Page 73 of Snapping the Ice
“That’s how I see it.” He buried his face in his pillow. “Stella mentioned I should get some therapy, both for my family situation and Tate.”
I kissed his shoulder. I’d never experienced therapy, but it was supposed to help people, right? “It might be a good idea.”
“You think so? Do you think my head is messed up?” The pillow muffled his voice.
Shit, did I? Who was I to say? “Ezra, I can’t answer that. Only you can. It can’t hurt to try it.” An ache floated through my heart. I could see he was still hurting over the situation with his parents. I parted my lips. What would my parents think about us? I had yet to tell them. My brows snapped together. What would my team and coaches say? Only Evan knew about me and Ezra. He hadn’t told anyone, had he?
“I don’t know if my insurance covers it. Guess I’ll check and if it does, I’ll take it as a sign I should go.” He freed a soft chuckle. “Is that stupid, or what?”
“It’s not stupid.” I held him closer to me. “I’ll be home this week, so we can figure things out together.”
“Thank you, Lucas.” He twisted his head and pressed a kiss on my lips. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” I closed my eyes.
The next day at the gym and before our morning skate, I stepped to Evan, running on a treadmill. “Hey, you got a minute?”
“Sure.” He pushed the screen on the machine and slowed his pace to a stop. “What’s up?” Snatching a towel from the handle, he rubbed his sweat drenched head. “Are you about to ask me for dating advice? ‘Cause I’m not sure I’m the right guy.” He snickered and stepped off the machine.
I glanced around us. No one was paying us any mind. Leaning in close, I said, “No, I want to know if you’ve said anything to the other guys about me and Ezra.” I eyed him.
He balked. “No, why would I do that? It’s your business, not mine.”
“Good.” I planted my hands on my hips. Ezra was my boyfriend now. At what point was it appropriate to come out? I should talk to Mason.
“What are you thinking?” Evan stepped closer and whispered, “You’re in pretty deep with him, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, chewing my lower lip. “I think I love him.” Fuck me, had I said that out loud? My gaze swept to his.
“Dude, congrats.” He patted me on the back. “Does he know yet?”
“No, I wasn’t sure myself until I blurted it out to you.” Did Ezra love me back? I should wait until Tate was out of the picture and we were on more solid ground. I snuck a peek at Evan. “I’m not saying anything yet. I think I should give it more time.”
“Why? Do you think he might go running back to Tate?” With his brows furrowing, he threw the towel over his shoulder.
“No, hell no. That’s over for him.” I stared at the floor. If I was wrong, I’d be devastated.
“Okay, man, good luck to you. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.” He squeezed my forearm and released it. “Now, let’s hit some weights. It’s chest and triceps day.”
CHAPTER 16
EZRA
After finishing my testing, I headed to my studio for some editing and stock photo shoots. Tomorrow, I had a family coming in for portraits. As I unlocked the studio’s door in the noonday sun, I surveyed the space. No sign of Tate. Had he disappeared or was he off licking his wounds somewhere?
I opened the door and stepped inside, locking it behind me. I should talk to Stella and see if she’d seen him. But then, she was supposed to call me if she did.
Flicking on the lights, I strolled to my desk. My phone chimed in my backpack. “Shit, speak of the devil.” I dropped it on my desk and fished the phone out. “Hello?”
“Ezra, it’s Maddy.”
“Hey, sis. What’s up?” I fell into my chair, set the phone on speaker, and placed it next to my keyboard. She was probably checking in.
“I spoke to Mom about PFLAG.”
My heart lurched. Fuck. Did I want to hear this? “You did?” I logged into my computer, bracing myself.
“She’s open to trying it. She agreed to go to one meeting with me.”
