Fire on Ice (Fire on Ice Series) (18 page)

“Are you sure you don’t need any help, Mom?” Taylor volu
nteered.

“If you insist,” her mom replied.

Taylor leaned up and whispered in my ear. “Will you be okay for a few minutes?”

I nodded. “Sure, go help your mom.”

After Taylor made her way into the kitchen, Zelda locked her arm under my elbow and then grabbed Robyn’s elbow with her other arm. “Would you look at me? I’ve got a gorgeous guy on either arm. I could be the luckiest girl on the planet.”

Zelda was definitely dramatic. She and her sister were co
mplete opposites not just physically but also their personalities. It was hard for me to believe they came from the same parents. But what did I know? I never had any siblings so who the hell knows if they’d be like me or not. The closest thing I had to a brother was Runt and I sure as hell didn’t want people saying we were anything alike.

The dining room table was elaborately decorated with fine china and silverware. I hoped to God I wasn’t a klutz and didn’t break anything.

Zelda and Robyn sat together at the far end of the table and I took a seat closer to the door. It didn’t hurt to be by the door in case I had to make a quick escape. The longer I was in Taylor’s family’s house the more I was convinced I didn’t belong here.

“So, how long have you two been dating?” I asked trying to make conversation.

Robyn looked at me like I was crazy and Zelda laughed. “We’re not
dating
,” Zelda replied as if dating was a dirty word. “We’re just fuck buddies.”

I nearly choked. That wasn’t what I was expecting her to say at all. I wanted to ask her if her mom knew that but I didn’t want to cause any trouble. I had enough to deal with just trying to get everyone to like me, or at least tolerate me.

“Zelda said you’re a hockey player?” Robyn asked.

I nodded. Maybe there was at least one person at the table who knew something about the sport—or
at least sports in general.

“Have you been to a game?” I asked hopefully.

“Yeah,” he replied. “But I was pretty wasted so I don’t remember much. It seemed cool though.”

Zelda turned to Robyn and said, “Did I tell you I went to a game?”

Robyn’s eyes went wide. “No way!”

“With Taylor.
Kian gave us tickets.”

Robyn turned to me and said, “Dude, you must have a way with women because this girl hates sports. She hates sports almost as much as she hates monogamy.”

I choked again. I’d never heard of a
girl
hating monogamy. I knew plenty of guys who liked to play the field and not be tied down—most of the hockey team was like that—but I thought most girls wanted commitment—
a ring and a date
and all that crap.

Again, I had to wonder what her parents thought of her lif
estyle. Her mom seemed so straight-laced. Or maybe they didn’t really know what their oldest daughter was up to.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Taylor came back carrying
an opened bottle of red wine.

“I hope you like Shiraz,” she said as she poured wine into both of our wine glasses.

I couldn’t say I ever had Shiraz or any other wine for that matter. I mostly stuck with beer and the occasional tequila shot. Taylor poured wine into Zelda and Robyn’s glasses then she lifted her own in a toast.

The three of us raised our glasses with her.
“To taking risks and finding happiness.”

We all clinked glasses and I waited for everyone to take a sip before I tried it. The wine was not as sweet as I expected, which was a good thing, but it definitely wasn’t beer. I at least felt like I could drink it and not have to embarrass myself.

Taylor took the seat next to me and I noticed she pushed it closer to me so that she could hook her arm underneath mine. Then she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks for being here,”
she whispered. “I know it’s not easy for you.”

I wanted to say not easy was an understatement. I felt like I was dying and I hadn’t even met her dad yet. I wasn’t sure how he’d react to the guy banging his youngest daughter.

It didn’t take me long to find out.

Taylor’s dad was an imposing presence when he entered the room. I could see where Zelda got her height from. I don’t know why I had assumed that a cello player would be short but Taylor’s dad wasn’t. He was easily my height but thin and all legs. If he liked sports, he probably could have done well as a basketball player.

He eyed me with the skepticism I was expecting. Then he put out an uneasy hand for me to shake. “Glad you could make it for dinner, Kyle.”

My hand froze in midair and I wasn’t sure what to do. He thought I was a completely different guy. I slowly put my hand back down on the table.

Taylor’s eyes were wide with embarrassment. “Dad, this is Kian,” she hissed.

He looked stunned then confusion overtook his face. “I thought your friend’s name was Kyle.”

“Dad, this is Kian. He’s my boyfriend.”

It took a moment for this to register on Mr. Thompson’s face. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.” His tone wasn’t angry maybe
confused and a bit hurt.

“Dad,” Taylor said. She waited for her father to look at her. “That’s why I’m telling you now.”

I felt about two inches tall and like I wanted to crawl under the table. I wasn’t sure why Taylor hadn’t told her dad about me so I didn’t know whether to be hurt or pissed off.

Mr. Thompson grabbed the wine bottle from the end of the table and poured himself a glass. Then he downed the entire thing in one big gulp. I didn’t know much about wine but I was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to drink it like a shot.

As if on cue, Rita entered the dining room carrying a platter of finger foods. She placed the tray in the middle of the table then placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Why don’t you sit down, Ted,” Rita suggested.

He turned to his wife. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

She frowned. “Tell you about what?”

He pointed his finger between me and Taylor. “This.”

Both Zelda and Robyn were helping themselves to the cheese and crackers that were on the tray that Rita brought in and they stuffed their faces as they watched the show that was about to take place.

Rita rubbed her husband’s back in what seemed like an a
ttempt to calm him down. “There’s nothing to tell.”

I didn’t know which was worse, Ted’s overreaction to my b
eing there or Rita’s complete dismissal of me as
nothing
.

Taylor’s hand gripped my arm like a vice and I could feel her entire body tense. This
was obviously not the reaction she was expecting either.

“How long has this
been going on?” When Ted looked at Taylor, I could see rage building in his eyes.

“A couple of months,” Taylor said quietly.

“Months!” her dad yelled. “And you’re just getting around to telling me now?”

“I didn’t want you to worry,” Taylor’s voice was so small I barely recognized it.

“Too late,” Ted boomed. “I am worried. After everything you’ve been through. I don’t want you to get hurt again.” When Ted’s eyes turned to Taylor, they were flaring with anger. 

“You have no reason to worry, Dad,” Taylor pleaded. “
Kian is not going to hurt me.”

Now Ted directed his rage at me “How do you know that?”

“I just do,” Taylor stated as if it was fact. I was glad she had confidence in me but her dad clearly wasn’t buying it. Half of me readied myself in case he kicked me out.

“Please sit down so we can eat,” Rita pleaded. She tried to push her husband into his chair at the head of the table but it was like he was frozen in place.

Ted poured what remained in the bottle of wine into his glass and gulped it. Then he took in a deep breath and sat down but his eyes were still fixed on me. He gave me a look like I was going to rape his daughter right there at the dinner table.

Rita quickly exited the dining room and returned with anot
her bottle of opened wine. She poured her husband a generous glass and then asked if anyone else wanted some even though our glasses were still all full. We all declined and she sat the wine bottle down next to Ted.

I was glad to see that he only took a sip this time instead of gulping the wine. He didn’t strike me as a drunk. I had a lot of experience with those and this guy definitely didn’t fit the profile. He was too put together.
Too in control. He just seemed to be reacting to the stress by drinking a little too much.

No one said anything for a few moments. The only sound was of Robyn stuffing his face with cheese and crackers. He had already eaten half of the tray.

“I didn’t eat breakfast,” he said casually when he caught me looking at him.

Then I turned my attention back to Ted, who was still glaring at me.

“So, do you go to school with Taylor?” he asked.

I could feel Taylor’s entire body tense again and I braced m
yself for the inevitable explosion of emotion when he found out I was a hockey player.

No, sir,” I managed to get out. “I’m a professional hockey player. I play with the Firestorm.”

Ted looked like I had just hit him in the face with a brick. “You what,” he replied as if he didn’t hear me.

Before I could respond, Taylor jumped in. “He plays hockey, Dad.”

Ted glared at his daughter. “Are you insane? How could you go out with another hockey player? Are you just asking for trouble?”

“
Kian’s not like that, Dad,” she stated. “He’s a good guy.”

“Yeah, and Austin was a good guy until he defiled you and made a mockery of it.” I half expected to look up and see steam coming out of Ted’s ears he was so angry.

“Enough,” Rita stated. She pointed a finger at her husband. “That’s enough, Ted. You’re going to completely ruin Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Too late,” Taylor hissed as she jumped from her seat. “I love
Kian. If you can’t accept that he’s part of my life, I’m not coming back.”

She grabbed my hand and I rose to stand with her. Then without another word, she pulled me out of the dining room.

No one made any move to stop us but I had a feeling it was because they were too shocked to say anything. So much for my first real Thanksgiving dinner. It looked like I was going to get stuck with Chinese food again.

Taylor was obviously angry because she had no problem pul
ling all 210 pounds of me to the front door. When we finally got outside into the fresh air, I stopped her.

I looked into her eyes and I could see so much hurt and anger it made my heart break. “Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked. “This is your family.”

She looked up at me and her face looked determined. “I meant what I said. This is my life. My choices. And I choose you. My parents are just going to have to deal with that.”

“Maybe you need to give them a little more time,” I suggested cautiously.

She threw a hand up to stop me. “They’ve had three years. They had to know at some point I’d bring another guy home to meet them. There is no way I’m going to remain celibate the rest of my life.”

I put my hand up to her cheek and made sure her eyes met mine. “I don’t want you to resent me because I came between you and your family.”

She let out a single angry laugh. “The only thing that’s coming between me and my family is their stupidity.”

“I don’t want you to ever regret being with me. I don’t want you to regret choosing me.”

“I will never regret being with you, Kian. I love you.”

I knew I should have said it back. I wanted more than an
ything to say it. But the words wouldn’t come out. I loved Taylor more than my own life but I couldn’t tell her. And I hated myself for it because I knew she needed to hear it and I wanted her to hear it. I just couldn’t say those three little words.

Instead, I pulled her close and enveloped her in a tight e
mbrace.

After a moment, she looked up at me and asked, “Can we go back to your place and order Chinese food? We can do Thank
sgiving your way instead.”

All kinds of thoughts ran through my head at once. Taylor had never been to my place. She had never asked to go there and I had a feeling I knew why. She didn’t want to lose control of her surroundings. She didn’t want to risk being video recorded again. The fact that she was asking to go there now meant that she had finally let down the last of her walls and trusted me completely.

I gently moved my thumb over her cheek. “Are you sure?” I asked.

She nodded. “I’m sure.”

The drive back to my studio apartment was quiet. We were both lost in our own thoughts. A big part of me was thrilled that she was coming back to my place and that she finally trusted me without question. But another part of me felt so guilty that I was the cause of so much tension between her and her family. I knew they loved her and were only doing what they felt was right and that they wanted to protect her.