until i found you (wlw hockey romance)

chapter 1

Mia

I stare at the man sitting right in front of me and he's staring at me with his blue eyes like he's... judging me.
Well, I know he's judging me so I roll my eyes and sip my coffee. He doesn't say anything, just continues watching me because he knows it makes me nervous. The cold air in Vancouver gives me chills all over my body, it's snowing but when it isn't? The streets are covered in snow, people walking around as if it wasn't freezing but I guess they're used to it. I'm not. I grew up in Maine, I thought it was cold there but yeah, no. This is literally hell... but freezing. Freezing in hell.
Vancouver is nothing but beautiful and I'm really trying to make it my-our home, but I can't feel my fucking ass in this cold. How do people live like this?

My red hair is hidden in a baby-pink beanie, my hands in gloves (the same color, of course) and my body is really trying to warm up with the five (yes, five) layers of clothes. However, the man sitting in front of me is not shaking like I am, in fact he seems... peaceful.

"What the fuck?" I groan.

"What?" he asks, like it's nothing.

"How the fuck are you not cold?" I ask rubbing my hands together to feel warmer.

He rolls his eyes. "How are you not used to this by now? We've been living here almost two years."

Oh, don't I know it. "I can't feel my face." I whine.

"Stop being so dramatic and tell me." he says sipping his coffee and watching me. "What were you saying about me getting laid?"

Oh, right. We were talking about that.

"I mean, I know you care about us and you love us but c'mon. You just said it." I nod. "We've been here for two years and you're getting grumpy."

"Me?" he cocked his head almost offended. "First, who says I'm not getting laid right now? And two, what the fuck?"

"Theo." I sigh. "You've been taking care of Rory ever since we got here. And you've been taking care of me since I was six years old, you deserve your life back."

"You guys are my life and I don't regret anything." he smiles and in his eyes there's only love. "Besides, I'm not ready to be in a relationship."

"We're fine, Theo. We're in another fucking country, we're safe." I promise.

"I know." but he doesn't believe it and I can't blame him.

Theo West is my best (and only) friend. He's the boy next door. He was only eight years old when he saw me crying on the front porch of my tiny house, my hands hiding my face. I was six. He saw me and he walked to me, he didn't asked me why I was crying, he kneeled in front of me and said 'Is you hair real?', I looked at him. His long blonde hair, his blue eyes, I'd never talked to a boy before, I didn't have many friends and I really thought he was going to make fun of me. Everyone did at that time. So, I nodded and he said 'Cool. I love it.' at that point my tears had stopped streaming down my face and I cocked my head in confusion. 'It's red.' I said. 'It's the coolest hair color I've ever seen.' he'd said, smiling, there was a gap between his front teeth and it made me smile. 'I'm Theo. Wanna be my friend?' he asked and the rest was history.

We grew up together in Maine, USA. He was two years older than me but we were inseparable. He saved me from myself and from that haunted town.
We've moved to Canada together almost two years ago. He's been there for me-for us since always and I can not imagine a life without him.