Finding the Forward, Part One (HockeyVerse)

Chapter Forty-Nine

Verity

T he restaurant AJ had recommended was a retro-style diner done in bright colors. As Mercy dug into her whipped cream-covered waffles, I picked at my eggs. Our bags were with us.

After this, we’d catch the team jet to travel to Rockland for the game. Creed, Grace, and her pack would be there, and instead of coming back with the team, we’d stay for the couple days Mercy had off for the holidays.

Jonas

Are you doing okay? I’m here at the training center if you need a hug.

While part of me was excited for a break, part of me longed to stay here. With them. So we could have time off together. Watch movies on the couch. Bake cookies. Snuggle. Sing around the piano while Grif played. I was tired .

Me

Having breakfast with Mercy.

I sent a picture of my food. My ass still stung. But I understood why Jonas got angry.

But now I wanted Jonas as much as I did Dean and Grif.

Jonas

That looks delicious. I’m here if you need me. I care about you.

Me

I care about you, too.

Jonas

Be safe on your trip. See you when you get back, Sweet Girl.

Me

Thanks. I’ll miss you. Don’t have too much fun while I’m gone.

My heart fluttered, both at the I care about you and the Sweet Girl.

Their holiday plans sounded downright chaotic, with multiple trips to Boston to see Dean and Grif’s families, and a visit to AJ’s sister’s farm.

The restaurant bustled with activity. Most schools were on winter break, and people were traveling for the holidays. This would be a cute place to bring out-of-town guests.

Mercy peered at me over her cup of hot chocolate. “Are you okay?”

“Just tired.” The Maimers’ holiday party was fun. They set up sniper stations so I could stay up high in a corner and participate without running around.

“I didn’t realize something had happened with your research, and that’s why you were taking an afternoon off. I figured Dr. Winters made you since it’s winter break. Now I feel bad, but I needed to do my shopping.” Mercy frowned into her waffles.

I drank my coffee since this place didn’t have chai lattes. “It’s fine. You want to be with your friends. I got a date with Dean.”

“I didn’t know you’d made plans . If I’d known, I could've rearranged things.” Her brow furrowed as worry wafted off her.

A couple of young teenagers kept glancing over at us. Mercy being a teen rookie had been something her agent had capitalized on. There had been a lot of press coverage of her in teen-centric media. She was even on an episode of a teen game show where she ended up covered in glitter.

“We can always go there another time. It’s fine to want to do things with your friends.” I took a bite of eggs.

“I’d love to get fancy pedicures with you. It’s just that this time...” Mercy bent down to rummage in her bag.

“It’s fine, Mercy.” I took a sip of coffee.

“This is for you.” Mercy put a beautifully wrapped gift next to my plate. “I had to go get it in person, otherwise it wouldn’t be here in time. We even paid Kaiko’s cousin to get in line for us, so we wouldn’t be late for the party. Of course, I could’ve had it shipped to Grace’s, but that would mean thinking ahead. We both know how good I am at that. Anyhow, I’m here for you, and had I known you had a research emergency, I would’ve had Kaiko get it and gone with you. Because you’re important.”

Mercy added two matching packages to the table. Aww.

“Oh, Mercy, you don’t need to get me presents. It’s okay. These are beautiful. Did you wrap these?” I held up the palm-sized pink package with the shimmery bow.

“Shit, no. Kaiko’s aunt wrapped them for me. Anyhow,” her look turned anxious. “I hope you like them.”

“I’ll love them.” Carefully, I undid the wrappings. Inside lay the phone released yesterday in limited-edition bubblegum glitter. My heart turned to goo.

I needed a new phone, and I’d admired this new color. But there was a reason I hadn't bought one for myself.

“Mercy, thank you. But these are expensive. I don’t need expensive things. You should save your money.” I hugged her.

“It would help to have a new phone so you can run your monitoring programs,” she replied. “Even with most of my money being put away, I still have lots to buy things. Especially since you won’t let me pay my share of the bills.”

I turned the box over in my hands. “You’re seventeen. I didn’t pay expenses at that age. It would be unfair to ask you.”

“You have to take my fancy presents, then. If it helps, I got myself one. In galaxy silver.” Mercy held up her phone–and I hadn’t noticed earlier that it was different because of the case.

“It’s a very beautiful phone. I can’t wait to use it.” Excitement to run the programs properly to monitor my plants from my phone bubbled up inside me.

She pushed the other two toward me. “But wait, there’s more!”

I tore the pretty paper to reveal bubblegum glitter wireless headphones.

“Thank you, these are perfect. They match, and I love it.” I liked to wear headphones in the lab to help me focus.

She pushed the third to me, which was larger than the others. Untying the bow, I opened it and gasped.

“Mercy, you shouldn’t have.” It was a new tablet, the latest model, also in bubblegum glitter. With a matching keyboard. It was perfect. But again, not cheap.

“Kaiko got her sister a car. I could get you a convertible in bubble gum glitter.” Mercy grinned.

I laughed, knowing all about that, because she’d come to me for help.

“Please don’t get me a car.” As soon as I was cleared to drive, Hale could bring me mine.

“These aren’t even really presents. They’re things you need to do your work. You can run the programs on the tablet, too. I’m happy you like them.” Mercy beamed.

“They will absolutely run everything I need, and I appreciate them so much. Though what I have for you is nothing like this.” While I’d gotten her something she’d wanted, it wasn’t expensive like this.

“Ver, it’s fine. Let me do things for you sometimes? Please? You do so fucking much for me. You left your PhD program, defied the parents, and moved across the country for me . ” She squeezed my hand.

“I mean, it was either take out massive amounts of loans and study under a professor who hated me because Dad was her rival or drop out. So, it made sense when NYIT threw fat aid packages with housing at us,” I shrugged, not liking being put on the spot. All I did was what I had to do to keep her dreams from being crushed.

“You dragged yourself to so many things this summer for me, even though you were still in recovery. Not to mention putting up with all the shit I have to do for the Maimers, which you are not paid for . You cook me food. You allowed our place to become the hangout spot. I do love you and I’m so grateful for you.” Mercy came around to my side of the table and gave me a hug. “No one else gets presents this good, so don’t worry, I didn’t blow all my money.”

I hugged her tightly. “I love you, too.”

“But seriously, if you hadn’t moved to New York, I wouldn’t be here.” Her voice broke. “I will never forget that it was you, and not the parents, who made my dream a reality, and that you stood up to them for me. I love you.”

The parents had smugly told her she couldn’t take the offer since no one could go with her. This was before they knew that NYIT had reached out to me.

“I love you so much.” I squeezed her back.

Mercy sat back down and pushed an envelope to me. “Last thing. Can’t have new electronics without new stickers.”

“You always find the best stickers.” I opened the envelope and shook them out. The first was my school—The New York Institute of Technology Kings. There were also ones for the Maimers and the Knights. There were a few about plants and some extolling my love of smutty books. Someone had illustrated the two of us–her in her Maimers’ uniform and skates, me in a Maimer’s hoodie, our arms around each other.

My eyes misted. “This is the best. Someone made this?”

“Jack’s sister does them. She’s super-fast. I got one, too.” She held up her water bottle, which now held the same sticker.

“Aww. Thank you.” The next one was me, Dean, and Grif on the bleachers. I took a photo and sent it to them. There was also one of the five of us in a huddle, ice skating back in Boston. That went to the group chat.

Grif

I love them. Now you can carry me everywhere.

Me

Awww. Love that.

Grif

Love you.

The teen girls at the other table were in a heated whisper-debate. Yep, Mercy was about to get asked for a selfie. It was cute. I liked how Mercy’s story was being used to empower teenagers.

“I’m so glad you liked them.” Mercy beamed.

The two girls came over to us, very shy-like. “Um, Have-No-Mercy, can we get a picture with you and Team Mom?”

“Me?” Usually, I snapped the picture.

“Yes. You’re so inspirational. I don’t think my sister would upend her life so I could play pro sports,” one laughed.

“Sure, bitch. You make a pro anything, and I’ll move to the end of the world for you. We loved that cake pop tutorial. We’re making them for our cousins.” The second bumped the first with her hip. They might be twins.

“Thank you.” My heart was full as we took a picture. I was inspirational? While people waved to me at games and asked to trade bracelets, no one had said anything like that. Sonny had asked me to make a video tutorial of skate smash helmet cake pops, but I hadn’t expected people to watch them.

“We love the studying in stadiums pictures that the team posts of you–and all the other ones people post,” she added.

“I love those, too.” They were silly. Just Sonny taking pictures of me studying in the different arenas they’d played in and posting them on the team’s social media. It had taken off, and people all over the world were now posting pictures of them studying in the bleachers while waiting for siblings, children, and significant others to finish practicing.

“I only have one of these to spare, so you’ll have to fight over it.” Mercy pulled out a trading card with my picture on it. She handed me a pen as she took another and signed two of hers.

I signed it, and they thanked us and walked off, giggling. “They remind me of Creed and I when we were that age. Why is my face on a trading card?”

“Sonny had them made for something we’re doing next month. He let me take a few. I thought they’d be fun to hand out to the fam.” She shrugged. “Why the surprised face? There’s a reason Sonny posts pictures of you–the fans love you. People relate to having that person who brings your ass places and makes the snacks. Also, Kaiko babbled about you majorly in her latest interview.”

“I had no idea.” My hand went to my heart.

AJ strode through the restaurant. He wore a fancy suit and sunglasses on his head. Why was he here? I waved him over.

He stood there awkwardly, holding a bag. “Hey, Princess. I know we’re doing presents later. But it’s supposed to snow hard in Rockland, so you might need these. I’m sure your sneakers are comfortable, but they’re not good for ice and snow, and neither are your little ballet flats.”

“Oh, thank you, that is a lovely gesture,” I told him, taking the bag, surprise coursing through me.

“You sent the cows presents.” He gave me an exasperated look.

“They needed hats to match their sweaters.” I smirked. I’d traded one of the department admins cake pops for her kids’ class parties to crochet them for me.

He took my hand and tugged me to him. His vetiver scent swirled around me as he hugged me tightly.

“Are you okay?” AJ whispered in my ear. “Jonas takes himself too seriously sometimes. I’ll make him back off if you need me to.”

I squeezed him; the offer warming my heart. “Thank you. But I’m okay.”

“Okay.” He squeezed me hard, then let go of me. “Anyhow, have a safe trip.” Without waiting for me to open the bag, he left.

The bag was from a very fancy shoe store. “I’m so curious.”

“Princess?” Mercy snorted.

I sat back down and withdrew a shoe box. Inside was a pair of boots. Cute lined ankle boots with tread for ice and snow.

“That was so nice.” I immediately texted a thank you text. It warmed me that AJ would get me something so considerate.

“Those are cute. Hey, your research is okay, right? It’s just one experiment not working out? Not like someone trashed your shit or hurt your plants?” Mercy looked a little anxious, but then most of the parents depended on their research to feed us.

“Yeah, these two sub-breeds didn’t work how I wanted. While the variations gave me some interesting data, they didn’t move my research forward. When we get back, I’ll try again.” I took a sip of coffee. “No one’s mad at me. Sometimes experiments don’t work.”

Mercy squeezed my hand. “Okay. I’m here for you, just like you’re here for me. This is not a one-way thing. Promise?”

I squeezed her hand back. “Promise.”