Page 131 of Cross Ice

Three dots.

Evan

They need you out there. I can see it.

Something in my chest loosened slightly. He was watching closely enough to see the gap. Paying attention in a way that mattered.

Nico

We’ll talk soon.

Evan

Okay. I love you.

Nico

I love you too.

I put my phone down and watched the rest of the game. We lost 6–2.

Tuesday night I slept better than I had all week. I’d said we’d talk soon. That was something to move toward.

Wednesday morning, I got to the rink early.

Practice was hard—two days away felt like two weeks in my legs—but I worked. Kept my head down. Focused on the drills and not on anything else. Coach watched me the whole time with that assessing look, and I let him watch. I wasn’t going to act okay. I was just going to do the work and let it speak for itself.

After practice, I sat at my stall and checked my phone.

One new message from Evan. Sent an hour ago.

Evan

I called Wesley this morning. We’re doing a video call tomorrow. I know it’s not everything, but I’m trying to actually do something instead of just saying I am. I went to the grocery store this morning. First time since the woman recognized me. Made it through without checking my phone once.. I’m not okay yet. But I’m trying to get there.

He’d called Wesley. On his own, without me pushing it. And he’d left his apartment and gotten through an hour without the compulsive monitoring—which, for where he’d been three weeks ago, was real progress.

It wasn’t everything. But it was specific. It was actual movement, not just words.

I started typing. Deleted it. Started again.

Nico

That’s good. Both of those things.

Evan

Can I see you? Not to talk about everything. Just to see you.

He’d gotten there himself. Not because I’d pushed him. And I’d spent two days figuring out that the problem wasn’t just him; it was both of us avoiding the hard choices in different ways. He’d started making different choices. It was time I did the same.

Nico

Yeah. Come over tonight. After work.

Three dots appeared immediately.

Evan