Chapter 35 Back
Ava Reed
There was something about the smell of fresh coffee and warm pastries that always made me feel at ease.
Today, I could barely taste the vanilla latte I was sipping. The café was its usual mix of soft jazz, the hum of quiet conversations, and the occasional clatter of cups against saucers. But in my head? Absolute chaos.
I was sitting across from Diane, who was scrolling through her phone, glancing up at me like she knew something was off. And to be fair, she wasn’t wrong.
“Alright, spill.” She says, finally set her phone down and folding her arms.
“Spill what?” I blinked.
She narrowed her eyes. You’ve been staring into space for the last five minutes, and you barely reacted when I said the barista was flirting with you. Who are you, and what have you done with Ava?”
“First of all, he wasn’t flirting. Second, I’m fine.” I rolled my eyes.
“Liar. Is it about Liam?” Diane leaned forward.
Just hearing his name made my stomach flip, and the heat that crawled up my neck had nothing to do with the coffee.
“Why would it be about Liam?” I asked, attempting to sound casual.
“Because you’re obsessed with him.” Diane smirked.
“I… what?” I almost choked on my drink.
“Oh, come on. You two have been circling each other for weeks, and don’t even get me started on the way he looks at you. I’ve attended you yall’s practice, you know.”
My pulse quickened, and I quickly busied myself with stirring my coffee, even though there was nothing left to mix.
“Liam and I are just… we’re just…”
“Uh-huh. Struggling to come up with an excuse?” Diane grinned. “It’s okay, Ava. You like him.”
I sighed, sinking into my seat. “Yeah,” I admitted quietly. “I think I do.”
“Then what’s the problem?” her expression softened.
Before I could even put my thoughts into words, Diane said something that completely messed with my head.
“It’s okay Ava like him. I just hope he’s focusing enough, though,” she said, stirring her own drink absentmindedly. “This match is a huge deal. If he plays well, it’s one step closer to getting back on track, you know?”
“You think he’s not focused?” I frowned.
Diane shrugged. “I mean, he’s been distracted for months now, ever since his injury. But lately, he seems different. More... relaxed? I don’t know if that’s a good thing.” She gave me a playful nudge. “I just hope his head is in the game.”
I forced a smile, but inside, her words echoed in my head like a siren.
More relaxed. Different. Distracted.
Liam had been playing better lately, sure. But was I the reason he wasn’t fully back?
I sat back in my chair, my coffee suddenly tasting bitter.
Diane didn’t mean anything by it, she was just making an offhanded comment. But now, all I could think about was whether I was the thing keeping Liam from going full throttle on the ice.
And if I was, then maybe… maybe I needed to take a step back.
Right?
Shit!