Olli's P.O.V.

The whole team was in high spirits, we had won 5 out of 6 of our games. And we were all starting to get close and really start acting like a team. Sadly Nicole and I felt somewhat excluded, since after most of the games the guys went drinking and we were both too young. As many times as I tried to get her to go out after a game and get ice cream or something she declined. I was starting to really fall for her, and her black hair, freckles, and piercing blue eyes never left my mind. I think the rest of the team knows I have a crush on her. A crush, damn I sound like I'm 13 years old. After our 3-4 shoot out win over the Canucks all the guys went out to get a drink. Nic and I of corse planned on going back to our houses and well, sleep.

"Hey Nic, you wanna go out with me and get ice cream at The Point?" I asked hoping she'd say yes.

"Sorry I can't I don't really have a car." She said looking embarrassed.

"I'll drive, it's really not a big deal." I responded.

"I don't see why not, let me tell Pascal real quick, but are you sure it's not to much of a hassle to drive?" She said.

"It's totally no problem." I replied, maybe I'm being a little to excited.

We drove to The Point and got our ice cream I decided on chocolate and she got rocky road. We sat down on a bench and I decided I really wanted to learn more about her.

"So Nicole, tell me your story." I said.

"Well I started playing hockey when I was 5 and it's always been my dream to..." She started.

"No not your hockey story your real story." I said.

"Did you just go all The Fault in Our Stars on me?" She asked giggling at me, and I noticed she had dimples too. God, she was going to be the death of me.

"Maybe. But still tell me about you, not your career."

We talked about everything from our home countries to our favorite colors to our
favorite books. Basically any and everything but hockey. Then she went to roll up her hoodie sleeves and I noticed she had a tattoo sleeve.

"I never knew you had so many tattoos." I said grabbing her arm.

"Ya that's why I wear so many long sleeves. I have a couple other small ones around my body. I don't really like telling people right away, it usually scares them off. My last boyfriend liked them but he ended up..." She trailed off.

"He what?" I asked mostly cause I was intrigued but she also looked really sad all of a sudden.

"He, he did something's to me, I... I don't really wanna talk about it." She said rubbing her arms, avoiding the subject.

"Nic you can tell me." I said rubbing her knee as a gesture of support. If he hurt her...

"He hit me. I would show up to practice and people would ask where the black eye came from and I could always use hockey as a way to mask it." She sniffled a bit and continued, "And the only way I could get away from it actually was to go to the rink, that's why I'm so good it's cause when I wasn't at school I was practicing. He moved away though he lives in Germany now. But still I thought I was going to marry that man, it's so hard for me to trust people now you know." By now tears were straining at her eyes to fall down her feckled cheeks.

"No girl should go through that. I hope he burns in hell." I say secretly fuming on the inside, "Nicole you should know if you have no one you can have me." I say rubbing my arm accross her shoulder blades as I pulled her in close to me.

Notes