"you live in my mind."

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

As I get out of my much needed shower after coaching all morning, I check my phone and notice a text from Sterling. ""

""

"" I roll my eyes at his reply and start to get dressed.

I pick out some leggings with a fluffy lining on the inside and throw on the first hoodie I find. I dry my wet hair and put on some light makeup for shits and giggles. I send a quick text to Jemma letting her know I won't be home to avoid her worrying. Eating a quick bowl of cereal, which by the way is one of the greatest snacks, I finish getting ready and wait for Sterling.

I hear his car pull into the driveway and I walk out of my house. Locking the door, I make my way over to him.

"I knew you would forget a hat." He meets me half way down the driveway and pulls a beanie down onto my head, definitely messing my hair up.

I sheepishly smile at the tower of a man in front of me, "Thanks, darling."

He hums, acknowledging my gratitude and makes his way back to his vehicle. "Nice hoodie by the way."

My brows furrow in confusion until I realize the hoodie I picked out is his.

Oh.

I follow Sterling as he opens the door for me and I sit down in the passenger seat.

We spend the car ride chatting about anything but where he's taking me because apparently 'that's a secret.'

I try and identify where we're going but I don't recognize the area, possibly because I've never been here before but probably because I'm directionally challenged.

It's only until we pull into the parking lot and I read the sign do I know where I am; his team's hockey rink. Somewhere I have been multiple times before, which means it really was just my idiocy, not my unfamiliarity.

"C'mon Laney, I'm taking you skating." Sterling opens my car door and takes my hand as I get out.

God help me. This should be interesting considering I cannot skate.

Yes, I am Canadian and I can't skate. I'm an embarrassment to the nation as a whole, I get it.

Whatever, because I guess I'm learning today.

We walk in and I'm surprised to find no one there, a drastic difference from the busyness of game night.

"Sit." Sterling motions for me to take a seat on the bench, skates in his hand.

He puts them on for me, which weirdly enough fit perfectly, considering I haven't told him my shoe size.

"How did you know what size to get?"

He just shrugs his shoulders as he does up my laces, "I asked Beth."

He asked Beth for my freaking shoe size to take me skating.

Of fucking course he did.

"Ready?" He looks up at me, excitement swimming in the dark green waters of his eyes.

"I guess." Taking the hand he offers me, I stand up off the bench. "Um, I have to preface that I've never done this before."

"I know," he states casually.

How does he know? I don't think I've ever told him that. Have I?

"Beth warned me," he answers the questions floating in my head.

I watch as Sterling steps onto the ice first. He looks so confident and graceful out there.

Me, on the other hand, not so much.

Sterling holds both his hands out in front of me and I put my own in his as I take a step onto the ice.

I immediately start to fall backwards from how slippery it is, but he pulls me forward and I crash into his chest. Luckily, his 6'3" frame isn't impacted by the force and he just chuckles at me.

"Wow, you really do suck at this," he teases me.

I just offer him a mocking smile because as much as I'd like to push him over or skate away I really need to keep holding onto him.

For the next hour or so the two of us skate in circles, talking and trying to keep me upright.

I actually do a pretty good job of not falling, mostly due to Sterling's sturdiness, until I don't.

"Shit," I mutter as I feel my feet slip from under me and I go crashing into Sterling's chest. Only this time he isn't ready for me and the two of us go bulldozing to the floor.

I groan, at the pain of my body hitting the hard surface, but I'm much better off than Sterling who took most of the impact under me. The two of us lay there on the ice, me straddling his body with my hands holding me up, just an inch of space between our faces.

"Laney, if you wanted to be on top of me, you could've just asked. I'd be more than happy to make that happen." The cocky smirk playing on his lips makes me roll my eyes and when I feel a twitch in his jeans, I quickly understand what he means.

Suddenly, the amusement of our situation washes away when I look into his darkened eyes filled with lust and desire. I can't stop my hand as I instinctively run it through his hair, trying to clear the stray strands so I have full view of his face.

I clear my throat awkwardly, not sure what to do with the growing tension between us.

I analyze his eyes as they flick from my own to my lips. My heart pounds in my chest as I do the same thing, so loud he can probably hear it. My brain goes blank, washing away all rational thoughts reminding me that this isn't a good idea. That it is a bad, very bad idea, to kiss Sterling Blake.

It's a bad idea, Delaney.

But fuck me, if it isn't tempting.

My mouth goes dry as he reaches up and cups my face with one hand. A motion he's done multiple times, usually out of comfort, but this time it feels different. There isn't sympathy or worry in his face, but rather passion and craving. A look I'm sure I'm sharing as well.

I don't even notice when I bite the side of my bottom lip, holding it between my teeth, until Sterling releases it with his thumb. He lets his touch linger on my lip and the urge to give him access to my mouth grows unbearably strong.

"Fuck, Laney." The breathiness of his voice, now turned raspy and deep, stirs my stomach and heat grows between my legs.

I read his face telling me he feels exactly the same as me, that he wants this just as much as I do. But, just as I'm about to give in, just as I'm about to lean in and feel his plump lips with my own, we hear a loud bang which I recognize as the door closing. Meaning someone is about to walk in seeing us like this, and just like that, all my rational thoughts come flying back into my brain.

My eyes go wide and I quickly scatter to my feet, trying my hardest not to fall again. Sterling just groans and mutters something incoherent under his breath as he gets up too.

The situation grows worse and more comedic as I recognize the people walking into the rink. None other than Mason and Theo, probably wanting an early start to practice.

They see us through the glass, confusion yet a knowing smirk falls on both their faces.

God, I feel like a little kid getting caught sneaking candy by their parents.

"We should go." I turn to Sterling, avoiding eye contact.

"Alright, I'll drop you off."

We get off the ice without uttering a word to each other and he starts to help me take off my skates. Our silence is only broken by Mason who clears his throat when he walks up to the two of us.

"Having fun?" he raises one eyebrow suggestively.

"About to," Sterling utters to himself. "Thanks for that guys." He smiles with no amusement present on his face.

Theo just pats him on the back, assumedly his way of apologizing.

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

After a very awkward and quiet car ride, I get back to the house and find all the girls on the couch. The four of them watch as I walk into the living room, giddy smiles on their faces.

"I heard you went skating," Aspen starts the conversation they're clearly dying to indulge in.

"I did, yes."

"And?" Jemma holds the 'd' on the 'and' for longer than she needs to.

"And what?"

Harper rolls her eyes at me, "How was it?"

"It was good. Fun. We had fun. Why are you guys so interested?"

"I just assumed, the two of you alone, something is bound to happen. What, with the sexual tension and all." I choke on my saliva at Aspen's words.

"Well, sorry to burst your overinflated bubbles, nothing happened," I inform the girls as I take a seat on the chair facing the couch they're sitting on.

Beth analyses my features and I feel like I'm on trial or something, "But you wanted to, I can tell. What happened, Dell?" She's always been really good at reading me.

"Fine. I almost kissed him. Happy?"

I observe my best friends whose jaws drop to the floor.

Dramatic much?

"YOU WHAT?" the four of them yell in unison.

Oh jesus, someone remind me why I told them about this again.

"We fell. I ended up onto of him. I almost kissed him. Then Theo and Mason walked in," I offer a brief summary of the events.

Aspen cracks her knuckles, "Oh, I'm going to beat Theo's ass."

Jemma gently pats Aspen's hands, calming her down, "And you wanted to kiss him, correct?"

I just nod my head, not wanting to fully admit it.

My actions once again elicit more high pitched squeals and I bury my face in my palms.

Harper takes a deep breath in, "Oh my god... you're falling for him!"

"No, I am not." I try and deny the obviously true allegations.

Aspen just chuckles and points at me, "She totally is."

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

I groan as I sit down for the first time in a few hours on the couch.

After dropping off Laney, I went straight back to the rink for practice, which I was kind of grateful for. I needed a way to get rid of some of the tension Laney left me with.

"Alright, are we going to talk about it or what?" Mason sits down on the couch beside me.

"Talk about what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, mother fucker, what the hell happened with Delaney today?"

I roll my eyes and lay back into the couch, resting my head on the top of it. "I don't know, man."

"Yes, you do."

"Okay, fine, I wanted to kiss her. Actually no, I would've kissed her if the two of you didn't barge in." I slap him on the chest, "Nice timing by the way, fuck head."

Mason just chuckles at my misfortune, "Yeah, sorry about that."

"I don't know what to do," I admit.

He furrows his brows at me, "About what?"

"About Laney,"

"Yes I know that Sherlock, I mean what about her."

Part of me wants to blow my brains out for what I'm about to admit to Mason because I feel like a 3rd grader, but I need to talk to someone about this. "Fuck man, I'm crazy about her."

"I know. But go on,"

"I can't stop thinking about her, worrying about her, wanting to be around her. It feels like someone rips out my heart and stomps on it when I see her sad, and when I make her laugh, god, I feel on top of the fucking world."

"I know all this. C'mon Blake, finish your thoughts,"

I think I've known this for a while, but it's different; saying it out loud. Telling Mason for that matter. It feels official, real, scary.

"I'm fucking falling for her, hard. Really fucking hard."

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

I'm sorry for this chapter, but also you're welcome because we're finally getting somewhere and It's double my usual length.

Don't hate Mason and Theo for their interruption.. all will come in due time ;)

Question of the chapter: Do you know how to skate?

Please vote and comment if you guys enjoyed reading today's chapter <3

Stay safe and healthy everyone!