Vincent

Chapter One

Vincent Giovanni stepped off the ice rink and retreated into the bleachers where he traded his skates for casual sneakers. Vincent just finished practicing with his team and was ready for a hot bath and blissful sleep because it was already past 11:00 pm. As Vincent was making his way to leave the ice rink, he suddenly heard his name being called. He turned around and saw Chelsea Moore; he didn't think anyone else would still be in the ice rink at this time, but nonetheless, he was happy to see her.

"Hey Vinny, you practiced well today," she smiled. 

"Thanks, Chels."

"Vinny, your eyebrow is bleeding," she pointed towards his right eyebrow. 

"Huh?" He didn't even realize he was bleeding until he lightly brushed his eyebrow with his fingertip and saw blood. 

"Here, let me fix it. Follow me." Chelsea grabbed his hand and Vincent followed after her into the lit hallway. He couldn't help but see how good her figure look in her jeans and a fitted t-shirt. "Wait here," she stopped him in the middle of the hallway and disappeared. After a couple of seconds, Chelsea came out with a band-aid and an alcohol pad. "Sit down," she commanded softly. 

Vincent sunk down and sat on the hallway floor and Chelsea got right down in front of him; she was kneeling on her knees and lightly reached over and rubbed his eyebrow with the alcohol pad. Vincent hissed softly at the stinging pain. 

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She continued to clean his eyebrow and then finally put the band-aid on. When she was done, she leaned back on her knees and sat on the heels of her feet. 

"Thank you Chels," he grabbed her hand and lightly caressed her hand with his thumb. 

"No problem," she smiled warmly. Vincent loved seeing her smile and she looked even more beautiful now that they were sitting up close. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander to her plump lips. When Chelsea realized where he was looking, she blushed and immediately got up, Vincent followed.

"Well, I guess I'd better be going."

"Alright. Thanks for cleaning my eyebrow and have a good night," and with that Chelsea left. How many times has he seen the woman he loved walk out of his life? God knows Vincent loved Chelsea with everything in him, if only she felt the same way about him too. That night Vincent couldn't get any sleep, he dreamt of Chelsea constantly running away from him in his dreams. He decided he had to do something about his unrequited love for her, and he had to do it soon.

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Tuesday morning, Chelsea Moore woke up with a yawn in her one-bedroom studio apartment. She got down on her knees and thanked God for waking her up that morning. Afterward, she opened her yellow curtains in her bedroom to allow the sunlight in her room. Then, she continued her morning routine by showering and then eating breakfast. Chelsea had to be at work by 9:30 and it was 8:45. Right before she left, she went into her bathroom and checked her appearance. As she looked at herself, Chelsea noted her tan light brown complexion, full wavy dark brown hair, and her chocolate-colored almond-shaped eyes. She also had a straight nose that wasn't too big or too small for her face. However, she always thought her mouth was a bit too full for her liking. For the most part, Chelsea resembles her mother but, looking at herself, you would never be able to tell that she was half Indian and half Irish. Chelsea took after her Indian mother who has a similar complexion and dark eyes, while her father, on the other hand, has green eyes and a fair complexion that sunburned too easily. 

While she was staring at herself, she couldn't help but remember the way Vincent looked at her last night as she was taking care of his cut. Then again, I could be dreaming she thought. Chelsea had fallen in love with Vincent six years ago when she first met him. On that fateful day, Chelsea and Vincent unknowingly were in the same computer technology class in community college. And Vincent was seated right across from her. From that moment when Chelsea first laid eyes on Vincent, she was hooked. His black hair, warm brown eyes, and the hint of stubble on his chiseled chin captivated her. Vincent's presence filled the room the moment he walked in, and Chelsea was underneath his spell. Now six years later, Vincent was still handsome as ever with the same dark looks. He was wonderfully built and everything he wore failed to conceal his muscular arms and legs. Even now, when Vincent looked at Chelsea, she all but crumbled underneath his intense gaze. Unfortunately, for Chelsea, she didn't know how Vincent felt about her and she never told him how she felt about him during their six-year friendship.

Finally, when Chelsea finished daydreaming she left the house and headed to work. Chelsea worked for the New York Rangers in their marketing department. When she arrived, she had to unload the team's new helmet and protective gear; as she was unloading her car, Vincent caught up with her.

"Hey Chels."

"Hey Vin," she smiled. 

"You need some help?"

"Uh, not really." 

"Alright, I'll take that as a yes," Chelsea couldn't help but chuckle because Vincent was relentless. After Vincent helped her carry the helmets, he went on to practice and Chelsea went to her office to work. 

When Vincent and his teammates took their break around 1:00 pm, Vincent headed to Chelsea's office to see if she would want to have lunch with him. But just as Chelsea was leaving her office, Vincent caught up with her once again.

"Hey, Chelsea, not leaving so fast are you?" 

She smiled, "I am, I'm starving and want to grab something to eat. Is there a reason why you've been following me since this morning?" she teased.

"Well, I'm hungry too, so do you wanna grab a bite together?" 

Chelsea paused, "Hmm, will you still come with me even if I say no?"

"Absolutely." Vincent smiled.

"Well, then I guess I have no choice." 

"You don't." Vincent winked and Chelsea blushed.

The two went to a small cafe in downtown Manhattan. When they arrived, they ordered their food and enjoyed their meal with casual conversation. When it came time for them to go back to work, Vincent somehow got Chelsea to agree to see a movie with him the following night. It's been a while since Chelsea and Vincent went to see a movie together, they use to do this all time, but when Vincent became a pro-hockey player, he barely had any time to spend with friends.  

Later on in the evening when Chelsea got home, she showered and called her parents to wish them a good night. Right before she went to bed, she grabbed her Bible and read a verse before she drifted off to sleep where she would only dream of Vincent.