Page 28 of Cold As Ice

Noah: Stay strong, Con. And don’t let your parents cockblock you. It’s not good for your recovery.

Connor: Not sure it’s my parents I need to worry about.

The conversation went dead, and I chucked my cell onto the coffee table. I could have texted Rory and asked how she was. But I didn’t.

I couldn’t.

Because I wasn’t Connor or Noah or even Mason. I wasn’t sure who the fuck I was anymore. It felt like everything was beginning to slip through my fingers. My friends. The team. Hockey. Every day that passed was a day closer to the rest of my life.

A life I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

* * *

Being in Lakeshore alone for the holidays was a new kind of torture. Last year, Noah had stuck around, and the two of us hung out, hit up some bars, and met plenty of local girls.

But this year, he had my sister. Aiden had Dayna, and Mason had Harper.

I told myself it didn’t matter—that I chose to be alone. And I did. But it didn’t make it suck any less.

I kept myself busy, working out, going for a daily run down by the beach, catching the highlights at The Penalty Box.

Texting Madison.

Even she’d been quieter the last couple of days, in the thick of her own Christmas plans with her parents.

I’d learned she was an only child and lived in the same town she’d grown up in. She had her own apartment and worked two jobs. But we hadn’t really delved much deeper. Instead, we talked about our likes and dislikes, shared silly memes, and generally teased each other.

She made it easy. Simple.

Fun.

There was no constant hinting at more like there had been with Fallon.

I didn’t even know if I would get to see her again, and I was okay with that.

Oh, who the fuck was I kidding. I really wanted to see her again, but I wasn’t going to bethatguy begging a girl to make it happen.

I grabbed a bag of chips and made my way into the living room to settle down and watch a movie. The second I got comfortable, my cell phone vibrated.

Connor: Ella just left to go sleep… in the fucking guest room.

Laughter vibrated in my chest. I could just imagine what a hardship that was for Connor, a guy who was self-proclaimed obsessive with his girl.

Noah: I thought we talked about this. Don’t let your parents cockblock you.

Austin: Dude, he’s just had surgery. That shit has got to hurt.

Connor: Not as much as my aching dick right now.

Austin: TOO MUCH FUCKING INFORMATION.

Noah: You’ve got a right hand, use it.

Connor: I can’t get to the bathroom unaided yet and I don’t have any tissues on hand.

Fuck’s sake, they were too much.

Austin: Make it stop.

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