Page 73 of Cold Front
He took off before I’d even finished my sentence. I cursed and chased after him; the sound of our skates cutting into the ice filled the empty rink. We weaved and dodged. Eli nearly crashed into the boards laughing, and I almost caught him twice before he faked me out, sending me skidding past him with a triumphant whoop.
I caught him a second later, an arm hooked around his waist as I pulled him to a stop. He stumbled into me, breathless, flushed, and warm despite the chill of the rink. His hands settled on my chest to steady himself, and for a moment, we just stood there, breathing each other in.
Eli’s breath was warm against my jaw, his fingers curling slightly into my hoodie like he was content to just stay there, pressed up against me. And maybe I wanted that too—just a little longer.
I cleared my throat, trying to ignore how fast my heart was beating. “I, uh… had practice earlier.”
Eli tilted his head, his smile teasing. “Oh? You play hockey? News to me.”
I huffed a laugh, rolling my eyes. “Shut up.”
He grinned, but didn’t pull away.
“For the record,” I added, “it was a terrible practice. My mind wasn’t in it, and the guys noticed.”
His brows lifted. “What were you thinking about?”
I didn’t answer right away, but I know he saw it in my face.
Eli’s smile turned smug. “Oh, so that’s how it is.”
I shook my head, trying to fight off my own grin. “They assumed it was because of a girl.”
Eli’s expression flickered—something unreadable for just a second—but then he smirked. “I mean, Icouldbe a girl if that helps.”
It was a joke. He’d said it with that light, playful confidence of his, the kind that always made it impossible not to react. But something about the way he said it, the way his eyes held mine, made my chest go tight.
I exhaled, a small laugh under my breath. “Idiot.”
His smirk softened just a little. “You like me, though.”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah. I do.”
Eli tilted his head, studying me, and then, quieter, “What are we doing, Niall?”
My throat went dry. This. Us. The thing I hadn’t been able to name. The thing I’d wanted to name for a while now.
“I…” I let out a breath, and my fingers tightened on his waist. “I don’t know. What do you want us to be?”
Eli’s eyes searched mine, and then he smiled, smaller this time, but real. “I want to be your boyfriend.”
Something in my chest loosened, like I’d been holding my breath for weeks. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
I swallowed hard, and the words came out before I could stop them. “Then be my boyfriend.”
Eli’s grin was blinding. “Okay, boyfriend.”
And then he skated away, laughing, like he’d just won something. Like he knew he would.
I chased after him, catching him around the waist again and pulling him back into me. His laughter dissolved into something softer as I kissed him, deep and lingering, until we were both breathless and smiling against each other’s lips.
“Didn’t think you had it in you,” Eli teased, voice hushed between us.
I smirked, surprising even myself. “Guess I just needed the right motivation.”
He beamed. “Damn right you did.”
