21. Jonah

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

jonah

As I releasemy last class for the afternoon, I have the urge to text Emmett to see what he’s doing tonight. Getting addicted to spending time with him? Guilty.

Though I’m worried about being too pushy. Maybe I should be playing this more cool than I am.

I decide to leave it until at least tomorrow—I’m going to see him when I take Cullen to practice anyway—but on my way out the door, I realize I don’t have to play it cool. Not with Emmett.

Because he’s standing right there with two coffees and wearing the most heartwarming smile in the universe. He has his hair out, and his wild, blond curls sit just above his shoulders. I think the only other time I’ve seen him with his hair out is while we’ve been fucking, and it’s possible I’m associating that image with how he looks right now, but he’s absolutely gorgeous. And way out of my league.

His bluish-green eyes sparkle at me as he hands me one of the cups. “Drink up. You’re going to need it.”

“Should I be scared?” I take it and sip.

“Nope. You should be excited.” Emmett’s all bouncy on his feet, like a hyperactive puppy.

“What did you get up to today to put you in this very peppy mood?”

“I played hockey with my brother.” His grin widens. “It was so awesome and fun, and it reminded me of old times. It got me out of this funk I’ve been having.”

“You’ve been in a funk?” Should I be offended by that? He must see the worry in my face because he puts his hand on my arm as we start walking toward the street exit of the school.

“Not when it comes to you, but with life in general. Ever since getting kicked out of school, I’ve been trying to think about what I want to do. I love coaching, and I love having kids like Cullen who just get it, but …” He bites his plump lip. “I miss playing.”

“What’s holding you back? The pressure?”

“There’s that, and I’ve most likely left it too late to try to make it professionally anyway, but at least I know what direction I want to go now. I could become a full-time coach and join a social team, or West mentioned me going home to Vermont and playing for CU. Maybe I’ll catch the eye of an agent, or my brother can pull some strings and I’ll get put on a farm team that might one day pick me up for the NHL. The world is my oyster … or whatever that saying is.”

My heart has no right to, but it twinges anyway. “You’re thinking about moving back to Vermont?”

“Don’t you ever think about moving back to …” He frowns. “Where are you from originally?”

“Super-duper far away. So, so far.”

“Oh, right. Cali boy. I forgot about that. You’re from San Diego, aren’t you?”

“Yup.”

We reach the parking lot, and he takes out his phone. “Have you ever lived outside of California?”

“No. What are you doing?”

“Getting a ride share. We’re going out.”

“We are?”

“Yup. I’m too wired. I should be exhausted because I reckon we ended up playing three periods’ worth of ice time, but I used to always be like this after a game. It takes a while to wind down, so I figured you can entertain me while I do that.”

I wrap my arm around his waist and pull him against me. “In that case, I’m in. What’s the plan? Early dinner? Movie?”

“No, that would involve me needing to sit still.”

He’s cute when he’s excited. Actually, he’s cute all the time. The idea of him moving to Vermont fills me with the kind of longing I should definitely not have this early into our … dating-ship. I can’t call it a relationship because we just started dating. But these feelings are there, strong and powerful.

I’m probably setting myself up for heartache, knowing he’s most likely going to leave, but I’m holding out hope that he won’t because I know it would be difficult for him to leave Benny. Is it horrible to hope for his unhealthy codependence with his twin to stay strong? I should probably start thinking about it.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going or keep it a surprise?” I ask.

“Surprise.”

“Am I at least dressed appropriately?”

Emmett pockets his phone again and places his hand on my chest. “Maybe too appropriately. Ditch the blazer. And while we’re at it, the shirt too. Ooh, pants.”

“Emmett,” I warn. If he keeps going, we won’t be heading out at all but back to my apartment.

“You look fine, and there’s no dress code where we’re going.”

“To clarify, is there no-dress code or no dress code? As in, it’s not a rule to be naked or anything?”

“No, do you know of places like that? We should change our plans.” He jumps up and down on the balls of his feet again.

“I wanted to be sure after you asked me to get naked right here in the parking lot.”

The sun is beginning to set over the school, the sky turning a burnt orange.

“We’re going somewhere super fun.”

Now I really am scared.

Our ride shows up, and we slip into the back seat. Other than a hello, he doesn’t speak. Instant five stars.

I try to figure out where we’re going, but I’m kind of excited for the surprise.

Though when we pull into an industrial area full of warehouses and nothing else, I’m back on the scared bandwagon.

Emmett is quick to say thank you and jump out of the car, still having that kid-like energy about him.

It’s not that I don’t like enthusiastic people, but I haven’t had anything in my grown-up life that makes me that level of excited. Emmett looks like a kid at his own birthday party, and if I truly think about my life, nothing has ever come close to that.

I haven’t had that … spark, that urge to throw myself into something wholly and completely in a really long time.

“You ready?” Emmett asks.

“To be taken inside an abandoned warehouse to do god knows what? You’re not one of those people who like trashing old, run-down places, are you?”

He smiles, but it’s too innocent for my liking. It’s so innocent that it’s … not. “Would someone as sweet as me do something like that?”

“Granted, I still don’t know you well, but you did get kicked out of school for setting a fire.”

He goes to open his mouth, but I keep going.

“Even if you say it wasn’t you, how am I to know for sure? You might actually be a thirty-five-year-old married dude who is pretending to be student age.”

He laughs. “Want to see my ID?”

“No, this is all hyperbole, but still.”

Emmett takes my hand, gentle and soft. “It’s not abandoned, and we’re not breaking any laws. I promise. I bought tickets for this.”

“Okay.” I relax. Marginally.

But then he says, “You know how to parkour, don’t you?”

I stare to where our ride share left. “Wait, come back!”

Emmett laughs again, and I like making him do that. “You’re way too easy to rile up. Come on. This will be fun.”

He leads me down the side of the buildings, past some cars parked in a small lot, and to the very end warehouse that has a very makeshift sign saying “Snow World” above two doors.

“How did you find this place, exactly?”

“Google.”

“So, you’ve never been to the big scary warehouse that might as well be a van that says ‘free candy’ on the side?”

“The photos made it look awesome inside.”

“Well, if it was on the internet, it must be true.”

“That’s how the world works, isn’t it?” He pushes through one of the doors.

Inside the small reception area isn’t much better. There’s a rack of thick jackets lining the wall and a small desk with an old man behind it. He stands from his seat and smiles. “Come in. Come in.” He waves us closer to him.

I still have no idea what’s going on, but Emmett shows him his online booking, and then we’re told to find jackets that fit us.

“Still scared?” Emmett asks as we put on the winter clothing.

“Yup.”

He pauses at the hanging plastic flaps that they have in refrigerator trucks to keep everything inside cool, and as he moves one aside, we’re blasted with freezing cold air. Emmett has no hesitation, but when he says, “Oh, wow,” it gets me moving too.

The outside might not be much to look at, but inside …

“Holy shit. It’s like a winter wonderland.” One side of the warehouse has a fake snow mountain with people on sleds, to the back there’s a pit of snow, and right in front is a small ice-skating rink. The walls are lined with frozen ice sculptures, lit up by colorful lights from underneath them, and to the right of us, there’s even a slide made of ice for the little kids. A mother and a toddler are over there, and the child slides down and then runs back around to go again.

“I told you the photos looked good.”

“Yeah, but I was fully expecting you to be scammed.”

“So pessimistic.”

“I prefer the term realist, but I have to admit, I never would’ve come here if you didn’t bring me. Even if I saw it online. I guess I’m always under the impression if something looks too good to be true, then it is.”

He stares at me for a moment, an expression I can’t read on his face, but then he turns back to the ice. “Where do you want to go first?”

“Well, I’m guessing the ice skating is out because you could do that at work.”

“Hey, I will never say no to skating. I could teach you. Maybe you’re a natural like Cullen.”

“Or maybe I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of you yet.”

“You mean⁠—”

I put up my hand, knowing he’s about to mention the scene I created on campus. “Technically, I didn’t embarrass myself in front of you but your brother. You heard about that secondhand, so it doesn’t count.”

“How’d you know what I was going to say?”

“Because I’m smart.” I glance between the sledding and the snow at the back and really think back to when I was a child and how much I wanted to see snow and throw a snowball. “I know what I want to do. Snow angels?”

“Perfect.”

He takes my hand again, and I will never get sick of that. We head toward the back of the warehouse. There are only a few families here with small kids, and I get the impression that maybe we’re a bit old for this type of place, but it’s an amazing venue.

Emmett throws himself down on his back on the man-made snow, arms and legs wide.

Little does he know I can be just as immature as him sometimes. Okay, never, but what can I say, he brings it out in me. Instead of joining him, I bend down and get a handful, squishing it into a ball.

He sees it before I throw it at him, but it’s too late. It hits him in the stomach.

“Oh, I know you did not just do that.”

I hold my hands up. “Wasn’t me.”

He jumps to his feet. “You don’t realize what you’ve done.”

I step closer to him. “What have I done?”

“Only challenged the Dalton family snowball champion to a snowball fight.”

“I’m really scared. Let me guess, you and Ben would team up and pretend to be one player.”

Emmett’s face falls.

“Ha, I knew it. Let’s see how good you are without your brother helping you.”

“It’s on, Cali boy.”

I didn’t see his hands when he stood from the ground, so when he smushes snow onto my head out of nowhere, I know I’ve made a big mistake.

But it’s one I’ll make again and again because that excited feeling I’ve been missing since I was a kid? I have it with Emmett.