A DEAL WITH THE CAPTAIN

5. REBOUND

CHAPTER FIVE

LISA’S POV

REBOUND

I'm at the rink about three minutes early, waiting for Cassie to show up so I can help her with her jumps before we both head over to Ray's for our evening shift. The rink is almost completely empty, which is exactly how I like it. There is no crowds, no screaming students and definitely no music blasting from someone's phone. Just the low sound of the refrigeration system beneath the ice and the occasional scrape of my blades against the rubber floor as I pace near the boards.

I check my phone for what must be the tenth time. Nothing from Cassie and it’s already ten minutes past our agreed time of meeting. I swear she is time blind or something. Instead, a notification pops up from i********:. I tap it without thinking. Bill has posted. I stare at the screen for a second before opening his private account which unfortunately I’m still following. It's nothing particularly interesting; just a picture of a cardboard box sitting in the back of a car with the caption announcing that he's finally moving out of the fraternity house.

Fine. Yes, maybe I stalk my ex a little. But can you really blame me? I was in love with that boy for an entire year. A whole f*****g year of my life was built around him. His sappy texts, his stupid morning calls, his hockey games that I never missed even for a single day, late-night pizza runs, studying together and falling asleep beside him. He attended my figure skating contests too. He was woven into so many of my routines that sometimes I still catch myself reaching for my phone because I want to tell him something before remembering that I can't.

Most days, I tell myself I've moved on. Some days, I almost believe it. Then something stupid like an i********: notification comes along and reminds me that apparently, some part of me is still paying attention. That I’m still stuck in a world where I wish we hadn’t broken up.

"You need to let that douchebag go." I nearly drop my phone.

I spin around to find Cassie standing behind me, wearing her skating jacket with her blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders.

"Jesus, Cassie!" I press a hand against my chest. "Maybe announce your presence next time."

She grins.

"And no, I'm not stalking him."

"I didn't say you were."

"You were thinking about it." I point out.

"Yeah, I was absolutely thinking about it." She laughs as she drops her bag beside the boards and begins pulling her hair into a messy bun, "Lisa, this is unhealthy."

I lock my phone and shove it into my pocket, "Okay, Doctor Cassie. What's your professional diagnosis? What am I supposed to do?"

"You need a rebound."

I stare at her,"What?"

"You heard me." She tightens the elastic around her hair and gives me a pointed look. "Oldest trick in the book to fasten the healing. You need to get under someone else. Get someone to f**k the s**t out of you with no strings attached. Make sure that s*x is way better than anything that douchebag has ever given you,"

I groan, "Can we please not have this conversation?"

"I'm serious. Let somebody help you forget about him."

"I'm not you, Cassie."

"Exactly. That's your problem."

I roll my eyes and gesture toward the ice,"Can we just practice?"

"Fine." She grabs her skates from her bag. "I'm just saying, you need someone with absolutely no feelings involved and believe me, those feelings will start disappearing completely. Great s*x with no strings attached equals no feelings"

"That sounds like a terrible idea."

"Does it?"

"Yes."

She pauses, then gives me a mischievous smile, "Think someone like Hunter."

I actually laugh before I realize she's being serious,"Are you f*****g insane?"

"What?" she shrugs, “ He is hot and could careless,”

"Hunter?"

"Exactly."

"Hunter Walsh is a walking collection of bad decisions and a bag of chlamydia, in case you forgot,"

Cassie snorts, "Okay, first of all, he doesn't do attachments and that's literally the point."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"Second, half the girls who claim they've slept with him probably haven't. People around here love making up stories about themselves."

I fold my arms.

"And the other half?"

"Probably have."

"Great."

She shrugs, completely unfazed, "Look, I'm just saying, the guy has a reputation for being very good in bed. He would f**k the feelings out of you if he is exactly as his reputation precedes him,"

I stare at her, "You are seriously suggesting I sleep with Hunter Walsh?"

"I'm suggesting you stop acting like Bill Turner is the only man on the planet. Because if you keep this up, you’ll keep losing more of yourself and Bill, who is the one that hurt you, will keep winning,"

"I'm not sleeping with anyone."

"Especially Hunter?"

"Especially Hunter." I reiterate.

Cassie grins, "Noted."

I narrow my eyes at her, "Why do I feel like you're planning something?"

"Because you know me too well."

I shake my head and step onto the ice, hoping the cold air will clear my head. Hunter Walsh. Absolutely not. There are some lines even I won't cross.