For the Love of Ash (45 page)

"Buddy?" I asked as I opened the door to his room. He was laying on his bed, a headset on, while he played on his XboxOne. When he saw me, he paused the game and pulled his headphones off.

"Sorry," he muttered as he pushed himself up higher in the bed. His eye was a lot better, only slightly green underneath. It was no longer swollen. His ribs were taking longer to heal, but he was being strong.
 

"I think I'm going to Asher's hockey game. It's only like thirty minutes away. Do you want to come with me?"
 

"Yeah. I've never seen him play."

"We have to leave in a few minutes. Do you need help getting ready?"

"No. I'll call out if I do."

"Okay." I backed out of his room and shut the door, giving him privacy. I went into the kitchen and turned on the Keurig. I put in a Peet's K cup and waited for it to brew.
 

"Wait, so why can't anyone see us?" Liam asked as we waited in my truck. It was only two and Asher's game began at two-thirty. I couldn't risk running into Maggie in the warm hut, so Liam and I huddled in the parking lot, crouched behind the tinted windows.
 

"Maggie still won't give me a chance, and I don't want to upset her. But I don't want to bail on Asher. He asked me to come."

"You still love her?" Liam asked as he pressed buttons on the blue DS.
 

"I won't stop, even if she doesn't take me back. It's a once in a lifetime thing."

"If you guys get back together, am I going to have to move out?"

"Liam, you're my brother. You can stay with me as long as you need, even if that's forever. I'm serious. Plus, I'm sure Asher would love to hang out with you all the time. But it doesn't seem like Maggie's ready for second chances."

"I don't really blame her. I mean, she has Asher and all. And you kind of just left. That was messed up."

"I made a mistake. I know that. Dr. Linhart helped me understand."

"Do you like going to her?" Liam asked, looking up from his game.

"No. But she helps me. She could help you, too. I could even go with you if you wanted."

"We could go in together?"

"Yeah, if you want."

"Do you think you could make an appointment?"

"Of course. We can go tomorrow. I'll call her."

"Thanks, Luke."

"I think we can go in now. Stay with me. Do you need anything?" I asked as I looked him up and down. He wasn't huddling down with pain anymore, which was good. He looked better, but I knew the emotional damage was worse than the physical from experience.
 

Liam and I crept into the rink. I jumped back when the sliding doors made a whooshing sound, afraid that someone might notice us. Luckily, the warming area was vacant; everyone huddled together in the stands already as a whistle blew in the distance.
 

I grabbed Liam's arm and pulled him with me to the opposite side of the rink. I immediately saw Maggie across the way. I sat down with the opposite team, knowing that Maggie wouldn't look here.
 

Liam and I watched the game. True to his word, Asher tried to do a wrist shot. He didn't score on it because it went glove side, but it was a solid shot with good execution. Asher got an assist, and after that the coach pulled him so he could rest. I was glad that we came to see him.
 

As we tried to sneak out after the game, Asher ran over to us. He hugged each of us, still in his gear and helmet, sweat dripping down the side of his neck.
 

"You were awesome!" I told him.

"Coach made me sit 'cause of my concussion. I didn't even get to play that long."

"But you got an assist even with the short playing time."

"True…"
 

"Listen, we have to go. Don't tell your mom we came, okay? We'll talk about the plan later." I leaned forward and kissed the top of his helmet in a gesture I wasn't used to performing.
 

He nodded and ran back to the locker room, not even glancing back at us. Liam and I ran to the truck and jumped in. Liam was panting from the small exertion.

"What's the plan?" Liam asked as I started the engine. So I told him my master plan to get Maggie back.
 

Chapter Forty-Seven

Maggie

Dear Larken Family,

You've been invited to our holiday fundraiser for Woodbury Elementary! We are actively seeking volunteers and donations. Please RSVP if you can come, and email
[email protected]
if you'd like to help.
 

Where: Redding Ice Arena

When: Monday December 23
^rd
at 4:30 pm

Why: Fundraiser for sports programming and community engagement.

We hope to see you there. Prizes will be given away through a dollar raffle. Raffle tickers can be purchased prior to the event. We will also be hosting a silent auction. Appetizers will be served in the lobby.

Thanks for your continued support,

Woodbury Elementary Teachers

I sat down at the kitchen table as I rifled through the mail. I laid the note about the fundraiser to the side and piled my bills. When I finished throwing away all the junk mail, I went back to the flyer.
 

Since my classes were over for the semester, I figured I should volunteer to help at the fundraiser. I wasn't able to do much at the school during the year because of all my other crap going on. I felt guilty since other parents could.
 

I emailed the contact given on the bottom of the letter, saying that I'd be happy to do anything next Monday. Two days later, I got a reply back that was very short and to the point.

Thank you for offering to help, Ms. Larken. I have placed you to watch the Silent Auction from 5-6. Thank you again,
 

Teachers at Woodbury.

I had no idea what to expect from the fundraiser. It was at an ice skating rink, but they had appetizers and hopefully drinks, although I doubted it. I figured the skating was more for the kids, to keep them busy while parents could spend their money.
 

I pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and a red loose blouse as I got ready to go. It would keep me warm if I had to skate with Ash, but I'd still look nice when I manned the silent auction. Plus, it was flattering. I put on a pair of black booties that made me look a little taller.
 

"Ash, you ready?" I called out as I rummaged through the top kitchen drawer for my keys. He was like a stampede as he ran down the stairs and jumped into the living room.
 

"I can't wait!" he shouted as he tied his skate laces together and threw them over his back. "Everyone from school is going to see how awesome I am at skating."

"Be humble, Ash. Don't get cocky," I chided as I ruffled his short hair. I had convinced him to cut it way shorter than it ever had been. He wasn't used to it, but I loved it. I could see his face so much better that way.
 

"I won't. Let's go. We can't be late." Asher shoved me from behind, pushing me through the kitchen and living room. I dug my feet into the floor.

"What's your deal?" I questioned as I grabbed my bag from the living room floor. "Are you meeting a friend or something?"

"No!" he immediately said. "I just don't want to be late."

"Whatever you say, weirdo."
 

The rink in Redding was the closest to Norwalk. It was rickety, with not many programs offered. I think they only had home teams that played each other. It wasn't competitive in the least. Asher would never get better in a program like that. But it was ice, and Asher was excited.
 

By the time we pulled up, it was ten to five. Asher leapt out of the car, grabbed his skates, and bolted to the front of the rink. The place was dated, with brown siding and an A shape. It was small: just the ice, wooden bleachers, and two small locker rooms off to the side.

There wasn't a food court or many vending machines, but the warming hut was large. They had a small pro shop, carrying just the bare minimum of things. Ash and I rarely came here.
 

Ash was out of my sight as I walked into the rink. A lot of parents were hanging around the counter that had a bar set up. A girl about my age was playing bartender—the only reason I knew was because she had on a white button-up and black apron around her waist.
 

"Ms. Larken," Mrs. Kellar said. She touched my shoulder and smiled at me. "How are you doing?"

"I'm well; how about you?"

"Great. I heard Asher is having a fantastic year. I'm so happy for you all."
 

"Me too. I'm glad it's all worked out."

"Are you here to party?" she asked as she winked at me. I looked at her hand which held a clear cup with something maroon in it. Cranberry juice, if I had to guess.

"I'm actually running the silent auction booth for a little bit," I told her, my eyes searching the place. In the corner near the door to the locker rooms were three or four tables set up with baskets on top, each wrapped in cellophane.
 

"Mr. Wilson was able to get some really amazing prizes. Which reminds me, I should go find him and thank him for organizing this."

"Mr. Wilson did this?" I questioned.

"Yes! He's going to be building an ice skating rink right in Norwalk. They'll have programs for kids, and it's close to the school so we can do field trips and such. It's such a great idea."

"Really…" My mind was swimming with thoughts. Luke did this. This was insane. He couldn't think that building a rink would make me take him back. Of course, it was the most thoughtful thing anyone had done for me. If he was doing it for me. But still. This was too much.
 

"I've got to head over to the silent auction area." I excused myself, walking past Mrs. Kellar. I didn't see Luke in the crowd, but that was good since I had already agreed to help. I didn't want to have to run.
 

Mrs. Kellar was right. The silent auction had some really amazing things. I had my eye on private hockey lessons at Shelton Twin Rinks, a really nice double wine basket with crackers and cheese, and a gift certificate for a free oil change.
 

"Hi, I'm Maggie. I'm here to help with the silent auction," I told the woman who looked like she was in charge. She set me up at the booth, gave me a name-tag, and instructed me to walk around and make sure nobody stole anything.
 

As I was patrolling, I looked down at the sheet for tickets to our local theatre. The top bid was already at $2,000. It said the ticket was worth about twenty five hundred, and it was nearly there. I couldn't believe that people would spend that much for a little auction like this.
 

"I'm really glad you came." His voice bore into the back of my mind. I missed the sound of it. I had been doing so well avoiding him, but it was just a matter of time before he pushed his way in.
 

"I volunteered before I knew it was your charity thing. I don't want to leave them empty handed now."

"How generous of you." I grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the back of the room. I flipped us around, so I could still watch the auction area. But I only looked at Luke.