Page 36 of Bar Down

Well, well, well.We get to share a bed after all, it seems.

“Of course we can. Thank you so much for having me, by the way. I really appreciate it! I’m excited to see more of the city,” I say, trying to get into her good graces. She seems like a lovelymom. I know she likes me immediately because she won’t stop beaming at me.

“There is so much to see, and I can show you later, there’s a hiking path right behind the house, you can go on walks or run. It’s beautiful.”

“Sounds incredible,” I say, genuinely excited to be here.

Eli still has not said anything since finding out we’ll be sharing a bed, so I pat him on the shoulder and ask, “Where’s our bedroom?”

He throws me a glare and I can’t help it, I laugh. He’s so cute when he’s flustered.

“Eli, are you okay? You look a little red,” his mom says, reaching up to feel his forehead.

“Fine. I’m fine,” he says, swatting his mother’s hand away playfully.

I join in on the concern, having my own agenda. “Maybe you need to lie down for a minute, it’s been a long trip.”

“Yes, good idea, Ashton. You two go lie down, and I’ll have some dinner ready when you wake up from a nap.”

Two minutes later we’re in Eli’s bedroom, the door closed and locked behind us. He pins me with another glare and I smile and shake my head.

“It’s not funny, what if they figure it out?”

I put on a sympathetic expression and slowly approach him, looping my arms around his waist. “Hani,I can read the room. She doesn’t suspect anything, she thinks we’re two best friends who can share a room together because, let’s face it, we’ve done that before.”

“I guess,” he says, rubbing his hands down on his face. I gently pry them away and give him a tentative kiss, nipping at his bottom lip.

“We’ll be careful,” I say, “I promise.”

Eli nods, unlocks the door in case anyone tries to wake us later, and we both fall into the bed, on separate sides, exhaustion pulling us under.

Eli

I am homefor the first time in two years and I feel like something in my chest has loosened. Like I can breathe a little easier and I don’t have to feel guilty for leaving my family behind to chase my dream, thousands of miles away.

And yet, I’m still hit with a wave of anxiety. How do I tell my parents that I may be in love with my best friend?

I’ve been in love once before, even if that love was unrequited, so I can spot the signs. How I feel lighter when Ash is near me, more like myself, how I want to spend every waking moment with him because he’s funny, and lively, and beautiful, and all I want is to be around him, hearing his jokes, and listen to him babble about anything and everything.

I might have fallen a little more in love with him when I saw him giving my mom a big hug and thanking her for the hospitality, or when he shook my dad’s hand in gratitude. When my dad praised him for his winning goal in the Calder Cup, I could see a shine in Ash’s eyes.

This is surprising since he’s usually not one to shy away from pride. His jersey is #1, after all. Cockiness might as well be his middle name. And yet, I wonder if he knows how incredible and amazing he was on the ice this season. Did we not tell him that enough?

My brother, Edvin, is away with some friends for the weekend so we won’t get to see him yet, but it’s nice to catch up with my family. The house is unchanged, with the exception ofthe spare bedroom being turned into a craft studio now. When the hell did that happen?

While my apartment in Grand Marquee is nice, it doesn’t always feel like home; it doesn’t feel cozy and lived in. I have so many memories in this house, of family meals, of mom and dad helping me with homework, me helping my little brother in return. The truth is, I missed them like crazy.

When we wake up from our nap, we venture downstairs, following the smell ofkarjalan paisti,a traditional stew with pork, beef, lamb, and vegetables, served with mashed potatoes. I give my mom another hug and say, “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble for dinner. We would be fine with anything, really.”

“As if I would feed my son anything but the best when he comes home.” She shakes her head at me but gives me a soft smile.

“I missed you, Mom,” I say with a sighand kiss her cheek.

“I missed you too,hani.” She pulls out of my hug and grabs the stew pot, placing it on the table. I grab the mashed potatoes and bread and help her.

“Ashton, take a seat. Make yourself at home,” my dad says, coming in from the living room where he was watching a game ofjalkapallo,or as the Americans would call it, soccer. When I look over at Ash, he’s standing demurely in a corner, wringing his hands.

I frown at him and tilt my head in a motion to join me. He tentatively approaches and takes a seat next to me. While my parents are busy grabbing drinks for us all, I squeeze his leg and give him a wink. He seems to relax a little, but his smile seems tight. “Are you okay?” I ask.

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