Skating Through
Page 22
“Um.” The guy shuffled his feet, not quite making eye contact. He glanced back at Ben, and Ben suddenly realized who he was.
“Kinkaid, right?” Ben recognized the ice-blue eyes that had been glaring at him through a goalie mask all evening. He was tall and deceptively slim without his goalie gear on. He’d been a brick wall the entire game, only letting through two goals.
Kinkaid smiled, a little shyly. “Yeah, Corey.” He shuffled his feet again, and Ben looked over to check on where the rest of the team was. He wasn’t sure what was going on, and he didn’t want to get in trouble for being late for the bus. “You’re Ben Lewis.”
“That’s me.” Ben was trying not to seem impatient, but he really needed to get going. “Look, I really need to—”
“That was a sweet wrister.”
“Thanks?” Ben hefted his bag onto his shoulder again, the strap starting to cut in a little bit.
Corey glanced around before leaning a little closer. “You want to go out sometime?” It was blurted out all in a rush. Ben barely had time to register what he’d been asked when Corey said, “With me, I mean.”
Ben blinked at him. He’d never actually been asked out before, at least by a guy. Was that flirting?
He opened his mouth and what came out was “I have a boyfriend.”
Corey sighed and studied his shoes. “That’s what I thought.”
He looked so disappointed Ben couldn’t help but feel bad.
“I’m sorry.” Ben hesitated. He knew how hard it was, and he wondered if Corey’s team knew. From the way he kept looking around, probably not. “I’m not interested, but—”
Faltering for a second as he dug his phone out of the side pocket of his gear bag, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. He unlocked it and clicked on a new contact.
“My boyfriend’s the president of the GSA at our school, and if you ever wanted to talk to anyone or whatever.” Ben was aware that he sounded awkward as hell. “I mean, if you want.”
Corey huffed out a breath, and Ben was sure he was going to say no when he rattled off his phone number.
“Thanks,” Ben said, entering it in his phone. Corey ran his hand through his hair, and they were both probably the same shade of red. “I’ve got to go.” Ben turned around and walked off quickly enough that it could be considered fleeing.
As he walked to where the rest of the team was waiting to get on the bus, Ben shot off a quick text to Corey.
Ben: Hi. It’s Ben.
He waited until he was settled on the bus before texting Marcus.
Ben: Leaving now.
Ben: Got asked out on a date.
The reply was immediate.
Marcus: were they cute?
Ben: He was kind of shy.
Marcus: so I have competition now?
Ben laughed and sent a text back.
Ben: It was the other team’s goalie.
Marcus: i’m going to have to learn how to skate
Marcus: j/k he can have you
Marcus: no he can’t. changed my mind
Ben: I gave him my number.
Ben: In case he wanted to talk.
Ben: I don’t think his team knows.
Marcus: awwww :)
Marcus: but you told him no right?
Ben snorted so loudly Holtsy turned around and looked at him. He just shook his head.
Ben: Yes, I told him no.
Marcus: good :)
GRAN HAD MOVED to Florida. It was difficult to see her go, even harder than Ben had expected. But before leaving, Ben and Marcus were able to spend an afternoon with her, so Marcus could read the letters. Ben held him when he cried over the last letter, and Gran hugged him tight to her just like she had Ben.
Will and Eddie had been separated by war and death, but their final resting places were as close together as the family had been able to manage. They all went to see the graves and left flowers, daisies, which were Gran’s favorite. It had been a little surreal, the dates on a headstone as final proof that Eddie had lived out his long life without the man he loved. Ben had gripped Marcus’s hand tightly, and that time, he’d been the one who had sobbed into Marcus’s shoulder.
He still wore Will’s dog tag close to his heart.
“YOU GOT THIS.” Marcus pressed a kiss to Ben’s forehead, chuckling as Ben wrapped himself tighter around him. It had become their ritual over the last few months leading up to the playoffs, Marcus making himself comfortable on Ben’s bed, and Ben snuggling in close to him, becoming what Marcus called a “pregame octopus.” He was fine with that.
“Maybe.”
The team had managed to make it to the finals. It was amazing that they’d made it so far, and if they won the game that was looming over them today, then that would be it. They’d win their regional tournament. It would be a miracle if they won and an even bigger one if they moved on, but Ben was happy with how far they’d gone. It was his senior year, and it had been a wild ride from start to finish.
Ben couldn’t help but think he’d survived something special and come out the other side better than he was before. A lot of that was due to the person in his arms. Marcus had been a rock the entire time, including all through the playoffs, and had taught Ben to have a thicker skin.
“What time is it?” Ben was almost too comfortable, but he should probably start getting ready.
“You’ve got about ten minutes.” Marcus ran his fingers through Ben’s hair, and that definitely wasn’t helping to inspire him to get up. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“What kind of surprise?” Ben grinned against Marcus’s shoulder and pressed a kiss there, getting a smack on the back of the head for his trouble.
“Not that kind. Hang on a second.” Marcus shifted and reached over the side of the bed, digging in his bag. “It was the guys’ idea, I just pointed them in the right direction.” He produced a roll of rainbow stick tape, holding it front of Ben’s face. “Coach Jordan okayed it for tonight, since it might be—”
“Don’t jinx it.” Ben untangled himself and sat up, taking the roll of brightly colored tape from Marcus’s hand. “They’re going to use this? All of them?”
Marcus nodded, grinning. “They want to support their Captain. It’s kind of sweet.”
Ben looked at him, a little bit in awe of how a boy with bright-blue hair had changed his life. Marcus had dyed it that color for the first game of the finals, and it made Ben’s day to see it. He told him the whole story. About seeing him and how he felt at that moment.
“There you were.” He’d said it quietly, but Marcus had heard him.
“What?”
Ben cleared his throat. “I was just thinking.” He brushed his fingers through the soft blue strands of Marcus’s hair. “Don’t worry about it. Thanks for this.” He held up the stick tape. “I can’t wait to see the other team’s faces.” He leaned in and stole a kiss. “How much more time do I have?” He heard beeping and rolled his eyes while Marcus laughed at him.
“Not enough.” He was already wearing Ben’s jersey, and it was easy to take in how good it looked on him, something Ben never got tired of. He stood and stretched, gathered up his stuff. “I’m riding with Ryan, but I’ll come back here after, all right?”
“Sounds good to me.” A final lingering kiss and Marcus was gone.
Ben picked up the roll of tape and smiled at it before tucking it away in his bag, the bright colors contrasting against the dark pads.
“There you were.”
About the Author
Jennifer has always been a voracious reader and a well-established geek from an early age. She loves comics, movies, and anything that tells a compelling story.
When not writing, she likes knitting, dissecting/arguing about movies with her husband, and enjoying the general chaos that comes with having kids.
Email: jcozwrites@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jcozwrites
Twitter: @jcozwrites
Website: www.jcozwrit
es.com
Other books by this author
A Boy Worth Knowing
“Coming Home” within Once Upon a Rainbow, Volume Two
Also Available from NineStar Press
Connect with NineStar Press
Website: NineStarPress.com
Facebook: NineStarPress
Facebook Reader Group: NineStarNiche
Twitter: @ninestarpress
Tumblr: NineStarPress