Page 172 of Ice Mechanic

Am I overthinking it?

It’s difficult to pick up someone’s tone over text. Maybe April’s response was meant to be taken playfully.

But why didn’t she use an emoji?

The cab stops in front of the hotel and I hop out. Taking the elevator, I send her another text.

Have you eaten yet?

Hours go by and April doesn’t respond. I head to my meeting with the team’s nutritionist and physical therapist, swing by a taco joint for some grub and come back to the hotel later that night.

Aprilstillhasn’t responded.

I don’t know what that means. Is she busy? Did she not see the message?

Reaching for a fidget spinner to focus my thoughts, I call her. The phone rings and doesn’t connect the first time. After it goes to voicemail, I debate how much of my dignity and pride I’m willing to give up for a woman.

I decide that I’d rather have April than either pride or dignity and call her phone one more time.

She answers.

I nearly collapse against the kitchen wall in relief. “April, hey. I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Have you?”

I frown at the note of tension in her voice. “Yeah, was it a busy day today?”

“No. I stayed home today.”

“That must have driven you crazy, you work-a-holic.” I shake my head. “You must not have felt well.”

“Yeah… I guess.”

“You need to take better care of yourself when I’m not there, Tink. I can’t do everything for you,” I joke.

“I know how to take care of myself, Chance. I’m not a child. You don’t need to scold me.”

Shocked, I pull the phone away from my ear and then set it back again. “That’s not what I meant, April. Not at all.”

“What did you mean then?”

“I just…” I stammer over my words because I have no idea why we’re fighting right now. “Babe, let’s video-chat. I don’t think you’re in a good mood and anything I say will be used against me.”

“I don’t want to video chat with you right now.”

I wince. “Youareangry.”

“I’m just surprised you have so much to say given how long it took you to get in touch with me.”

I try to diffuse the tension with a joke, “Aw. Are you upset because you miss me?”

There’s a long pause. It’s so long, that I start to feel extremely uncomfortable.

“Is this how you usually are?” April asks, her voice bare of all emotions. “Or is it just with me?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

April doesn’t clarify. She doesn’t say anything at all.

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