##Chapter 21: CassidyBook One: StayCole eases his Mustang over to the side of the familiar tree-lined street before cutting the engine. For a moment we both stare at the red brick, two-story house situated on a pretty corner lot.My breath hitches as I contemplate my childhood home.I'm having some serious second thoughts about what I'm intent on doing. And, truth be told, I feel guilty for dragging Cole into it with me. He's aware that there's tension with my parents, but has no idea how bad the situation is."Ready?" The softly spoken question slices through the thick silence of the car.I straighten my shoulders before turning to meet his gaze.At this time of the day, both my parents should be at work, leaving the house empty. I've spent the previous week going round and round with myself about this. What I keep coming back to is that it's my hockey gear and I want it. I'm tired of wearing crappy rental skates.What I don't know is if my equipment is still here or if Dad got rid

##Chapter 23: CassidyBook One: StayMy father has always been blunt, and he cuts right to the heart of the matter as he stabs a finger at me. "That's no longer your equipment to take. You forfeited it when you got kicked off the team and flunked out of college."The razor-sharp comments leave me wincing, but I keep my face an emotionless mask. I'll be damned if he sees how much his words and attitude are still able to inflict damage. Sometimes it's difficult to believe we were ever close. I'm his eldest and the only daughter who followed him into hockey. He used to be so proud of me and my accomplishments.Both on and off the ice.Miranda and Lexie had refused from the beginning to take skating lessons. He didn't bother trying to get them to play hockey. I, on the other hand, had loved it from the very first lesson. Sometimes I wonder if the reason I'd loved it so much was because we were the only two who shared it. Hockey was a bond that neither my mom nor my sisters could penetrate

##Chapter 25: ColeBook One: Stay"Hi sweetie," Mom calls out a greeting as I walk through the front door.I pause, flooded with memories of what it felt like to walk into Cassidy's house. The tone and feel of our houses couldn't be more different. Even with no one there to greet us, the vibe had felt strangely tense."Hey, Mom."Even though I'm nearly twenty, she wraps her arms around me and pulls me in for a hug. Other guys might fight the intimacy or grumble under their breaths, but I don't.Honestly, I don't give a shit what anyone else thinks.I know what it feels like to lose a parent.So, if the woman wants to give me a hug every once in a while, I'm cool with it.My mind tumbles back to Cassidy and her father. The stilted awkwardness of their interaction had felt like a suffocating blanket. Even though part of me hadn't wanted to leave her with him, it had been a relief to get the hell out of there.His demeanor had been so cold and distant.Angry.I'm still trying to figure ou

##Chapter 27: CassidyBook One: Stay Meet me downstairs ASAP with your hockey bag.I stare at the phone in my hand before typing out a response.Are you serious?Just do it.Bossy much?The eye roll emoji pops up on the screen.Fine. I'll be down in 5.I grab my hockey bag from the closet and throw on a navy jacket before heading out the door. Once out on the sidewalk, I find Cole's Mustang idling at the curb in front of the dorm. When he sees me, he pops open the trunk before hopping out of the vehicle as I jog over.He gives me a quick kiss on the lips. Before I can register the gesture, he pulls away, looking strangely hesitant."Ready to go?""Yeah. Why are we heading to the ice rink at nine in the morning?"His expression becomes shuttered, as he holds open the door for me. "You'll see."With our gazes locked, he hunkers down, grabbing the seatbelt before pulling it across my chest and clicking it into place.My brows slide together as I study him. Even though he kissed me in gre

##Chapter 29: CassidyBook One: StayThat's a plot twist I did not see coming.Another burst of laughter follows. "Yeah, we're cousins. Our moms are sisters." "Oh." There are so many thoughts crashing through my head."You thought we were something more, huh?"The question is asked slyly, as if she didn't know exactly what I'd been thinking. The smile curving her lips, however, tells a different story."No, I didn't." Of course, I'd thought they were something more. They look ridiculously cute together. She snorts before raising a brow. "Are you sure?" Her voice brims with undisguised humor. The girl is practically chortling.It's not a good look."Okay," I finally reply through stiff lips, "maybe I thought you two had something going on.""You could have just asked him." This time, when her gaze darts to mine, I don't think about the road in front of us. "Or me." I shake my head and focus on the darkness flying past the car. "Maybe I should have."Questioning Cole would have ma