Crack In The Ice - Chapter 1: Chapter 1
You are reading Crack In The Ice, Chapter 1: Chapter 1. Read more chapters of Crack In The Ice.
"Two lattes, a sugarless black coffee for Chloe and an espresso for Liam," Hannah lists out loud, bringing me out of my gossipy thoughts.
"Thanks, Han."
She smiles at me, then looks at Mack. "And for you?"
"I'll get a flat white, please."
"Alright. Be right up."
As Hannah walks away, I narrow my eyes at Mack. "Thought a flat white was just a latte who thought too much of itself," I muse.
Mack gives me a weird look. "What?"
"That's what you said."
"When?"
"Years ago."
Mack shrugs. "I tried one two summers ago and that's all I get now."
I raise my eyebrows. "Okay."
Just before the moment of awkwardly tense silence that follows can stretch for longer than a couple of seconds, a group of seven bustles into The Lodge. I lift my gaze to them on instinct and immediately regret it.
My eyes automatically skip everyone else and zero in on Eli's bulking frame, next to Owen Holmes and Dean Miller, at the tail of the group. I can hear Trey Coleman and Connor Wong loudly crossing the room, but my focus is all on him. My stomach flutters with the anticipation of waiting to see whether he'll meet my eyes or not, and then it clenches when he doesn't.
Get a grip, Liam.
I look down at the dark mahogany of the table, forcing myself to be enthralled by the subtle patterns of the wood.
"How is it possible Owen Holmes is still so hot after all these years?" Gus mumbles sulkily.
I thank his pathetic thoughts for the distraction from my own pathetic thoughts.
"Good genes?" Chloe offers.
Gus rolls his eyes.
"Do you know what else hasn't changed about him after all these years?" I say. "How straight he is."
Gus's gives me an even more intense eye roll than the one he gave Chloe. "I know... It's just seeing him every year around this time with the hockey gang really reminds me of just how short the supply of attractive gay men around here is."
"Hurts less if you don't think too much about it," Chloe says.
"Easy for you to say," Gus scoffs. "With your perfect boyfriend in your perfect bubble."
Now Chloe rolls her eyes, and it almost seems like she's pointedly not looking at James Lowell behind us.
"I honestly don't get how you're so desperate," Mack says. "You go to international skating competitions all the time. You're telling me you never had yourself a nice-looking pro skater to take the edge off?"
Gus opens his mouth as if to protest, but no sound comes out.
Hannah sets our drinks on the table from a round dark tray. I make myself smile at her in thanks and take the moment to study the dark circles under her eyes again.
Do I look like that too?
When she walks away, heading for Eli's table, I follow her with my eyes. Then I indulge in one more look at Eli, just to see if the relaxed smile on his face when he's around his friends looks the same as the one he had this morning. In bed. Naked. With me.
This time, though, he meets my gaze.
My stomach - the traitor - does a kick-flip. Without asking for permission or anything.
I turn back around a little too jerkily.
"Thanks, Han."
She smiles at me, then looks at Mack. "And for you?"
"I'll get a flat white, please."
"Alright. Be right up."
As Hannah walks away, I narrow my eyes at Mack. "Thought a flat white was just a latte who thought too much of itself," I muse.
Mack gives me a weird look. "What?"
"That's what you said."
"When?"
"Years ago."
Mack shrugs. "I tried one two summers ago and that's all I get now."
I raise my eyebrows. "Okay."
Just before the moment of awkwardly tense silence that follows can stretch for longer than a couple of seconds, a group of seven bustles into The Lodge. I lift my gaze to them on instinct and immediately regret it.
My eyes automatically skip everyone else and zero in on Eli's bulking frame, next to Owen Holmes and Dean Miller, at the tail of the group. I can hear Trey Coleman and Connor Wong loudly crossing the room, but my focus is all on him. My stomach flutters with the anticipation of waiting to see whether he'll meet my eyes or not, and then it clenches when he doesn't.
Get a grip, Liam.
I look down at the dark mahogany of the table, forcing myself to be enthralled by the subtle patterns of the wood.
"How is it possible Owen Holmes is still so hot after all these years?" Gus mumbles sulkily.
I thank his pathetic thoughts for the distraction from my own pathetic thoughts.
"Good genes?" Chloe offers.
Gus rolls his eyes.
"Do you know what else hasn't changed about him after all these years?" I say. "How straight he is."
Gus's gives me an even more intense eye roll than the one he gave Chloe. "I know... It's just seeing him every year around this time with the hockey gang really reminds me of just how short the supply of attractive gay men around here is."
"Hurts less if you don't think too much about it," Chloe says.
"Easy for you to say," Gus scoffs. "With your perfect boyfriend in your perfect bubble."
Now Chloe rolls her eyes, and it almost seems like she's pointedly not looking at James Lowell behind us.
"I honestly don't get how you're so desperate," Mack says. "You go to international skating competitions all the time. You're telling me you never had yourself a nice-looking pro skater to take the edge off?"
Gus opens his mouth as if to protest, but no sound comes out.
Hannah sets our drinks on the table from a round dark tray. I make myself smile at her in thanks and take the moment to study the dark circles under her eyes again.
Do I look like that too?
When she walks away, heading for Eli's table, I follow her with my eyes. Then I indulge in one more look at Eli, just to see if the relaxed smile on his face when he's around his friends looks the same as the one he had this morning. In bed. Naked. With me.
This time, though, he meets my gaze.
My stomach - the traitor - does a kick-flip. Without asking for permission or anything.
I turn back around a little too jerkily.
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