Chapter 1
*October 2014 in Michigan*
I sat there on the bench waiting outside of the rink. The open skate started at 7 and it was already 7:45. However, my date was supposed to be meeting me here at 6:45 to "teach me how to skate". So, I just sat there on my phone scrolling through Instagram. As I sat there in my leggings and oversized Blues sweatshirt, a tall kid walked over, sitting beside me. He was dressed in the same navy blue sweats my brother had. His nice skates and his confident smile immediately showed me where I would've known this guy from.
"What's a pretty girl like yourself doing here alone?" He smiled, running his fingers through his hair as I turned and looked up at him.
"I was supposed to meet my date here, but he never showed," I sighed, locking my phone before crossing my arms, leaning my head against the brick wall as I looked into the kid's dark eyes.
"Well, I'd be happy to be your date for the night," he smiled as I laughed softly, smiling at him.
"Would you really do that?" I smiled as he nodded, smiling brightly.
"Were you guys going on a cute little skating date?" He smirked as I nodded, laughing softly.
"Was it the skates or the fact that I'm at an open skate that gave it away?" I smirked as the kids' face turned red making him chuckle.
"Auston," he gulped, smiling softly as he put his hand out.
"Jackson, but most people just call me Jack," I smiled as he nodded.
"Jack, what if I told you that I could get you into the coolest rink at this arena?" He smirked as I smiled, nodding my head. "I'll teach you how you skate on the same ice the US national team skates on," he smirked as I nodded, smiling brightly.
"Maybe you could even teach me how to play hockey," I giggled as he nodded, laughing softly.
"I think I could do that," he smirked, looking down at my skates. "Did you tie them yourself?" He looked up at me as I nodded, smiling softly. "They're pretty good," he smirked as I shrugged, giggling softly.
"I'm a woman of many talents," I smirked, watching Auston stand up. He stuck his hand out making me smile brightly. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up. He nervously smiled, still holding my hand as he walked me to the rink. He let go of my hand for split-second only to open the door for me, then he quickly grabbed my hand again, leading me to the ice.
"So it's gonna feel weird at first, but I'm going to need you to trust me," he smiled as I nodded, smiling up at him. He walked in front of me, stepping onto the ice and holding his hands out for me. "Do you trust me?" He smirked as I nodded, smiling softly.
"I guess I trust you," I smiled, grabbing his hands as I stepped on the ice. He started skating backward, guiding me around the rink.
"Look at you, you're a natural," he smiled as I shrugged softly, smiling at him.
"I never said it was my first time skating," I smirked as he chuckled, nodding his head.
"Alright, then I'm going to let go," he smirked, letting go of my hands. "Look at you, you're better than some of the kids I play with," he laughed, as I skated slowly, smiling at him.
"Do I skate better than that Tkachuk kid?" I smirked, as Auston laughed, nodding his head.
"A lot better than him," he smiled. He continued to skate backward as I took effortless and slow laps around the rink.
Finally, he stopped me at the goal line, smiling at me with a big goofy smile. "You think you're good enough to race me?" he smirked, running his fingers through his hair.
"Pff, do I think I'm good enough? I know I'm good enough," I smiled as he laughed, nodding his head.
"Alright then, let's do it," he smirked, looking at me as I smiled up at him. "On your mark, get set, GO!" He yelled, he sprinted off, quickly stopping and looking at me as I slowly skated. He laughed as if I was an adorable little kid, as I smiled, giggling as I pretended to try very hard to catch up to him. However, once I did, I took off in an all-out sprint. "Hey," he laughed, calling out as he skated after me. I laughed loudly as I went around the rink. I stopped at the goal line, crossing my arms as I waited for Auston. "I thought I was supposed to be teaching you how to skate?" He chuckled, slowly skating over, stopping beside me.
"I guess you're just a really good teacher," I giggled, smiling up at him.
"You knew how to skate all along, didn't you?" He smirked as I shrugged, smiling softly.
"Something like that," I giggled, looking up at him. As I looked into his big brown eyes, my phone started to ring. My smile faded as I reached into my pocket, grabbing my phone. "I'm sorry, I have to take this," I gulped skating over to the bench, sitting down as I answered the phone.
"Jack, where are you? Dad's about to have a cow. Apparently you took one of his old sticks or one of my sticks, I don't really know. I honestly can't understand what he's saying," my older brother Matthew gulped as I smiled, watching Auston skate effortlessly around the rink.
"I took the gloves on the table. I'm 98 percent positive they're the gloves that you just got" I laughed softly, looking down at my feet.
"Well, he suggests that you come home immediately," Matthew chuckled my father's yelling in the background.
"Alright, I'm heading home. See you in 10," I sighed, hanging up before Matthew could say anything. I slipped my phone into the pocket of my sweatshirt, standing up and stepping back out onto the ice. "Sorry to cut things short, but I've got to head home before my dad kills me," I smiled, skating over to Auston.
"Can I get your number?" He gulped, nervously running his fingers through his hair as I laughed softly, shaking my head.
"Maybe if I see you again, Auston," I smiled, reaching up and kissing his cheek, patting his shoulder before skating off, waving at him just before walking out.
