Page 49 of Deking
I push that down, though. “Yes, but a gentleman never lets a lady walk home alone. So I could drive you, or we can walk together.”
She glances over at me as we continue to walk toward her house. “Is it silly that I actually like walking? Well, at least when it’s not raining.”
“Not at all. Walking is good exercise, and fresh air is good for the soul.”
She looks over at me and frowns. “Don’t you hurt from practice, though? I know you didn’t move across the ice as much as the other guys, but it’s still got to be taxing.”
“Well, I ran drills before you got there, so you missed some of my torture. Other than that, yeah. It’s hard on your knees and hips. Staying in position for long periods of time can be uncomfortable. It’s why we move as much as we can within our box. Keeps the blood flowing.”
She hums. “Hmm. Interesting. You know, I never thought about hockey much before. I mean, my dad likes to watch the Foxes play, but I never really understood the game much. Ipreferred to stick my nose in a book while he and Will screamed at the TV. Now, I wish I had paid more attention.”
“Oh? You find you like the sport now?” I ask.
She gives me a shy look. “Well, my fake boyfriend happens to be some hockey hotshot. I feel like I can’t appreciate that as much as I should because I don’t understand what’s going on. I’m learning, though. I even plan to watch the game with Dad tomorrow night.”
I latch onto that. “I’ll be free. If you wanted me to come watch too. I could help teach you the game while enjoying it with your dad.”
She leans in a little closer to me, almost as if on instinct. “Maybe. We will see how he is doing.”
I want to push her to say yes, but I understand. Her dad comes first, and if he’s having a bad day, she won’t subject him to a stranger in the house. Even if he met me before, I will always be a stranger to him. That’s what this disease does to people. It steals their life from them.
I’ve started doing my own research on it. As much as I want to throw money at it, there’s not much they can do. Even the best doctors in the world say the same thing. It’s a disease they can slow down a little, but they can’t stop it.
Not truly.
As we arrive at her house, she turns to face me.
“I’m safely home,” she states.
“I can see that. You’ll text me later? When you can?” I ask.
She hesitates before nodding.
Leaning down, I press a kiss to her cheek. I want to kiss her lips again, but with this whole fake nonsense I started, I’m not sure I’m allowed. She’s kissed me before for her own reasons while I kissed her when my emotions got the best of me yesterday. It’s unfamiliar territory for both of us.
“Go inside so I know you are safe,” I tell her.
“Yes, sir. What if I leave after you leave?”
I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m not here to control you, Lyla. I want you to be safe always, and if you leave, I would love a text to know you are safe, but you don’t have to. No matter how much I would like it if you did.”
She swallows hard. “I was kidding, but yeah. I can let you know if I leave again tonight. I won’t, but still…”
“Thank you.”
This time it’s her that pushes up on her toes, and she wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me to her. When she pulls back to kiss the side of my face, I turn, capturing her lips with mine.
“What was that for?” she whispers.
“What do you think it was for?” I challenge her.
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she backs away, looking at me shyly.
“Goodbye, Wyatt.”
“Goodbye, Lyla.”
After she is safely in the house, I force myself to leave.
