“YOUR FAMILY IS PRETTYgreat.” Cole tucked his spoon into his hot fudge sundae, then scooped a huge portion into his mouth. He had already done a number on the three scoops he had gotten while I was still working on my small one.
I hummed in agreement. “They are.”
We had stopped to get ice cream, like we always did after a race, and now, the five of us, including Cole, were sitting around enjoying the rest of the night. This was a popular establishment, so it wasn’t a surprise that it was bursting with customers. I recognized a few of the other drivers my brother raced against, as well as their families. It seemed like we weren’t the only ones with this idea. But it was a warm night, and the sweet treat was cooling.
“I like your dad,” Cole commented.
My brows shot up as I stared at him. “You do?”
That was not usually what people said about my father. I loved him and would defend him for eternity, but sometimes people found it hard to get to know the man I knew. He loved his family and his job, and made sure we were all happy. Dad was quiet at times, and he could get moody and stuck in his head, but he never raised his voice or got angry with us. Dad had his own way of decompressing, and that included taking trips out on theboat with his friends or alone. He always came home to us, and Mom never seemed worried about it. I knew he battled demons that we didn’t know about, and I respected him for that.
“He seems really cool. He was surprised I had never been to any kind of race before.” Cole smiled.
“You didn’t grow up with this like we all did. How many hockey games do you think I’ve been to?” I reminded him.
Cole placed his empty container next to him on the bench. “If you say zero, I might actually die.” When I didn’t answer, his eyes went wide. “Reed, we’re going to fix that. Immediately. How is that possible?”
“Same reason you’ve never been to a race until now.”
“I’ll talk to Jax. I’m sure we can get you to a game as soon as the Panthers’ new season starts.”
I ducked my head. “I’d like that.” I concentrated on my ice cream, enjoying the sweet chocolate syrup and vanilla. “You won’t be here, though.”
“Oh,” Cole murmured.
I patted his hand. “It’s okay. I can go and think of you when I do.”
It wouldn’t be the same, though. I’d rather have Cole with me to tell me all about the game, since I knew nothing about it. I supposed I could sit with Tate. He would be able to tell me what was happening. He knew that he went to all the home games with his brother.
“Or we could go to a game together in New York. I can come visit you when the Panthers are in town. That would be fun.” His ears burned pink as he stared at his ice cream.
We were making plans. That had to mean something. “I’d like that,” I assured him.
“Don’t sound so excited.” Cole chuckled. He reached over to take my hand and squeezed lightly. “Not everyone likes hockey. Don’t feel like you have to do something you don’t want to do.”
Wait, what? “No, I want to.”
How did I tell him that I was terrified of ending up hurt? I wasn’t sure I could survive it again. Last time, I had endlessly sobbed into my pillow, nursing a broken heart and trying to move on. I had dated, but it never lasted long, and I never felt for them what I felt for Cole.
“There’s a but in there,” he teased, his blue eyes sparkling.
I chewed nervously on my bottom lip. “That’s future us. What if things change before then?”
“We’re friends, right?” Cole asked.
My heart sank at his question. My feelings went deeper than that.
“That means we have to hang out after we the summer. Keep in touch and stay up to date with what the other is up to. It’s what friends do. No more disappearing on me.”
My heart sank. Is that how he saw us? Just friends? I tried not to pull my hand away from him as my stomach twisted.
“Sure, we’re friends.”
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Cole twisted his larger frame toward mine. “Do you not want me to come visit you in New York? You could come to Boston. Or maybe at Christmas, when we come home, we can get together then. I’m sure you’ll be busy once we’re back at school, which is understandable.”
I tried to swallow around the lump in my throat. “I’d never be too busy for you.”
And once again, my heart trembled painfully as it cracked into pieces. Maybe this was all a terrible idea. Maybe we were going to just crash and burn because we weren’t meant to be. I should probably pump the brakes on whatever was happening between us, but it was already too late.