Antagonym

Chapter 15

My heart was pounding and my hairline was damp under my ponytail. My skates sprayed ice up on a sharp stop, coating Beck with ice as he took his helmet off. A light laugh bubbled from my lips as I slid my own helmet on the ice towards the bench, watching Beck roll his eyes at me. "You're a child," Beck's deep laugh filled the empty arena as I stripped off my gloves and the large pads on my legs with my bulky arm guard.

"Says the man who dumped his entire water bottle on me during last game." I couldn't help but take off my jersey and strip out of my clunky goalie pads before putting the yellow jersey with the number 7 printed on it in navy blue back on. I was nervous but not because of what happened last weekend. There was something I had to tell Beck but I didn't want to yet. I didn't want to hurt him; for him to think that I didn't trust him, because I valued our friendship. I truly did. This week had been hell, and I honestly was more than glad Beck and I weren't in an awkward limbo anymore. Granted, that had been completely my doing.

"Yeah, thanks for that, you fool. I was freezing the whole time," I scoffed while skating towards Beck on the empty rink, bumping into him playfully. He reached to wrap his arm around my waist but I was already taking off across the ice towards the other end. I heard Beck push off on his skates behind me, speeding after me with all of his talent. Despite being a well rounded hockey player, my goalie skills were not on par with Beck's speedy center abilities. There was a reason he was a top prospect and the captain of the best hockey team in the NCAA.

Beck's agility lended him luck when he grabbed my hips with his large hands, pulling me down onto the ice so my padded ass hit the ground, making sure not to pull my head down. "You break me and Finn will kill you!" I laughed as my hand grabbed his leg, pulling it out from under him. Beck's large body hit the ground right next to me, both of us sitting on our asses in the middle of the empty rink. We had stayed after practice to get some extra time on the ice as we usually did at least once a week, but now I was just fucking around. In all honesty I just wanted to delay the inevitable. Beck and I never talked about that kiss after last week, but there was nothing that needed to be said. I was simply doing a friend a favor.

When our laughter died down, Beck looked over at me from my left. "Are you going home for Christmas?"

"Why? Are you going to miss me?" I teased while punching his shoulder. Beck rubbed his padded arm, pretending it hurt and causing me to snort with humor.

"Nah. I have Axel and Seb to keep me entertained. I'm just trying to figure out how many practices my goalie is going to miss," he shrugged innocently.

"I'm not going to New York if that's what you're asking. I haven't spoken to my mother since I saw her in court almost five years ago," I told Beck surprisingly honestly. That seemed to grab his undivided attention, the sudden shift in tone causing him to look at me fully, prompting me to go on if I wanted to. "She's kind of a bitch. She never supported my hockey career or my relationship with my brother, especially my friendship with Sylvia. She never approved of Sylvia for God knows what reason. It's led her to say some truly atrocious things over the years about Sylvia's appearance and what happened to her. Ironic considering how similar we appear."

"She's a serial cheater but my dad is too. They both have had more affairs than I can count. I just couldn't stand her anymore. We got in a fight when I was almost sixteen when Finn came to visit me. Needless to say she told me to leave if I loved him so much, so I did." I didn't go into the court case, or cases, and Beck didn't push me. For that I am glad because I wouldn't have been able to explain the rest of it.

"I'm sorry, Danny," Beck's voice was filled with sincerity. "What about your dad? Do you talk to him?"

"Nope," I popped the 'p' while looking back at the gem eyed college student. "Haven't seen him since he spoke at my emancipation hearing. My brothers turn eighteen in two months. I left the house at fifteen and a half. That's almost seven years since I've seen my brothers. I bet they barely remember my name; I wouldn't be surprised."