Page 51 of Breaking the Ice
A damp patch was forming on his lower back, making his shirt stick to his skin so he headed in that directiontoo. He was just out of the separate coaches’ showers, changing into a pair of jeans and pulling an Evergreens polo over his head when Gavin walked into the room after dealing with the media.
He still looked happy, but he looked tired, too.
“You good?” Zach asked as he ran a hand through his damp hair.
Gavin shrugged. He’d already lost his jacket and loosened his tie. Now he pulled it the rest of the way off and began to unbutton his shirt.
Zach looked away. It was only polite. But also he didn’t know how to look and not want to touch all that naked skin so badly his hands shook with it.
If he’d thought his crush was bad, back when Gavin had been his coach, it was nothing compared to how it felt now, taking up so much inside him Zach thought he might choke on it.
Hayes had stopped suggesting he get over it.
Now he was just a stoic presence on the other end of the phone line and in his inbox. Reassuring Zach that he could be patient. That he could do the right thing and wait until Gavin was ready.
Ifhe would ever be ready.
“I’ll be in my office, alright? Just come grab me when you’re ready to go.” Zach was still looking in the vicinity of his shoelaces, no matter how much he wanted to just fuckingstare.
“Sure,” Gavin said.
Zach retreated to his office. Just as he was leaving, out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw a flash of pale skin, and he swallowed hard as he collapsed onto his chair.
There were texts on his phone. Mostly of the congratulatory variety. His mom had texted for both herself and his dad. Several guys—still friends—he’d played with in the NHL and in his beer league.
Hayes, of course.
He thumbed over to their convo.
I’m going out of my mind.
Hayes had stopped telling him it was going to get easier a few weeks back, which strangely felt better than the alternative.
It wasn’t going to get better. He didn’t want useless platitudes.
He was in so deep he didn’t want to crawl out again. Even if someone showed him the path, he wouldn’t take it.
Maybe, at some point, he might’ve, but that was before Gavin had come out to him, and he’d known then, no question about it, that this was actually a solid, real possibility.
Winning is still better than losing, Hayes texted back. Zach knew it was late in Tampa, so he was surprised. But then, maybe he shouldn’t be. Hayes wasn’t exactly sleeping well either, these days.
And Jesus, Hayes had been doing this foryears.
Zach didn’t know how he’d survived.
Of course, Hayes didn’t have Morgan around all the time—or at all, actually. Maybe that made it easier. For a stupid split second, Zach considered asking him that, but at least he realized before he sent the text that it was shitty.
Hayes probablywantedMorgan around all the time.
If Morgan had been around all the time, their fling probably wouldn’t havebeen so short-lived.
Yeah, except when you have to look in his face and see how goddamn happy he is.
Zach took a deep breath and added:I’m still being patient, tho.
Of course, what else are you gonna be?
I tried asking him to come over to my place for a drink, but somehow instead, we’re going to some booster event where Sidney fucking Swift is going to monopolize him all night long.
