Page 58 of Hearts on Ice

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When the phone buzzed, I didn’t look right away. I sat with the sound in the quiet cab and let myself breathe.

Chapter 24

Miguel

Coach:Proud of you last night.

My thumbs moved before my brain did.

Me: Thanks, Coach. Glad to hear that.

Delivered.

But the three dots didn’t appear.

Drew’s text sat on my screen and I stared at it way too long for a five-word message.

Okay, that’s normal. Drew isn’t the type to sit on his phone all morning.

He was probably already at video review or going over clip breakdowns or doing whatever head coaches did the day after a win.

It didn’t stop me from checking my phone again two minutes later.

And again.

And again.

At the gym, I moved through my sets—stretch, balance work, a few sprints—just muscle memory doing its job while my head was anywhere but here.

I did the reps. I stretched what I was supposed to stretch. I laughed when I was supposed to laugh.

But my head wasn’t here.

It was back on the ice last night—Drew behind the bench, one hand on the rail, eyes locked on me like I was the only thingmoving. It was in the buzz of my phone this morning. It was in the silence that followed.

By the time I hit the showers, the room had mostly cleared. Steam hung heavy in the air, water hitting tile in steady rhythm. I sat on the bench, towel slung around my neck, and checked my phone again.

Still nothing. No reply. No read receipt.

Still nothing. No messages from Drew… not even one.

I typed:You okay?

Deleted it.

Typed:Everything good?

Deleted that, too.

I don’t know why I was nervous. It’s not like we hadn’t crossed every possible line already. The kiss. The way he looked at me after. The way I still felt that look in my skin. The way I wanted to kiss him again. The way I wanted more.

Finally I just wrote what I meant.

Me:Haven’t heard from you. Getting a little worried. You good?

Send.

I waited, pretending not to wait.

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