Ice Dreams Part 1

by Melissa Johns

  “Jessie!” Madison yelled as she swung open the door. “What are you doing here? Are you crazy? There's a blizzard out there!”

  “I walked here, it’s not that far. I had to see you and make sure you were ok.”

  She pulled Jessie into her apartment and locked the door behind her. “I thought you were coming home in a few days. How’s school?”

  “Oh, who cares about that, I want to hear about you and Hunter. Maddy, why aren’t you with him anymore, what happened?”

  Madison sat on the couch and put her head in the palm of her hands. “I’m scared, Jessie.”

  “Why? Maddy, I told you to take things slow with him. He's a professional athlete, I'm sure he has a lot of stories to tell. But, what's the real problem? Was it the fight or what the other guy said about Hunter?"

  “It’s everything. He’s in a different league than I am. Hell, everyone is in a different league than I am. I don’t know anything about romance except from what I read about it. I don’t know what goes on an adult world because my parents didn’t allow me to grow up in a normal way. Jessie, I’m not his type and it's better this way.”

  “Is it, Maddy? From what you told me, you were so happy. For once in your life, you allowed yourself time to explore your emotions and you smiled and had the time of your life. I could hear it in your voice that you were different,” Jessie explained as she sat on her coffee table and looked at her. “Maddy, whatever you decide, you know that I will stand by your decision but I want you to realize that these opportunities don’t come along every day. Don’t let your insecurities stand in the way of your happiness.”

  Madison looked at her and leaned towards her to hug her. “Thank you, I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you too. I hate knowing that you are still here. You need to move, Maddy. Even if you decided not to make it work between you and Hunter, it's time to start your life.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  Jessie frowned. “No but I do need to tell you something.”

  “What’s wrong?” Madison asked.

  “Once I graduate, I’m not returning to Huntsville. I’m looking at apartments in Toronto right now and I’ve lined up a job in the city. Maddy, I would love for you to realize that there is nothing here for you.”

  “I can’t believe you are leaving me.” Madison pouted.

  “It’s time for the next part of my life. I will be back to visit my parents, of course. But, I can’t wait to experience the real world. Isn’t there something you really want to do?”

  Madison leaned back on her couch and put her feet up on her coffee table. “I want to go to school and become a nurse.”

  Jessie jumped up. “That’s wonderful! Let’s make that happen.”

  Madison couldn’t help but laugh at her. “Jessie, I have no means to make that happen and where would I go?”

  “There is always financial aid, Maddy. You have nothing holding you back from starting over anywhere in the world. So pick a place to start over, wherever you want! It’s exciting to think about it.”

  Madison’s thoughts quickly went back to the beach. She fell in love with the ocean and the way the sand felt on her bare feet. She loved walking along the shore at night, watching the moonlight on the waves, thinking back to her first kiss on that very shoreline. She sighed as her thoughts to Hunter. She missed him so much.

  “I loved the beach and Carter’s house. That town was perfect for me. It was small and quaint. It had everything that I wanted,” Madison frowned as her trail of thoughts stopped.

  Jessie sat down next to her. “Including Hunter.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure,” Madison replied.

  “When you were with Hunter, did your heart race? Were you excited every time that you saw him or even before he arrived, were you anxious to see him again?”

  Madison nodded slowly. “Yes.”

  “I told you that I would support you no matter what but from what I can tell. You are in love with him, Maddy.”

  “There is no way I could be, Jessie. I barely know him, that’s why I left. It was moving too fast.”

  “You left because you were scared. You were scared because you started to feel things that you never had before and it’s called love, Maddy.”

  Madison stared at her without responding. Her heart raced as she thought about Hunter. She was confused about the entire situation. She walked over to the balcony doors and stared out at the falling snow. She could feel Jessie came up behind her.

  “Maddy, follow your heart.”

  Madison whispered. “He will be in town next week. Carter got you and me tickets for the game in Toronto. Hunter asked me to go with dinner with him but I didn’t give him a response.”

  “Well, you have a few days to think about it but Maddy, if you love him, don’t waste anymore time alone. Grab life with both hands.”

  After Jessie left for the evening, Madison laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. She was losing her best friend to the city and she was right, nothing was keeping her here. She rolled over and grabbed her cell phone.

  “Maddy?”

  “Hey Carter, I'm sorry that I’m calling so late.”

  “That’s never a problem, what’s going on?”

  “Are you home or on the road?” she asked.

  “On the road, we are leaving Chicago tonight. I got the game winning goal tonight.”

  “That’s awesome, congratulations.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Can you talk privately for awhile or are your teammates around?”

  “I’m actually with Hunter right now. We are heading to the bus.”

  Madison sighed. “Can you call me when you got a second alone?”

  “Are you sure everything is ok?” he asked.

  “I promise you that I’m fine. I just need to ask you a question that is all.”

  “Give me about an hour to get on the plane and I will be able to talk with you. Most of the guys will fall asleep and it will be quiet.”

  Madison hung up and grabbed her computer. She started to search colleges and areas of study that she could pursue. She was awoken by her cell phone a little bit after midnight. “Hello?”

  “Hey, I’m sorry. I couldn’t get away from Hunter. He kept asking me if you were ok. So, I waited until we were at the hotel and I went to the lobby. So, what’s going on?”

  “Do you remember the offer that you extended to me?”

  “Do you mean about your education?” Carter asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Of course, are you going to take me up on it?”

  “I was thinking about it.”

  ******************

  Jessie arrived a few minutes before they had to leave for the hockey game in Toronto. She drove since neither of them was sure what the evening was going to bring. Carter had left instructions with Madison on how to pick up the tickets at will call once they arrived at the Centre.

  Once they pulled into the lot and parked, Jessie threw on her hockey jersey and started yelling with the rest of the crowd in the parking lot. She reached for Madison’s hand. “Well? You are down to the last possible minute. The restaurant is right there. Don’t worry about me, I will go and grab a beer down the street and meet you at the seats.”

  “How do I look?” Madison asked.

  “You are beautiful, though I wouldn’t be wearing that shirt around here.”

  Madison smiled as she looked down on the outfit that she bought when she went shopping with Alicia. She had to improvise due to the different weather conditions. She wore a pair of fuzzy boots with the sexy hip hugger jeans and found a long sleeve shirt to go underneath the t-shirt so that no skin was showing. Jessie lent her, her black sporty jacket so that Madison wouldn’t freeze to death.

  “Ok, wish me luck.”

  “You don’t need luck, Maddy. Love is on your side. Call me and keep me posted.” Jessie headed passed the
restaurant’s door and left her standing alone on the sidewalk. Madison took a deep breath and walked into the atrium.

  “Good Evening. Would you like a table?”

  “I think that someone is waiting for me. Can I take a look first?”

  “Of course, just come back if you don’t find them.”

  Madison headed into the dining area as she looked around the room. She could clearly spot the hockey players in a backroom away from the regular customers. She headed towards the room when she spotted Hunter at the bar. He was leaning against it, talking to another teammate as she gazed over him.

  She smiled as all the memories flooded back into her mind. He wore a nice suit that fit his body perfectly and she felt her palms get sweaty. She frowned when she realized how underdressed she was for this restaurant.

  She heard her name being called out as she turned around the found Carter running towards her. “Hey Maddy.”

  She smiled and laughed when she realized how much she had missed him. “Hey Carter, how are you?”

  “I’m great now. I’m so happy that you are here. Where’s Jessie?”

  “She’s at another bar. She wanted to give me some alone time first.”

  “I understand that, well, I haven’t said a word to anyone about our conversation. I haven’t even told Alicia and she will kick my ass about that.”

  Madison smiled. “I will take the blame, don’t worry. I need to talk with him first though.”

  “Well, here’s your chance. He’s coming this way. I will text you after the game so we can say goodbye.” Carter turned and left as Madison spotted and smiled at Hunter.

  “You came,” Hunter whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and Madison felt her body immediately respond.

  As she pulled back, she looked at him as if she hadn’t seen him in months. “Yeah, I really wanted to talk with you and figured this was my only chance to do it in person.”

  “Well, let’s go talk then,” Hunter said as he pointed towards a small table away from the crowds of people.

  “Are you sure you want to sit out in public? I noticed your teammates are in the backroom.”

  “I want to be alone with you and I brought a friend who is waiting at the bar and will intercept any fan that comes in this direction.”

  Madison couldn’t help but smile. He wanted to be alone with her and took the necessary steps to make that happen.

  “Did you want a drink,” he asked.

  “No, I’m fine. I would like something to eat though.”

  He smiled at her, “Of course.” He waved at the waiter and they placed their order.

  Madison took a sip of her water and smiled at him. “You look great. Are you ready to finish up the season?”

  “Yeah, we are in line to make the playoffs so we just have to keep up the hard work. What’s going on with you lately?”

  “Well, I have some big news.”

  Hunter smiled at her and reached for her hand. As soon as they touched she felt the electricity between them. “Should I be worried that I will never see you again?”

  Madison smiled at his comment. She forgot how special he made her feel. “Actually, I think you may enjoy this information.”

  “Well, tell me then.” Hunter encouraged her.

  “I plan on starting college in the fall.”

  Hunter beamed from ear to ear. “That is the best news I've heard all day. I’m so proud of you, Madison. God, you are incredible. I told you that nothing was standing in your way!”

  “Well thanks to Carter, we worked out an agreement. I managed to get some financial aid and he will help me with the rest.”

  He grabbed his glass of water and toasted her. “I’m so happy for you. You will finally follow your dreams and share that smile with the world!”

  Madison blushed. “Well, I have more news too.”

  “Really? I thought that was pretty big. What else is going on?”

  “I have decided to move to the States."

  Hunter sat in silence. "How did I not hear anything about this?"

  “Carter helped me in every move that I made. He promised me that he wouldn’t tell you anything.”

  Hunter looked at her and leaned over the table. “I can guarantee you that he didn’t share a word of it with me. Where are you moving, Madison?”

  “I’m moving to the beach.”

  “My beach?”

  Madison nodded slowly. She tried to read his face and tell if he was happy about her decision. He signaled for the waiter to come back to their table. “We are going to step into the other room for a second, please make sure our food is ready when we come back.” Hunter stood up and reached for her hand as she smiled and placed her tiny hand in his. He walked them over to the bar as he whispered something in his friend’s ear and nodded.

  He guided them to a side room behind the bar and shut the door. He traced his fingers down her cheek and without saying a word captured her lips with his.

  Madison responded as her fingers slipped into his hair and pulled softly. Their tongues played and danced with each other as Hunter pushed her back a few steps as she felt the cold wall behind her.

  They couldn’t get enough of each other as they continued their assault. She moaned softly as she bit his lower lip feeling his smile against her lips. “Oh Madison, you just made me the happiest guy in the world.”

  She smiled. “I hadn’t even gotten to the really good news yet.”

  “God, there’s more!”

  She slowly nodded. “I have a question for you.”

  “Anything, you can ask me anything.”

  She smiled as she lightly kissed his lips again, quickly remembering how much she loved to do that. “I wanted to know if you officially wanted to start dating. Start at the beginning. Get to know each other like a normal couple would. You can teach me the ways of the world as I start my new life. I really want you to be a big part of my life, Hunter.”

  He smiled as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. “Yes, that’s all I ever wanted, Madison. I just want you. I want to know every part of you and as long as you keep communicating with me, I think we are about to embark on a beautiful relationship.”

  “I’m scared though, Hunter. I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m afraid that you will get bored with me.”

  “I’m scared too, honey. I’m afraid that I will do something stupid and not even realize it and I will send you running for the hills again.”

  “Maybe if we both promise ourselves that we both have a lot to learn, we will figure it out along the way.”

  Hunter ran his hands down her arms and pulled her close. “I’m willing to try because I can’t walk away from this. We just have to talk to each other, ok? If I do anything that upsets you, just tell me.”

  Madison nodded and kissed him again. “Let’s go eat, I’m starving.”

  As they sat back down, their plates were set in front of them. They continued to talk about her move and how starting over was extremely hard for her to do. Carter stopped over to say hi before they had to leave.

  “We have to go, Hunter. Sorry.”

  He smiled. “It’s ok. I got the best news a guy could get today.”

  “So I guess she told you, huh?”

  Hunter nodded and smiled at Madison. She stood up and hugged Carter. “Thank you again, Carter. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “It was my pleasure, I’m just happy that you are going to be close to Alicia. She can’t wait to have a sister.”

  Madison smiled as she felt everything come together. “I’m looking forward to that as well. I need to call her and tell her the news because I would like for her to help make sure the apartment is ready for me. I need someone to make sure they are doing what they need to do down there.”

  “She would love that.” Carter hugged her again and left with the rest of team.

  “I need to run but Carter said we will hook up before we head to the airport tonight. God, Madison, you
made me the luckiest guy on the planet tonight. Thank you for coming back to me.”

  She kissed him lightly and smiled. “Have a good game tonight and I will see you soon.”

  Hunter nodded as he pulled her tight against his body and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I noticed the outfit by the way. You are the sexiest little thing I have ever seen.”

  Madison blushed and felt the chill race throughout her body as he kissed her ear lightly.

  He walked with her to the door as Jessie walked down the sidewalk. “Oh my God, it’s Hunter Longo!”

  Madison sighed as Jessie attacked him. “Hunter, this is my best friend, Jessie. Jessie, I would like to formally introduce you to my boyfriend, Hunter Longo.”

  He quickly winked at Madison and shook Jessie’s hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I need to run. Carter is giving me the evil eye.”

  He leaned down and quickly kissed Madison. “Bye sweetheart.”

  Madison looked back at Jessie and rolled her eyes. “Don’t say a word!”

  “Sweetheart?”

  “We had a good talk.”

  Jessie pulled her across the street and into the Centre. As they arrived at their seats, Madison smiled. They had center ice and the best seats in the house. She could hear the boo’s around her as she wore the rival team's shirt but she didn’t care.

  “You are going to get us killed, Maddy.”

  She laughed. “They won’t kill us. I will get my boyfriend to kick their asses.”

  Jessie clapped her hands. “I’m so proud of you! You are doing this, Maddy! I can’t wait to come and visit you.”

  “You are welcome anytime, Jessie. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for you.”

  “Well, you are like a sister to me. I want you to find your happiness and I think you just did. He just skated out onto the ice and is wearing number forty-four.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  As the game ended, the Centre buzzed with excitement from their win over the opposing team. Madison sat in her seat and waited for instructions from Carter. She saw Jessie talking with a guy in the crowd as everyone was exiting around them.

  “Madison, this is Scott. We went to school together.”