Eight Weeks (Unfrozen Four Book 2)

“don’t tell me that it’s over, the book of you and I”—The Book of You & I by Alec Benjamin

The game’s going relatively smooth.

Parker, our goalie, hasn’t let a lot of pucks in, if any. The opponent’s goalie, however, he seems to be having a bad day.

Nate isn’t a bad goalie. I know because I’ve spent hours watching tapes and analyzing the Red Hut’s moves. He has skills, so what the hell happened?

Every other puck my team shoots goes in the net. It should make me happy that we’re winning, but at what costs? Winning because the opponents have a shitty day and gave up just isn’t the same.

By the time the third period starts, my team is in the lead by 16-2. Honestly, we could just end the game right fucking now, it’s not like they’re going to catch up with us.

I was excited to be back in the game, but if I had known this game would be like playing against toddlers, I would have pretended to be sick or something.

Since I am forced to be on the ice for the last five minutes, I decide to skate in circles. Yes, that’s how boring this godawful game is.

Passing opponents with a sympatric smile and nodding at them like we’re here for a coffee date. They know they suck today, everyone knows, so there is no use to deny it. At least they take their loss with pride. I mean, it’s quite the achievement, right?

For the last two minutes, I decide to just look for Sofia in the audience, not even caring when the puck zooms past me. At this point it’s just getting kicked around to pass the time, so why bother?

It takes me a whole twenty seconds until I find Lily… by herself. Sofia was supposed to be with her, watch Brooke like they do for every game. She couldn’t have known Miles wasn’t going to show up today and that’s why she didn’t come, so where the hell is my girlfriend at?

I pound against the tempered glass, trying to catch my sister’s attention. She’s busy scrolling through her phone.

It takes me a whole three hits until she eventually looks up. I nod toward the free seat next to her, she shrugs, knowing exactly what I am asking.

Alright, so Lily hasn’t heard from Sofia? That is totally not a reason to freak out. Maybe she fell asleep. Let’s not overreact here.

As the timer runs out and the sound of sirens going off shrills through the arena, it’s to nobody’s surprise when St. Trewery won. In record time, everyone leaves the ice, just wanting to get back home because this was a waste of time here tonight.

Walking into the locker room, I sprint toward my locker, open my bag, and take out my phone to check if maybe Sofia has texted me with an excuse as to why she couldn’t come. But there is nothing.

I send her text after text, but none of them even say delivered, they’re all pending. And when I call, I get send straight to voicemail.

“Grey!” I yell out the second he steps inside the room, stopping in his tracks with a shocked face. “You heard anything from Sofia?”

He always knows everything, so there is a chance. “No?” Grey comes walking toward me, sitting down by his locker across from mine. “Isn’t she with your sister?”

I shake my head, fighting the urge to throw my phone against the nearest wall.

Now, I know I may be overreacting despite saying I shouldn’t, but something just feels off.

I can’t describe the feeling, but it’s like I know there is something wrong. Sofia doesn’t just not show up when she said she would. She would have called me or send a text, and if not me, she would have told Lily. If neither Lily knows where Sofia’s at, nor I do, then this isn’t normal.

Today of all days I have decided to not take my car here and caught a ride with Grey, so I can’t even storm off and get to her dorm to see if she’s there.

“What the fuck was that?” Kaiden asks just the second he enters the locker room together with Zac and Colin.

“I almost fell asleep on the ice,” Colin adds, laughing. “I’ll try to find out what happened and let you assholes know.” He stops by his locker, immediately stripping off his clothes to go take a shower. Only that the second his eyes land on my face, he halts mid taking off his shirt. “You good?”

“Sofia is missing,” Grey says for me when I don’t speak and only stare at my best friend. He then pats a hand on my shoulder. “Or so he believes.”

She is missing. What else would she be? Certainly not have been abducted by aliens.

“Missing?” Colin makes sure he heard that right. “Like she got kidnapped or something?”

“No, dickhead. She isn’t responding to any of my texts or calls. Not even Lily knows where the hell she’s at!”

Colin lets his shirt fall again, sighing. “So you think she ran off, just like that?”

Do I? It wouldn’t be the first time that Sofia disappeared out of my life without giving me a heads-up first. Sure, I knew she was leaving for four years… but even after those four years, she never showed up, never even let me know she wouldn’t come back. So is it that wrong of me to think she might have left without saying a word?

“I doubt it,” Kaiden says, like he has any clue what has been happening in my life over the break. Maybe he does. Everyone has been sending pictures of their holidays and such in our team group chat. Plus, we always have the other’s location and know of everyone’s plans. “Everyone knows you guys are like crazy in love.”

“Even the blindest, most dense person can see that,” Zac adds.

I wave at them dismissively. This isn’t about me being in love with Sofia, it’s about me not knowing what is going on and her just being… gone. Unreachable.

Okay, and maybe it’s a little about my fear of her leaving me again as well.

“Can I take a shower before you make me speed us back home?” Grey asks, already having a towel thrown over his shoulder.

This is ridiculous.

Sofia is an adult, surely, she wouldn’t just run away again, she’s better than that. Maybe her phone just ran out and she’s stuck in traffic. You know, with the car that she does not have.

Why does my heart feel so heavy? I don’t understand. I know I have been in love with Sofia for a whole while, but why does this feel like an end?