Chapter 31: Chapter 31

“For the love of God, where on are Earth are you taking me?” I huffed out in exasperation, earning a booming laugh from Adam.

“Calm down, Case. We’ve only been in this car for 10 minutes.” It’s true. But when you’re being chewed on by the suspense and curiosity, 10 minutes feels like an eternity.

“Goddamit, just tell me already!” I threw up my hands in frustration and Adam chuckled once more. I know I’m acting like a brat but when your genes contained impatient and stubborn qualities, it was kind of impossible to sit quietly.

“Now where’s the fun in that?” He teased and I glared jokingly at him, causing him to raise his hands in mock surrender. I cracked a smile.

“There it is!” Adam exclaimed when the smile made an appearance, startling me. The smile grew a teeny bit bigger at his stupid antics, suppressing a silent laugh.

“Shut up,” I playfully shoved him and he caught my hand in his, a playful smirk plastered on his face as he kept his other hand on the steering wheel and his gaze on the road.

“Haven’t you heard that it is dangerous to abuse the driver?” He taunted and I rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time that day.

A blush crawled up my cheeks and my whole face was flooded with warmth as he brought the back of my hands up to his face and grazed his lips on my knuckles.

My stomach felt like a zoo.

He averted his gaze from the road to my face and cracked up laughing once he saw the state I was in while I sat there gob smacked.

“You jerk! You did that on purpose!” I smacked his arm instinctively but that didn’t cut his laughter short since he continued to laugh harder, hitting the steering wheel lightly. When he accidentally hit the horn, it was my turn to howl in laughter at his stunned state.

Eventually, our laughter ceased and we settled in a comfortable silence. “So...”

“Tell me about yourself.” I murmured absentmindedly and he chuckled.

“What do you want to know?”

I thought hard, what do I want to know? I released my bottom lip that I didn’t even realize I was gnawing on and decided to start small.

“When’s your birthday?”

“14th of April.”

“Favorite color?”

“Silver.”

“Hobby?”

“Playing the guitar.”

That one made me throw a curious glance which he caught He raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

I shook my head, a small smile dancing on my lips. “You just don’t seem like the type of guy who plays music instruments.”

He threw me a smug smirk, “I actually play the guitar, keyboard, bass and drum. Not to mention I used to be a vocalist in junior high.”

Now that got me rethinking my skills.

I decided to act nonchalant and continue with my get-to- know-Adam plan. “Favorite band?”

He shrugged, “I don’t have favorites.” I nodded, too lazy to prod.

“Favorite movie?”

“Fast and Furious.”

I smirked at that, it was one awesome movie.

I stared out the window, running out of questions but there was no need for any more because he deliberately announced that we arrived right after parking in front of a building that has ‘Ice- skating Arena’ lighting in blue up on top of the building.

I gasped in excitement.

No. Way.

No. Fucking. Way.

Holy macaroons.

He did not.

I looked at Adam who had a twinkle in his eyes.

“You did not,” I whispered, barely able to contain my excitement.

I used to love skating as a kid and Bryant used to take me here when it was ‘bonding time’ as my mother would like to call it. We stopped coming after the seventh time though because it got boring and I wanted to try something new.

I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it up until I was standing right in front of it.

“Are you coming?” Adam’s voice beckoned. It sounded far away but I managed to unconsciously nod while walking towards the entrance that I knew all too well.

A few things changed, the arrangement for the waiting seats was shifted and the building looked older but it still looked to be strong enough to stand on its own for a couple more decades.

Adam went to the counter first and got me my skates after I told him my size.

He passed me the skates and even then, I was still in a trance. Everything screamed memory. Good old times.

I took a seat and slipped on the skates, staring at the food stand that was still on the corner of the place, lighting up a board that showed a picture of hotdogs and nachos. It’s been a long time and that got me rethinking. Would I still be able to keep my balance in the ice ring? Would I fall on my butt and humiliate myself?

But I knew, even as the questions were swirling and messing with my head, I knew that I was definitely going along with this. I was going to do this, despite the fact that everything was screaming for me to get out of the place before I land myself on my ass and turn beet red.

I miss skating. I miss gliding through the slick surface and carving faint lines with my skates. I miss the thrill I would feel everytime I sped up and the memories I made with Bryant in this arena was enough to get me hyped up.

Adam either didn’t notice my mood shift or he was wise enough to not acknowledge it. Once I finished putting on the socks that Adam surprisingly snooped into his pockets and the skates he rented, I practically hauled him off the bench and dragged him to the entrance, ready to start gliding against the thick layer of ice.

When I was finally a step away from the border that separates the rubber covered tiles with the icy surface, I let go of Adam’s wrist and reached out a trembling hand, taking hold of the rails that was built into the walls to help beginners learn how to skate properly.

I was shivering. The temperature of the ice arena had to be low for the ice not to melt and I was in a simple dress, which was luckily a turtle neck and long sleeved. The decision was not made because I was being a prude, it was simply because it’s December and was almost freezing outside.

I gripped the cool wooden railing tightly and stepped a foot out, slowly putting pressure onto it. I swiftly reached out my another hand and pulled myself towards it with both feet already gliding on the ice.

I grinned up at Adam who was beaming at me and signaled me to scoot over. With one tug, he was right beside me, sliding gracefully around me. I gaped at his movements that seemed to be done effortlessly. He reached out a hand to me and I immediately shook my head, I’m not going to skate all the way to the middle, holding something that is mobile.

“Do you trust me?” He looked deep in my eyes and I found myself asking the same thing.

Do you trust him?

I looked down towards his outstretched hand and bit my lip nervously. It’s been so long since I did this.

I am so going to humiliate myself.

I knew I trusted this guy with everything in me and I knew I could depend on him more than anyone else. I knew, deep within me, that he wouldn’t let me fall if I were to take that big leap.

So with that, I took his hand.

Adam smiled genuinely at me and I found myself mirroring it, letting him guide me towards the middle of the arena. I held my breath but he held onto both of my hands,

keeping me steady until my feet got used to the slippery surface. When I finally got the hang of it, I felt the rush coming back.

I let go of Adam’s hands in an excruciatingly slow way. First, loosening my tight grip and letting him skate a bit faster so that his hand slid away slowly before sliding a foot after the other and soon, I was skating across the arena on my own, grinning like the child that was in me.

Adam skated right beside me, patiently watching and was fast to catch me before I fall whenever I lost my balance and flailed my arms.

I gripped his bicep, my arms flying sideways, searching for something to hold on to keep myself from falling. An arm circled my waist and immediately steadied me.

I was so focused on not falling that my breath hitched in my throat the second I looked up and met those deep green orbs. His eyes held a gleam that made his whole face lit up and I found my knees buckle at the dimpled smile he gave me.

Hot damn.

I quickly averted my eyes at the thought and straightened up, my face flushing a deep shade of red but his arm was still wrapped around my waist the whole time that he skated and as we passed the other people; friends, family, couples; I found myself leaning back towards his built and his warmth engulfed me.

Both of his hands were now on my waist and my own hands covered his. It was small compare to his and I felt his breath tickle the back of my neck. He whispered the one sentence I’ve been asking myself once again.

“Do you trust me?” I wanted to shake my head. I wanted to deny my feelings. Why? Because I was scared, I was terrified. This is not my realm. Cassandra Rylie Johnson simply did not fall in love. She didn’t rely on anyone. She was an independent lady. She was stubborn, wild and would never be tamed by any man.

But all thoughts slipped out of my head when his hands held my waist a little tighter. I found myself nodding and I could hear my conscience screaming at me in the back of my head for the foolish act I was about to commit for admitting and acknowledging the feelings buried deep in me.

“Do you trust me when I say I’m not going to let you fall? That I’m going to catch you whenever you lose your balance?” I knew what was going to happen.

When a man sets both of his hands on your waist, in a skating arena and asks you to believe and trust him, it’s not going to be another ordinary shit that you come to face every day.

He was going to do one of those stunts with me and he’s asking me to trust him that he will catch me.

But why does his question felt like there was another meaning to it?

The moment that his grip on me tightened, I felt myself being lifted along with the blades under my shoes losing its contact with the ice. I felt my heart lurch up to my throat when I felt the hands on me disappear for a nanosecond before it reappeared and my feet gently touched the ground.

He dipped me for the final effect and this time, I didn’t look away once our eyes locked. Cheers and claps echoed through the arena but all I could see was this man’s features with his green almond eyes, long lashes that framed it, his chiseled jaw that had a light stubble covering it and dimpled cheeks. He grinned at me even when he was still out of breath.

I found my own chest heaving up and down in an alarming rate. My heart banged against my ribcage and the only thing I could hear was the blood rushing my head.

This man will be the death of me, I thought to myself. And I’m falling for this doofus.