My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 44

Nina

I didn’t want to admit it, but I was relieved that Enzo was here. I accepted his offer to drive me home and followed him out to the police station parking lot.

As we walked out to the parking lot, my stomach audibly growled. I had forgotten how hungry I was due to the fight, but now that my adrenaline was calming down I realized that I was starving. Enzo must have heard it, too, because he looked down at me with a frown.

“Sorry,” I said, blushing. “I didn’t eat lunch today.”

Enzo stopped in his tracks and frowned even deeper. “Why not?”

I shrugged. “I was busy,” I replied.

Wordlessly, Enzo handed me his spare helmet and climbed onto the motorcycle. He gestured for me to get on behind him, and once I was situated, he started the bike and pulled out of the parking lot.

Except… He drove in the opposite direction of the campus.

“Where are we going?” I asked, nervously holding onto his waist as we went around a corner. The smell of his leather jacket mixed with the smell of the cold night air and filled my lungs.

“You’re hungry,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m hungry, too.”

“But I don’t have any money-”

“I don’t care,” Enzo replied.

Before I could answer, we picked up speed on an empty back road and I knew he wouldn’t be able to hear me anyway; not that I would have protested. As the dark forest of tall pine trees on either side of us sped by and I leaned against Enzo, feeling the warmth of his body, I felt like all of my other worries washed away.

No, I told myself as I started to get too relaxed. We’re just friends. That’s it.

In a few minutes, we pulled into the diner parking lot as it was the only restaurant in this small town that was open this late. I bit my lip nervously as I climbed off the bike.

“What’s wrong?” Enzo asked, taking off his helmet and shaking his curly hair loose like a model.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I replied.

Enzo frowned. “Tell the truth.”

I looked down at my feet, embarrassed to say. “I… Was sort of let go from here,” I said sheepishly.

“What? Why?” Enzo asked, his frown deepening.

“Lisa, actually,” I said. “She and her friends came in here a few weeks ago and broke some glasses. They made it look like it was my fault.”

“And your boss fired you over a few broken glasses?” Enzo asked, furrowing his brow.

I shrugged. “Technically he said to ‘take some time off’. But that’s just code for ‘you’re fired’.”

Enzo scoffed and, much to my surprise, walked toward the diner anyway. “You coming?” he called over his shoulder.

I really was hungry, so I jogged after him.

The diner was almost entirely empty, save for a couple of other tables at which sat sleepy students who either had the late-night munchies or who were last-minute cramming for exams. We grabbed a booth in the corner, and my old coworker, Millie, came over.

“Fancy seeing you here,” she said with a smile as she took out her notepad to take our order. “Where have you been?”

“Ask Phil,” I responded sheepishly. Millie seemed to get the message and scrunched up her nose.

“What can I get for you?” she asked.

“I’ll have a coffee,” Enzo replied. “And a grilled cheese. Extra cheese. And fries.”

“Same for me,” I said. Millie smiled and walked away to put in our orders and get our coffees.

“You’re a nighttime coffee drinker too, huh?” Enzo asked with a smirk.