Breaking The Ice Between Us
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Later, after press interviews and the bus ride back to campus, it’s close to midnight when we finally pile into the Ice House.
The guys are loud, cracking beers, replaying clips from the game. I hang back near the kitchen, still buzzing with leftover adrenaline.
Cole wanders in, hair damp from the shower, wearing that lazy grin that always means trouble.
“Hell of a night,” he says.
“Yeah.” I crack a Gatorade. “We needed that win.”
He leans against the counter, arms folded. “You definitely needed it.”
I glance at him. “Meaning?”
“Meaning you finally looked like yourself out there. No ghosts. No distractions. Just ice.”