Despite swearing off athletes for good, Freya Pfieffer can't help but fall for the sweet and perfectly endearing defenseman who meets her gaze at a Montreal Canadiens game. Freya is left spinning-wondering if she should make an exception for Cole Ca...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕪𝕒
Though she is sad to leave Florida earlier than expected, Freya knows she needs to get back to Montreal. The further their plane gets from Dalton, the better she feels. Cole sleeps most of the flight, but he's still stressing aloud to Freya that his sleep schedule is getting wonky when they walk to baggage claim.
"So, if I slept three hours on the flight," he's saying, "and I sleep eight hours tonight, then a nap in the middle of the day after morning skate—"
Freya turns on her heels, stopping Cole with a hand on his chest. "Don't worry," she assures him. "You'll get plenty of sleep and will be more than ready for tomorrow, okay?"
Cole, evidently, is a worrier like Freya. "Right," he replies, cheeks a little red, "sorry."
Freya giggles before continuing on her way, Cole following close behind. Nick picks them up from the airport—but only after Cole stops to take pictures with several young fans who approach him outside the airport doors. Freya watches as he signs every napkin, smiles for every photo, high-fiving each kid and offering a handshake to the parents who thank him for taking the time.
As the two approach Nick's truck, he climbs out, hurrying to the front of the car so that he can give Freya a hug. He squeezes her so tight that she hardly finds the breath to let out a laugh. "I'm so happy to see you," he murmurs in her ear, still holding her tight.
Cole puts their luggage in the bed of the truck before hopping into the backseat so that Freya can take the passenger side beside Nick. The ride is silent, for the most part, save for a few belted Taylor Swift lyrics by Nick, followed by a little chuckle from Cole in the back.
In the rearview mirror, Freya catches Cole looking at her, eyes soft. She blushes and looks away, though Nick doesn't seem to notice when he asks her, "You want me to take you back to your apartment?"
Freya's cheeks redden again, and she lifts her gaze to meet Cole's in the mirror again. She doesn't want to invite herself over to his apartment, but she isn't ready to be apart from him again. Then again, with all of his stress about sleeping, she doesn't want to impose, especially with a big game tomorrow night.
In the middle of her silent conflict, Cole supplants, "You can just drop us off at my place and I can get her home. That okay?" he asks Freya.
She nods, shooting him a glance over her shoulder. He smiles at her, and she melts a little into the passenger seat.
"You know what I just realized," Nick starts with a laugh. "It's New Years' Eve."
Freya checks her phone—which she had gotten repaired earlier that day at the Jacksonville mall. Nick is right. Amidst everything in Florida, she'd apparently lost all sense of time. "Oh yeah," she murmurs.
