Page 95 of On Thin Ice

Morgan opened his mouth and then snapped it shut again. Gave Jacob a sharp nod. “Understood,” he said. He looked pissed, but also resigned.

Jacob lifted himself over the wall and skated over to where Finn was working.

“Hey,” he said.

Finn paused, pushed his helmet up and gave Jacob a long leisurely glance from the top of the beanie he’d pulled on to the blades of his skates. “No blood,” he said.

Jacob winced. “Might be some metaphorical blood back there.” He hadn’t held back from speaking a few painful truths.

“Can’t say he doesn’t deserve it.”

“No,” Jacob agreed. Of course that didn’t make it easier. Finn didn’t entirely understand, because he was still young and hungry and eager, his whole career spread out in front of him, a blank page he could write on at will.

But Jacob found he understood Morgan a little too well, these days.

“Is he just going to sit there?” Finn wondered.

“Maybe he wants to watch you,” Jacob said and noticed as Finn’s whole body tensed. “Hey, hey,” he said, reaching out and giving Finn what he hoped looked like a friendly, encouraging pat to the arm. “It doesn’t matter that he’s here, or that he’s watching. You’ve got this, remember?”

Finn stared at him. “You believe that?”

Jacob was annoyed at Reynolds in general, for not believing in what they should be believing in—namely, Finn’s ability and his undeniable skill.

“Yes,” Jacob said.

Finn didn’t say anything.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s here or he’s not here. If he’s in New York or he’s here, in this fucking rink. You arestillFinn Reynolds, one of the best up-and-coming goalies. You just had a shutout and you’re going to get a lot more. You had whole sequences in that game that were fucking poetic.”

“Good enough I should probably believe that on my own and not need the guy I’m fucking to pump up my ego?” Finn smirked.

Jacob didn’t need to tell him not to say it too loudly. Finn knew exactly what he was risking.

“Yes,” Jacob agreed.

“I’ll get there,” Finn said. He seemed annoyed at himself, that he’d needed the reminder.

But everyone needed a reminder. Hadn’t Jacob needed one, less than half an hour ago?

“Hey,” he said, catching Finn’s arm again, after he’d pulled down his mask. “Remember earlier when you said you’d hand-hold me out the closet door, no questions asked and no judgment?”

Finn nodded.

“Well, same goes here. If you need it, you’ve got it. No questions. No judgment.” Jacob paused. “Now, let’s see what you can do.”

His dad was still sitting in the same spot when they were finished.

Jacob shot Finn a look that said,you’d better go talk to him.

Finn returned with,I’d really rather not.

But Jacob just shrugged, which Finn was almost certain meant:I’ve already done my part.

He had, and in a completely exemplary way, too. Neither he nor Morgan had been bleeding at the end of it. Sure, Jacob had claimed it was more of an imaginary bloodletting, but Finn didn’t even know if his father’s skin was thin enough to be pricked by Jacob’s words.

“Fine,” Finn grumbled.

“He’s not going to go away,” Jacob said under his breath.

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