Page 3 of Melting the Ice

Brody would definitely be adding an extra layer of shit that the new roommate was a football player.

It didn’t take long between the three of them to get Brody’s stuff moved in. He hugged his parents goodbye and then walkedback into the apartment, more than ready to get unpacked and settled in.

The bedroom next to Dean’s was small but functional, with a double bed at least, instead of the regulation twin. The apartment had been listed as “mostly furnished,” including the beds, and so the larger bed made sense because Brody couldn’t imagine Dean fitting on a twin, anyway.

The bathroom was between them, again small but adequately sized, with a big tub that Brody already knew was going to alternate between soaking him and his equipment.

Toby, the Evergreens’ equipment manager, did a great job of taking care of stuff, but Brody liked to be a little more hands-on. Wash some things himself.

Brody was halfway through unpacking his clothes when a voice startled him.

“So, you brought your parents to move-in day.”

Brody looked up from one of his half-empty duffels, surprised. For a big guy, Dean evenmovedquietly. His comment wouldn’t have been unexpected coming from Ramsey, but he was surprised Dean would bring it up, especially considering they were basically strangers.

Roommates, now, butstillstrangers.

Thanks for fucking nothing, Ramsey.

“Uh, yeah,” Brody mumbled, willing his cheeks not to flush with embarrassment. He was twenty-one now, supposed to be a grown-ass man who didn’t need his parents, even acted like they didn’t exist. Certainly not like heneededthem, still.

“Huh,” Dean said. That wasn’t exactly judgment in his expression or his tone, but it wasn’tnotjudgment either.

Brody honestly wasn’t sure what it was.

Maybe Dean always had that kind of closed-off face.

“You yell at Ramsey yet?” he asked next.

Brody might have to revise his previous opinion that Dean was going to be a quiet roommate, because that wastwoquestions he’d asked now, clearly making an effort to create a conversation and some kind of camaraderie—if not a friendship—out of nothing.

“Not yet,” Brody admitted.

He’d been waiting until Dean left or until he went out, because there were things he wanted to say that he didn’t want the other guy to overhear. It wasn’thisfault that Ramsey had apparently changed his situation without even bothering to tell Brody.

Maybe Brody could’ve told himnevermind, I’ll find someplace else,but then there was the fact that Dean had clearly mentioned the expense of rent, and he’d been suddenly and acutely aware of never worrying about where next month’s rent was coming from.

His parents’ checking account, that was where.

“He a good friend of yours?”

There was a third question.

Brody looked up and decided that if Dean was making this kind of effort, he should actually reciprocate.

“No, but we play on the hockey team together.”

Dean nodded. “That’s what he told me. You’re what . . .a . . .uh . . .”

“Defense,” Brody supplied. He looked Dean up and down. “And you’re . . . a handy wall that the offense has to throw around?”

“Something like that,” Dean said, chuckling under his breath. “A linebacker. Edge rusher, actually.”

“Are they usually your size?”

“No,” Dean said. “But it’s what makes me good. I’m big, but I’m fast.”

Of course he was. He’d probably never gotten injured either, not seriously anyway.

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