Chapter 44 Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter 44 Chapter Forty-Four
Vanessa POV
The interview with Ethan had gone better than I'd expected.
He'd been nervous at first, giving one-word answers, but once I had hidden the recorder so we could just talk and we got past the surface-level questions about why he started playing hockey, he'd opened up.
I liked to think he found it interesting that we'd talked about team dynamics and the pressure of performance.
By the end of the hour– far longer than I had planned to spend talking to him,on the same topic. I had pages of notes and a recording full of genuine insights that would be perfect for my dissertation.
More importantly, I'd seen a side of Danny's world that I'd been avoiding for three years—the human side, the part that wasn't about my father.
I packed up my laptop as Ethan stood, looking relieved that it was over.
"Thanks again for doing this," I said, shaking his hand.
"You were really helpful."
"Yeah, no problem,I think I forgot it was an interview at some point" Ethan said, then hesitated.
"And hey, Vanessa? For what it's worth, Danny's a good guy. Like, the best.”
“ I know things got messy with Marco and everything, but Cap—he really cares about you. I've known him for years, and I've never seen him like this about anyone." he muttered and my chest warmed.
I wasn't ready to unpack those feelings so I looked up at him and smiled.
"Thanks, Ethan. That means a lot."
He nodded and headed upstairs, probably to tell Danny the interrogation was over.
I smiled at the thought, it hadn't been an interrogation, but I could understand why it might have felt that way to a guy who'd rather take a hit on the ice than do an interview with anyone.
He rarely did the TV interviews after games with his team.
I was reviewing my notes and adding adjustments when I heard footsteps on the stairs. Danny appeared, looking anxious and hopeful at the same time.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
"Really well," I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
"Ethan was great. Honest, thoughtful—he gave me so much good material to work with."
Danny's face broke into a huge grin.
"Yeah? That's awesome, Nessa."
"It really is," I agreed, then added with a teasing smile,
"Though I have to add, he was very complimentary about his captain. Apparently you're 'the best' and he's 'never seen you like this about anyone.'"
Danny's ears turned red, which was adorable.
"Ethan talks too much."
"I thought you said getting hockey players to talk about their feelings was like pulling teeth?" I asked innocently.
"It is. Except when they're embarrassing me, apparently," Danny muttered, but he was smiling.
“ Are you done though?” he asked as I shoved my laptop into my bag.
“Yeah, I'm done with this” I muttered and he grabbed my bag and slung it over his shoulder alongside his own.
"Come on. I promised you a date, and I'm not backing out now."
"Where are we going?" I asked as we headed out of the Hockey House.
"It's a surprise," Danny said, taking my hand as we walked down the porch steps.
"I hate surprises," I said, which was only partially true.
"No, you don't," Danny said confidently.
"You just hate not being in control. There's a difference."
He wasn't wrong about that, which was annoying.I didn't like that he saw through me this early.
We walked out the house, and he closed the door.
aaa
“Are you really not telling me where we're going?” I asked as we got into the car.
“Nope” he puffed
Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the Cineplex on the edge of town, and I couldn't help but smile.
A movie.
"I know it's not fancy," Danny said, looking suddenly uncertain as he parked.
"But I figured after the week we've had, maybe we could use something normal. No drama, no campus gossip, just—"
“ You could have let me go home to change and dump my stuff” I mumbled softly
“ We can leave” he offered and I shook my head.
"It's perfect," I interrupted, squeezing his hand.
"Seriously, Danny. This is exactly what I need."
His shoulders relaxed, and that smile I loved spread across his face.
"Good. Because I already bought the tickets online, and they're non-refundable."
"Very presumptuous of you," I said, but I was laughing as we got out of the car.
The theater was moderately busy for a Tuesday evening, mostly other college students with free time to burn. Danny had chosen some action movie I'd never heard of—something about a heist and a lot of explosions, based on the poster—but I didn't care what we watched. I was just happy to be here with him, doing something completely normal.
Danny bought us a large popcorn to share and two drinks, despite my protests that we didn't need that much snacks.
"It's a movie theater," he said, as if that explained everything.
"The popcorn is mandatory. It's the law."
"I don't think that's how laws work," I pointed out.
"It should be," Danny said, leading me toward theater seven.
We settled into our seats—Danny had somehow managed to get the perfect spot, dead center with no one directly in front of us—and I immediately reached for the popcorn.
It was still warm, perfectly buttered, and absolutely delicious.
"Okay, you were right about the popcorn," I admitted.
"I'm always right about food," Danny said, looking smug.
The lights dimmed, and previews started rolling across the screen. Danny's hand found mine in the darkness, his fingers interlacing with mine, and I felt something settle in my chest.
This was nice.
This was what dating was supposed to feel like—easy, comfortable, right.
The movie itself was exactly what the poster promised, lots of action, minimal plot, and enough explosions to satisfy any action junkie.
Halfway through, Danny shifted closer, his arm sliding around my shoulders, and I leaned into him without thinking. His thumb traced small circles on my arm, and I could smell his cologne—that sandalwood and spice scent that had become so familiar it felt like home.
"This okay?" he murmured near my ear.
"More than okay," I whispered back.