Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 115

Chapter 115

Chapter 115

Levi’s POV

There was truly something wrong.

55 vouchers

Hope still wasn’t answering my calls, and she had left the rink before it was even time for her to clock out. Hope wouldn’t do something like that unless an emergency had happened.

And even then, I would like to think that she would tell me if something had happened.

It was already morning, two days later.

I gave her some space on the first day.

Then, yesterday, I spent the entire evening trying to locate and contact her. However, I couldn’t find her anywhere she could possibly be.

I parked outside the tall, old apartment building where I had once dropped Hope off. I remembered it because it was hers, but I had never actually come up here before.

The building looked even older in daylight. The paint had faded over the years, and the concrete walls bore the marks of time.

I entered the building and looked around, finding a janitress mopping the floor in one corner. Without hesitation, I walked over and lightly tapped her shoulder. She didn’t turn around immediately, but I didn’t waste another second.

“Where does Hope Henderson live here?”

“Sorry, young man. I can’t give out the personal information of our tenants.”

When she turned around, she dropped the mop from her hands and stared at me with her mouth hanging open.

She pointed at me with a trembling finger while covering her mouth with her other hand.

“L-Levi R-Reeve?” she stammered.

I tried to sound as kind as I could despite the anxiety clawing at my chest.

“Hope lives here, right? Do you know her?”

“I know Hope,” she answered, sounding like she was still stuck in a daze.

“Before that… can you give me your autograph? It’s for my grandson.”

I pursed my lips.

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I didn’t want to waste any more time, but if I needed her cooperation, I had no choice.

She hurriedly pulled out a folded paper towel and a pen. I signed my name as quickly as I could before handing them back.

The moment she received it, she smiled from ear to ear and immediately began walking.

“Follow me.”

“I usually don’t do this, but you’re a special case.”

She looked back at me with an amused smile.

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Thu, Jul 16

Chapter 115

“Are you Hope’s new boyfriend?”

I didn’t hesitate.

“Yes.”

55 vouchers

She suddenly stopped in her tracks before turning to glance at me again. Then she stomped one foot against the floor, appearing giddy, before forcing herself to continue walking.

“Sorry, sorry,” she laughed awkwardly. “That was out of instinct.”

“I’ve always liked Hope. She’s kind, and she gives me snacks whenever she buys some. She’s one of the good people in this apartment.”

A small smile found its way onto my face despite the situation.

That sounded exactly like Hope.

We began making our way up the stairs, and I frowned.

They didn’t have an elevator here? Did Hope really climb all of these stairs every single day?

She never once mentioned it.

I looked up at the endless flights above us before quietly following behind.

“Anyway,” the woman continued, “I’ve never really liked her long-term boyfriend. Connor, was it?”

She wrinkled her nose.

“He smokes a lot, and he litters in the lobby. He also brings girls back whenever Hope isn’t around, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell Hope because I’m non-confrontational.”

She scratched the back of her head.

“Sorry about that.”

She flashed me a peace sign.

I merely nodded.

I already knew Connor was a piece of shit.

But hearing it from someone else pushed everything far beyond the edge. The urge to drive straight to Connor instead of continuing these stairs nearly consumed me.

We continued climbing one flight after another. My breathing remained steady, but my thoughts became heavier with every step.

Maybe this was simply the reality of older apartments.

Still, maybe I’d ask the owner to install an elevator. Or maybe I should just ask Hope to live with me.

“We’re almost there,” the woman said.

We climbed two more flights before finally arriving at a worn-out door.

“Here it is.”

:15 Thu, Jul 16

Chapter 115

She smiled.

“Hope’s place.”

“Do you need to get some of her things?”

55 vouchers

I shook my head before stepping toward the door. My heart pounded harder than it had before any championship game.

I knocked.

“Hope.”

“Hope, it’s me.”

“Levi.”

The hallway remained painfully silent.

I stared at the door as though it would magically open if I waited long enough.

I didn’t know what I had done.

But if I had hurt her or if I had said something wrong, I would kneel if that was what it took to earn her forgiveness.

She had been acting strangely that morning in the rehab room.

I had wanted to give her time to process whatever she was feeling.

Now, I should have pushed harder.

“Levi.”

The woman called from behind me.

I turned around.

She was still standing there.

“I thought you came here to bring her something she forgot.”

“She already left… just last night.”

My brows furrowed.

“What?”

She pursed her lips apologetically.

“I don’t know exactly where they went, but she was with her brother.”

“I heard them say they were going home.”

“So, they must be heading back to their hometown.”

Everything inside me went still. Home?

My fists slowly clenched at my sides.

That was even stranger.

17:15 Thu, Jul 16

Chapter 115

Hope wouldn’t simply leave after everything we’d shared these past few weeks.

Unless she believed she had no other choice.

I swallowed the anger threatening to rise and forced myself to give the woman a small bow.

“Thank you,” I said through a strained voice.

I glanced at my phone. There were already several messages from my teammates asking where I was.

Practice had probably started.

“Young man.”

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