"What are you laughing at?" I ask Bray from the backseat of my own car. I am laid out across the seat surrounded by a fuck ton of blankets to try to lessen the pain every time we hit a bump or Bray, with his shitty driving, stops short.

"You," he laughs even harder swerving recklessly around a slow moving car.

"Bray," Stan yells grabbing onto anything he can reach as I am sent flying around in the back seat.

"Ow," I groan, trying to readjust myself comfortably.

"Op, sorry," he laughs apologetically, slowing down just a little. Parker left yesterday morning but Bray is already anxious to see him and it shows in his erratic driving. Not that his normal driving is any better honestly.

"My life is finally good and now I am going to die, wonderful," I commiserate as Stan begins literally praying. "Now are you going to explain why you're laughing for fucks sake."

"Oh because you think you're being cute and romantic and she is going to be so mad at you," he snorts.

I flip him off but don't argue because there is lots of truth to what he just said. I know Francesca will be excited to see me at her competition but I will also be lectured about how I should be in bed and how I am going to prolong the injury and how I need to take better care of myself. All of that is true but it is worth it to see her compete.

The only saving grace today is that only the mens and women's singles compete today, women in the morning and then men in the evening session. Tomorrow all the pairs go and though I would love to support my bestie Lulu, I will have to see how I feel before making that decision. This is as long as Bray doesn't kill me beforehand with his crappy driving.

"I am too young to die!" Stan shouts as Bray blares the horn at a squirrel crossing the road.

The competition is only an hour away so we are mostly on backroads. Bray grew up in a small town and was taught how to drive in that same small town. Small town Michigan drivers are a different breed and don't follow any traffic laws. Sometimes I wonder if Bray even knows what a speed limit is because he sure as shit never follows it.

"How is your license not suspended?" I ask as he nearly blows a red light.

"Uncle is a state trooper so I flash his card and it gets me out of most things," he says nonchalantly. Both me and Stan rub our temples as he continues driving like he is the only person on the road.

To literally no one's surprise, we arrive 20 minutes earlier than expected. Maya is supposed to come out and meet us but she is still running around helping make final costume adjustments. Instead Parker comes bounding out of the arena right into Bray's arms.

"Hi you made it, how was the drive, did you eat breakfast?" Parker questions as Bray feathers soft kisses all over his face. I wonder how anyone has the ability to think in their apartment with Francesca, Parker, and Maya always talking a mile a minute.

"The drive was good and yes we ate," Bray smiles looking much more relaxed than he did before he saw Parker.

"Speak for yourself," Stan grumbles.

"Seriously, you are a danger to society dude. I literally wrote a will on the drive here."

"What was in your will?" Stan asks peeking at my phone as I pull it up.

"Did you leave me your bedroom?" Bray asks as if I would leave the guy that killed me the most sought after room in our house.

"Why the fuck are you here?" Parker asks finally realizing I am standing behind him leaned up against the car. "She is gonna kick your scrawny ass."

We all laugh, even Bray, who kisses Parker's temple and says, "Babe we both know he has a great ass, don't try to tell him otherwise, he knows."

"All hockey players are fucking psychopaths," he whines. None of us disagree as Maya joins us leading us into the arena to take a seat and watch the first group go. She is much nicer about my presence and showers me with compliments that only inflate my ego.

Before Francesca goes on I plan ahead this time and buy her flowers, with Maya's help. She teaches me all the things to look for when buying them since I have never bought a girl flowers before. I carefully hold them so not to squish them.

"Hold them like a baby it will be easier," Maya instructs as we walk back to our seats.

"Do I look like someone who holds babies Maya? I have rats not children. My rats are my children."

She adjusts the flowers in my arms and just laughs. "Before we sit back down, Stan is like your best friend right?"

"One of them," I nod, waiting for her to continue. This is happening, oh god my wingman skills are working! Fuck yeah, bitches! First Bray and Parker now Stan and Maya, I am literally fucking cupid!

"What is his type," she asks trying to look indifferent.

If I didn't know he would throw me off a bridge if I blew up his spot I would simply say 'you' and move on but I just started dating Francesca and I would like to at least make it a week before I die. "Well he likes girls who are down to earth," I say then pause to think. I want to describe her so she gets that she is his type but I realize I don't know Maya all that well, not in comparison to all the other roommates.

"Definitely girls who are creative," I add since I know she is a fashion major. "Oh and he values friendship and stuff like that, so a girl that also values that." Good Carson yeah she loves her friends that I do know for a fact. "Oh and someone he can just hang out with and laugh with, he is shy but once you break him out of his shell I swear he is hysterical."

She listens and nods along as we finally approach our seats again. Somehow Maya ends up next to me instead of Stan so I harshly elbow him in the side. "What the fuck?" he hisses.

"Switch with me," I whisper.

"What?"

"Switch with me," I say again, nodding toward Maya who is to my right. He finally gets the picture and jumps up to switch with me. We all settle into our new seats just as the competition begins.

I mildly pay attention to each skater, waiting patiently for Francesca to step on the ice. She is second to last and I repeatedly get yelled at by my friends for anxiously bouncing my leg. I can't help it, I don't think I will ever be calm while watching her perform. I have watched for too many hours all the blood, sweat and tears she's put into this. I am so invested in her career I am certain I am her number 1 fan.

When she steps on the ice a couple people clap and cheer. She is the favorite to win, no surprise there since my girl is amazing. "Let's go Beck," I yell as she gets into starting position.

She whips her head toward my voice, finding me in the crowd. She shakes her head in disappointment but the bright smile taking over her entire face tells a different story. She can deny it all she wants but she is happy I am here.

As her song begins I push the flowers off toward Bray so I can lean forward as if the extra few inches will help me see better. I don't want to miss a single moment of her routine as she glides across the ice so perfectly in time with her music.

"Breath," Bray orders, poking me gently. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath, but I exhale as she lands another jump.

When she finishes, our group jumps to their feet cheering wildly. The entire arena follows clapping and yelling. For the first time likely ever in her career Francesca doesn't try to run off the ice. She lets herself have her moment and I know it is because she feels like she fits in for once. Her new costume isn't her normal recycled hand-me-down and even as she pins me with her disapproving look I see the happiness. She looks like she is floating as she finally skates off the ice after taking a few bows.

I've always been excited to play in the NHL but before today it was never for the money. Now suddenly the money does matter. That money will give me the ability to give Francesca the world she deserves and even more the confidence that she should always have. I can say until I am blue in the face that material things don't matter, only her talent, but figure skating is brutal and people do care about that stuff. Since I can't change the sport, the best I can do is make her feel like she belongs.

"Woah," Maya gasps as everyone looks at me.

"What?" I ask looking at them all confused. The score isn't up yet so why are they looking at me.

"Didn't you pick that song in like beginning of March?" Stan asks, trying to do the math.

"Yeah," I reply before realizing what is going on. The song, my song that I picked a month ago to attempt to confess my feelings. I realize none of them heard it before today.

"Whipped," Bray cackles as I punch him in the shoulder.

Francesca's score finally flashes on the screen and everyone goes wild. Unless the last girl can pull off a near perfect routine no one can touch her. According to Maya, that is impossible so I settle in and watch, slightly bored. I want to see Francesca already and tell her how proud I am.

There is a short medal ceremony after the final girl goes before everyone disperses for a lunch break. I lead the way through the arena to Francesca, finding her like a drug sniffing dog in a crack house.

"I won, I won," she cheers when I finally find her. Despite all logical thinking that I clearly don't possess, I pick her up and spin her around. "Ry set me down you lunatic," she giggles while wrapping her arms around my neck.

I set her down but still hold her against me. "I am so so proud babe, you were fucking incredible." I kiss her and she melts into the kiss, her entire body relaxing against me.

"Question?" she smiles when we break apart.

"Answer," I laugh, loving our game.

"Why did you pick that song?"

"Because I love you Beck," I answer without a second thought. Even all those weeks ago I loved her, I just hadn't figured it out yet.

"Even then?" she asks, her eyes full of pure wonder.

"Even before then," I tell her honestly, kissing her again. She kisses me back like it is our first kiss all over again, like she can't get enough of me. Admittedly I can't get enough of her so I understand the feeling.

Francesca finally lets go of me standing back to finally scold me I assume. "I still wish you were resting, but thank you so much for coming."

"You really thought I would miss this? Did you forget the only person in the world who could rival your level of stubbornness?" Bray pokes me from behind and I turn around to him shoving the flowers at me. "Ops thanks bro. I got you these," I shyly tell Francesca as I hand the flowers off to her.

"Ryder," she gushes as a few tears prick the corner of her eyes. "These are beautiful."

We talk for a few minutes and then Francesca vanishes for a minute to grab her skating bag. She decided she would change back at the hotel, insisting that we order food there so I can lay down before the men's competition tonight.

"Carson Ryder?" an older guy asks, stopping in front of me and sticking out his hand to shake mine.

"Hey," I smile, falling into the routine Michigan drills into our head the day we step on campus. We may be assholes when we are in private but in front of fans and media we are trained to be perfect gentlemen, a wild concept I know.

"You took a hell of a hit last week," he says, assessing me.

"Oh yeah it was brutal," I grimace at the memory.

"Daddy," Francesca calls, suddenly breaking into a full sprint toward the guy I am talking to.

He drops my hand and picks up Francesca holding her tightly. "My princess," he beams as he sets her down, his eyes portraying so much pride I nearly get choked up. Francesca is full blown sobbing in front of him, holding onto him tightly.

"Daddy what are you doing here?" she sobs into his chest. Looking at him more closely now it is so obvious they're related. They have the same eyes.

"Oh so I will go fuck myself," a younger guy yells standing next to an older women. The guy looks just like the twins, making him Francesca's older brother Joe and if I had to guess that makes the woman her mom.

"No," she chokes, letting go of her dad and running to the rest of her family. She is still holding onto the flowers I got her, never losing her grip as she hugs them to her. The small gesture makes my heart skip a beat and eases some of the pain. I never realized what a slap in the face it would be to see a normal loving family. I try to avoid things like this and I desperately want to be happy for Francesca in the moment but this nasty jealousy festers instead. Jealous of their relationship, jealous I am not the only person she loves, jealous that I am more easily replaceable to her than she is to me.

"What are you all doing here?" she asks after collecting herself, finally wiping her eyes and gathering her family all together where me and her dad are standing.

"We wanted to see your final competition of the year," her mom smiles sweetly.

"It was incredible sis and I liked the song. It was different than all the others," Joe compliments.

Francesca slides up next to me carefully wrapping her arms around my hips. "Ryder picked it, he picks the best songs." She smiles up at me and I want to lean down to kiss her but I don't really know the protocol for kissing in front of your girlfriend's family.

"Oh yo," her dad and Joe yell as she snuggles against me.

"Careful with the precious cargo, he's the NHLs next best player," her dad scolds motioning for her to let go of me.

"Whatever," she rolls her eyes unamused. "Speaking of, Ry I want you to meet the rest of my family. My brother Joe, my dad Gio and my mom Isabella."

"Nice to meet you all," I greet, tentatively shaking everyone's hand with Francesca still clinging to me.

"Let's all go to lunch," Gio suggests as we all head to the exit.

"No," Francesca tries to interject but I cover her mouth.

"Sounds great Mr. Beckett," I speak over her as she licks my hand. As if that is going to faze me, I have had dreams about spitting in your mouth Francesca, try a little hard. Apparently my girlfriend is now a mind reader because just as I finish the thought she chomps down on my hand. "Son of a bitch butt," I curse, pulling my hand away.

"Don't silence me," she bites, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Don't baby me," I argue, trying to copy her but flinching a little as I slam my arm into my body.

"I am not but you have proven time and time again you have no regard for your health. I know your teeth are fake but how many braincells have you lost too?"

"They aren't fake," I explode, throwing my hands up in the air. "Call my dentist. I am serious Beck, I will give you his number."

"Enough with the lies," she hisses pushing up on her tippy toes to get in my face.

I bend a little so we are eye level as I narrow my eyes at her. "Butt," I warn.

"Carson," she matches, not standing down.

"I don't know what the fuck is going on but I am very entertained," Joe laughs, as Francesca parents look between us in confusion.