sighing, she wipes her fingers and bites her lip. “I found out today that one of the last required classes for a typical senior seminar won’t be available next semester unless they find a professor that’s willing to run it. The one I’d planned on taking it from just took early retirement. I need that class in order to graduate in three years.”
“Is it available as a summer class?”
She undoes her hair clip to play with it and thumps her head against the seat. “I think that’ll still depend on whether or not they find a replacement.”
I frown in sympathy. It’s annoying enough to pick my classes so they don’t interfere with my athletic schedule.
“Any other classes you can substitute for it?”
“I don’t know yet. I have to talk to my advisor to see.”
“It’ll work out.”
“I hope.” She sips on her milkshake. “Thank you for getting me food and letting me vent. I’m sorry for dumping on you.”
I squeeze her leg. “Please don’t apologize. I’m here to listen to anything you want to talk about. Lean on me.”
She hesitates, eyes darting away before she continues.
“The thing with the seminar is annoying, but what really upset me today is this.” She shows me a text from her brother. “It’s my grandfather. He’s back in the hospital again after he’s been doing so much better lately. And—”
A tear falls and her voice grows tight, cutting off with a strained gasp. I cup her face, swiping at her tears, hushing her.
“It’s okay.”
Her throat convulses as she swallows. My heart fucking breaks at her quivering lip while she fights back her emotions.
“I’ve been working so hard to graduate early for him. I want him to see me finish my degree, but his illness is only progressing.” She squeezes her eyes shut, more tears leaking out at the corners. “He’s such a big part of my life. He’s the one I’ve always gone to with my problems. I’m…I’m so afraid he won’t make it. I’m terrified of losing him.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Maya.” I unbuckle my belt, then hers, and gather her into a hug.
Instead of pulling away after a moment, she tucks her face against my neck, melting against me. The position is a little awkward, but it doesn’t matter if it’s helping her feel safe. I’ll hold her like this all day if she needs me to. I stroke her hair until she stops shaking.
I wish I could protect her from her grief. When she calms down, but still remains in my arms, I start talking about stuff I’ve only told Cameron and Noah.
“I know how hard and scary it is. He’s gotta be so proud of you, baby. I know it.” She releases a shuddering breath, nodding. “I wish I could tell you that it’ll hurt less, but I can’t promise there won’t be days it’ll just hit you. It’s okay to be sad, though.”
“Who’d you lose? One of your grandparents?”
“My dad.” She goes still and I skim my lips over her head, speaking against her hair. “It was a car accident five years ago. I was fifteen. It blindsided me. We were really close. Hockey was our thing, so I feel like I have a piece of him with me every time I put on my skates even though it sucks that he’s gone.”
“That’s how I feel when I’m working at the farm,” she rasps. “Grandpa taught me how to ride horses. It’s how I first fell in love with animals and knew I wanted to have my degree involve them.”
I nod in understanding. “Our passion turned into the thing I want to do with my life. I started pursuing my hockey career with him helping me work towards it. If I knew I would lose him, I would’ve done everything to cherish the moments we had together even more.”
She swallows audibly. We go quiet for a short while until she breaks the comforting silence.
“God. I just cried all over you. I’m sorry.” She shifts away with a sniffle, flipping down the visor to wipe her puffy eyes. “I’m a mess, huh?”
You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, even with snot dripping from your nose.
“Not at all. Here.” I give her an ice cube from the water I ordered and wrap it in a napkin for her. “Put this under your eyes. It’ll help with the swelling.”
“Thanks.”
“Hockey players are no strangers to icing our injuries. Here, look at this killer bruise I got at an exhibition game.”
I lift the hem of my shirt to show off the mostly healed bruise on my ribs. Her lips twist wryly.
“You should’ve seen it the other day. Want some water? You should hydrate.”
“I’m okay. Just this.”
She puts her hair back in the flower clip to get it out of her face, and settles back in her seat with her food.
I watch her crushing her nuggets, wondering how the hell it’s possible for me to be even more into this girl. She already has a powerful hold over me.
“Way to be a creep.” She sounds more like herself and offers me a nugget. “Eat this instead of watching me.”
I chuckle. “I really want some, but I already had my weekly quota of cheat meals. The nutritionist will have me by the balls if I eat that.”
When I give it a longing look, she takes my hand and gives it to me.
“One nugget isn’t going to hurt. I thought you wanted to commiserate with me?”
The corner of my mouth tugs up. “Maybe without the skin.”
She’s flabbergasted as I peel it off the meat. “Dude. You can’t eat a naked chicken nugget. That’s just sad.”
“I know.” I laugh at the pitiful meat. “Damn it.”
“Here.”
Maya takes it away and balls it up in a napkin before shaking her box of delicious smelling nuggets insistently. I rub my fingers together.
“I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Her lips twitch and she leans in. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
Sharing food with her makes something warm and happy spread through my chest. The feeling grows when I have to fight her for the last nugget.
“This is my sad meal. Get your own.” She swats at my hand.
I snort. “I thought you wanted to share with me.”
“Yeah, but the last one’s mine.”
She bites it in half, eyes gleaming with the spark I think I fell for the first night I met her. Catching her wrist, I bring her hand to my mouth and eat the second half.
“Hey.” A hoarse laugh escapes her. “That was mine.”
I trace a circle on the inside of her wrist. “Mmm. Thanks.”
She shivers, watching my tongue swipe across my lips. Pulling free of my grasp, she squirms in her seat to get comfortable, tucking one of her legs beneath her.
Next time I’ll definitely make sure to remember I need to order extra food to keep her satisfied.
“Mind if we make a stop on our way back?”
“Sure.”
When I pull into the drive-thru for the second time, she gives me a sidelong glance. I put in a new order and follow the line of cars to the pick up window.
“If you wanted some, you should’ve just ordered when you got mine.” She holds up her hands. “For the record, my emotional breakdown is not responsible for your cheat meal.”
“It’s for the guys,” I explain. “Even though we have our nutritional plans, and we can all cook for ourselves. Well, mostly. Some of the guys on the team aren’t allowed in the kitchen.”
After thanking the girl at the window, I park, then hop out. I’m aware of Maya watching me set the bag in the back seat and clicking the belt around it before I get behind the wheel again.
“You buckled in the nuggets,” she points out.
“I know. We do emotional support nugget runs.” I hand her my phone. “Here, take a photo and tell the group chat the goods are safely secured.”
It gets her to laugh, and that’s all I wanted from the minute I saw tears in her eyes.
It’s late by the time I finish the extra practice time I put in at the rink to hone my skills. On my way home I check in on Maya to see if she’s okay. Once I get in, feed the cat, refilling the bowl we leave for her on the porch. Then I stop in the kitchen, grabbing milk from the fridge. My attention stays glued to my phone while I chug a few sips from the container before pouring a glass.
“Is this some new hand-eye coordination training? Because you suck.” Cameron pops up on the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Try getting it in the glass.”
“Shut up.”
He steals the jug from me while I’m distracted by three dots appearing in the message thread with Maya.
Easton: How did the rest of your day go? Any updates about your grandfather?
Maya: He’s better now. They sent him home.
Easton: That’s great [heart emoji]
Maya: I’m so relieved. It stresses me out when he’s there.
Easton: Wyd now?
“Earth to East.” Cameron nudges me.
“What?”
He smirks. “I asked if you’re done with the milk. Twice.”
“Yeah.” I bump my fist to his.
My phone vibrates on the counter between us. He grins, snatching it up before I read her response.
“Reeves.” I stalk him around the island. “Give it back.”
“You’ve been glued to your phone.”
Madden comes in with a fork sticking out of an empty container from last night’s leftovers. He eyes both of us.
“Help me out, Graves,” I say.
He sighs, moving to block Cameron, leveling him with a flat look. “This is stupid.”
“Here.” Cameron tosses my phone to Noah as he comes in from the entryway.
“What are we playing?” Noah looks at the screen. “Ohh, Maya.”
Elijah wanders into the kitchen. “What’s going on?”
“Catch.” Noah lets my phone fly through the air and Elijah scrambles not to let it fall from his hands.
“Assholes.” I narrow my eyes. “If someone doesn’t give my phone back, I’ll convince coach we need an entire week of suicide drills.”
Elijah hands my phone back, clearing his throat. “Sorry.”
I wave him off, making sure they didn’t accidentally send Maya any weird messages with their game. There isn’t, but her answer makes me freeze.
Maya: I’m about to go for a walk. I need it to clear my head.
What? It’s almost ten.
Easton: At the gym?
Maya: No, treadmill walking just makes me antsy. I have to walk outside when it’s for my anxiety.
Easton: Are you walking alone? In the dark?
Maya: Yeah, I always do. I take protection.
She sends a photo of the metal cat ear-shaped self-defense. I pinch the bridge of my nose for a moment, then scrub at my face.
Yeah, no. I think the fuck not.
Easton: Tell me where you are. I’m coming with you.
It takes her a long moment to respond. I’m about to comb the entire town to find her when she says she’ll meet me in front of Clocktower Brew House. I heave a sigh. The protectiveness I feel over her slams into me as hard as a player checking me at full speed.
“I’m going out,” I announce.
“Tell Maya we say hi.” Noah winks.
Grabbing my keys and wallet, I head back out and jog the short distance to Main Street square. I beat her there, spending a few minutes shifting my weight foot to foot until I finally spot her coming from the direction of the school. She has a worn baseball cap on with her ponytail swinging.
Maya eyes me up and down. “You okay? You’re all tense.”
“Yeah, because someone told me they like to walk around by themselves at night.” I step into her, taking her by the shoulders. “Do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“No matter what time it is, tell me when you feel like going for a walk from now on. I’ll go with you so you never have to walk alone.”
Her pretty mouth parts in surprise. I want to trace her lower lip with my fingertips and taste it until I have the shape of it committed to memory.
“Nothing’s ever happened. Heston Lake is safe.” She waves to the owner of the bookshop.
I shake my head. “I don’t like the idea of you out late at night by yourself.”
“What if I need to go for a walk in the middle of the night?” Her chin lifts.
“I’m there.”
She slides her lips together. “The night before a game? You need to be well rested to play.”
I squeeze her shoulders. “I’m there, Maya. Anytime you need me, I’ll be there.”
She’s stunned into silence for a beat. Something shifts in her eyes, but she nods.
“Good.” Tension bleeds from my shoulders. “So, where are we walking tonight?”
“I don’t know.”
She sets off in a direction and I fall into step beside her. On our way through the square, a guy looks her way. When he spots my glare, he takes his eyes off her so fast his neck almost snaps. I nod slowly in satisfaction.
“What do you mean?” I reach for her hand, twining our fingers together.
She darts a look at me from the corner of her eye. “I don’t really walk with a destination in mind. Sometimes it’s a short walk. Sometimes I swear I circle town three times over. Whatever it takes.”
“To clear your head?”
“Yeah.” She peeks at me again, playing with her ponytail. “I’m usually fine in the moment, but at night my anxiety makes it hard to sleep. This is the only way that works to quiet my brain. Thanks for coming with me.”
I give her hand a supportive squeeze. “Yeah.”
We walk hand in hand without a destination in mind, talking about everything from stories about her work at the farm to me regaling her with stories about the times I’ve gotten into trouble with the guys to make her laugh. Time slips by without either of us noticing until I check my phone.
“Oh, shit. It’s after midnight.” I chuckle. “Are you cold?”
She peers up through her lashes. “I’m okay. Do you have to get back?”
“We’re not going back until you’re ready. I’ll walk around with you all night if it’s what you need.”
She smiles. “I’m okay now. I’ve been good for a while, actually.”
Pride stirs in my chest. I let her steer us back towards the center of town. She tries to part ways in the square, but I insist on walking her all the way back to her apartment.
When she leaves me behind at the entrance to her building, there’s a tug in my chest that makes me want to follow her.
