Page 6 of On the Edge

“Oh, wow! With Carter’s team, you mean?”

“Indeed.”

“You should do it,” Zeke says immediately. “Would youlike me to help you with the application? I can read through and proof it.”

“Oh.” I pause, having to reorder my thoughts and what I wanted to say. I wasn’t expecting him to offer that. “That would be very kind of you, thank you.”

“Would you like to stay with Carter and me over the summer? You wouldn’t be able to stay in the dorms, probably, but we have an extra bedroom right now. We offered it to my grandma, but she’s being stubborn.”

I open my mouth to reply and find that English has abandoned me. I came here to ask that, but hadn’t expected it to be offered so willingly. The thought of taking advantage of my friend, if I asked him if I could move in, had kept me awake for hours after Coach Mackenzie suggested it. I would not want Carter to feel obligated to say yes. In the spirit of that, I had compiled a list of ways I could make myself useful and pay my way. Apparently, Zeke doesn’t even need to see it to offer the space.

“I would not want to make trouble,” I tell Zeke, once I am able to formulate a response. Bending over, I pull out the thin folder I tucked my proposal into and slide it over to him. “Here is a list of things I will do and money I will pay. That is, if I move in. I had come here intending to ask you, but you have beaten me to it.”

“Household cleaning, including, but not limited to, floors, windows, dusting, and all kitchen appliances,” Zeke reads off. He glances up at me and back down to the proposal. “Uhm…this is very thorough and I appreciate the effort, but I already know Carter isn’t going to go for this.”

Anticipating this, I slide a pen over the table to him. “You may make any edits that you deem appropriate.”

“No, I mean…he’s just going to say no toallof this.” Zekewaves a hand over the papers. “He’s going to say you can move in and the only thing you have to worry about cleaning is your room and the kitchen if you use it. He’s going to be offended if you offer him money, and he’s going to bereallyoffended if you offer him this amount of money.”

Zeke places a finger on the figure I’d calculated for rent and utilities. I nod.

“It is too low.”

“No.” He laughs. “It’s too high, Vas. You’re our friend. We’d be happy to have you stay with us over the summer and the only thing you have to worry about paying for is your groceries.”

“Oh, no.” I shake my head. “That is not fair. I would not want to take advantage of my good friends.”

Zeke stares at me for a second, thinking, before tapping the proposal again.

“This would beustaking advantage ofyou.”

Surprised, I sit back in my chair. I’d thought Zeke would be the easier of them to convince, but apparently that was a miscalculation. Biting the inside of my cheek, I try to think of any possible arguments.

“You will not miss having your own house? You will not mind extra wheel?” I mentally curse myself as soon as I say it. It’sthirdwheel.

“Nope.”

“I am very quiet. I am also very clean,” I tell him, still feeling the need to convince him even though it’s obviously unnecessary. “I can make many German foods.”

“Sounds great,” Zeke replies pleasantly. “Now, trash that before Carter sees it and gets mad at you for thinking he’d make you pay him fifteen hundred dollars to rent a bedroom.”

“This is the amount that is the average cost of apartments here,” I point out. Zeke merely shakes his head, grinning as he slides the proposal back over to me.

“When he got signed to the AHL, Carter suggested we have my grandma move from her mobile home to our house. They’ve been arguing about it ever since.” Zeke laughs quietly, eyes dancing with happiness. “She wants to pay him, he doesn’t want any of her money, and around and around they go. Between you and I, Grandma is going to win, though. Carter is low-key terrified of her.”

I smile at that, even though I still feel a little wary about this. Zeke, sensing this, leans toward me over the table and flips the proposal over so that it’s no longer visible.

“Vas. Carter won’t ever say it out loud, but you’re important to him. He isn’t the kind of person who has a hundred friends, he’s the kind that has two friends he’d do anything for. You’re one of those people. Trust me when I say that nothing would make him happier than to be able to help you by offering a home for the summer.”

“But you are sure I cannot pay you?” I ask a tad desperately. “It is a paid internship. Coach Mackenzie said so.”

“I have never been surer of anything in my life,” Zeke answers firmly. “Carter won’t take your money, and he’ll get pissed if you offer it.”

I sigh, sliding the folder off the table and tucking it back into my bag.

“You are good friends.”

Zeke beams, sitting back in his chair and pulling his cellphone out of his pocket. He taps out a quick message before laying it face down on the table.

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