Page 17

I see you.

Theo

T uesday morning, the day after my big exam, I wake up feeling refreshed. Despite that, there’s a lot on my mind. From the fact that both my mother and Grant keep blowing up my phone with texts, to the fact that I’m falling for my perfect boy—and he doesn’t even know it.

Now that my exam is over, the millions of little thoughts that have been circling around in my head come forth, asking for attention.

Realizing I’m not going to be able to sleep, I decide it’s finally time to visit the one place I’ve been avoiding, and the place I know will help me sort this all out.

Finding parking this early at the arena isn’t hard to do. Not that many people take advantage of the early morning free skate unless they’re one of the hockey players. And even then, they aren’t here every day, since they still practice like crazy throughout the school week.

Pulling out my old skates that I sharpened earlier in the week, I get ready to go onto the rink. As soon as the cold air hits my face and my blades touch the ice, I feel like I’m home. I spend the next two hours skating while sorting the jumbled mess in my brain into proper thoughts.

“Walsh!”

Instinctively, I straighten my shoulders as the voice triggers a wave of memories. I turn around and see Coach Wilson standing at the edge of the ice like a drill sergeant.

“Coach,” I nod my head in respect.

That familiar stern look on his face melts away, and it’s replaced with a warm smile. I blink. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the man smile like that before, and if so, it definitely wasn’t aimed at me.

I skate toward him, and his grin grows. “Well, I’ll be damned, it is you. Seeing you on the ice threw me back a decade. I thought I lost my damn mind.”

To my shock, Coach Wilson throws his arms around me in a comforting hug.

It’s ironic that I looked up to this man as if he were a fatherly figure when I was in college.

Back then, he was only in his mid-thirties, probably close to my age now.

There are a few wrinkles around the corners of his eyes, and his stomach is a little rounder in the middle, but Coach Wilson is a damn good-looking man, and I never even noticed—not that I would, with my tastes back then straying toward a smaller, more submissive man.

“How long have you been at this?” He checks his watch.

I wince. “A couple of hours.”

He chuckles softly. “Looks like nothing’s changed much. I’m guessing by the way you were carving the ice, you had a lot to work out?”

“Yeah. I needed to get my head on straight and thought the ice would help.”

“Well, it’s about damn time.”

I arch a brow. “Coach?”

“Don’t think I didn’t know you were avoiding me, son. I knew you’d eventually make your way back to the ice. I’ve run into your mom several times at the grocery store, and she told me you’ve been to several of our games throughout the years.”

I close my eyes, shame running through my blood. “I’m sorry, Coach.”

He waves my words away. “No need to be sorry. We still keep in touch. You needed your time to heal. Now, go change and meet me in my office. The boys will be here soon to start warmups. I’ll tell Coach Hoots to get the ball rolling while we catch up over some coffee.”

By the time Coach Wilson and I return from the on-campus café, I’m eager to lay eyes on Adrian. I ended up confessing to Coach all about my crush. From there, he gushed about Adrian and his talent and how he’s practically like a second son to him.

Afterwards, he talked to me about Guy and how proud of him he’s been—minus the drunken escapade at the bar and the kiss that started a media frenzy. I felt a little bad since I know I can help Adrian, which was actually one of the things I wanted to sort out while on the ice.

I have to admit, I’m falling for the boy, but truthfully, I’m also scared. Felix’s words from that night at the bar ping around in my head. ‘Maybe a fake relationship is exactly what you need. See how the two of you would be if this thing were real.’

When I make it back to the arena, I follow Coach toward the edge of the rink. Adrian is on the ice with his teammates. The team is divided into different pairs, all working on various drills. Adrian and Rizzo are working on passes when Coach Wilson barks out, “DeLuca. Visitor!”

Adrian’s head snaps up, and a wide grin breaks out across his face when he sees me. Skating up to the edge of the ice where I’m standing, Coach walks off to give us some privacy.

“Well, this is a lovely surprise. What are you doing here?”

I smirk at him. God, I missed him. “Mind if I watch?”

He laughs. “Looks like Coach already gave you permission. Who am I to stop you from watching the team?”

“I never said I was watching the team.” My voice is low and rough with need.

Adrian blushes and bites his lip. Damn, I’ve even missed the way he bites his fucking lip. How gone am I?

“I’d like that. I like the idea of your eyes on me.” As if realizing what he just said, his cheeks turn even redder. Fucking adorable.

“Don’t worry, sweet boy. I see you.”

He lets out a shaky breath and playfully narrows his eyes. “Careful, Da—Theo. Keep saying things like that, and you’ll make me hard. Getting an erection while wearing a cup is no fun.”

Finally, that sassy personality I’ve spent all week dreaming about is back. I laugh.

“What’s that?” Adrian points to the cup I’ve been holding.

“It’s an insulated iced coffee sleeve. It keeps drinks like iced mochas cold for hours without melting the ice. Or so I was told when I bought it for you about ten minutes ago.”

The look on his face is a mixture of shock and pure joy. “You bought me something?” His voice is soft with awe.

I mean, sure, the coffee sleeve was a little pricy, but damn.

When was the last time someone bought something for him?

Then it slams into me. His parents are gone, and Felix is all he has.

I make a silent vow right here and now: if Adrian agrees to my proposition, then I’ll spoil him for as long as he lets me.

“Consider it an after-practice reward.” I reach out, unable to stop myself from caressing a finger across his cheek. His skin is cool from the ice, but soft under my touch. He leans into it willingly, almost eagerly, reminding me of a flower seeking sunshine.

“You’ll wait for me, then?”

I grin, encouraged by his hopeful tone. “I will. Remember, my eyes are on you, sweet boy. Now show me all that talent out on the ice.”

For a moment, he just takes me in. Gray eyes sparkling, and a happy little smile on his face. Then, with a nod, he spins around and takes off down the ice.

All throughout practice, I couldn’t take my eyes off Adrian. I always thought I was a good center, but Adrian has me beat by a mile. Not only is he talented with his stickwork, he’s fast on the ice and a quick thinker.

While he’s in the locker room getting ready, I head down to the gift shop and take a peek around. I immediately gravitate toward a hoodie that has the Ice Dragon’s mascot on the front, and the number four, along with ‘ DeLuca’ on the back.

I’m browsing through a few racks and pause by the shelves of merchandise when I feel a vibration in my pocket. Checking my phone, I see a text waiting for me.

Adrian: I’m so excited you’re here. I’ll be out in ten minutes.

Smiling, I make my way up to the cashier when something catches my eye.

An adorable ice-blue dragon, complete with horns and wings.

Adrian told me he isn’t a little, but he loves to collect stuffed animals.

He only has a few that he keeps hidden under his comforter so the other guys in the house can’t see.

Something about the dragon calls to me. It looks soft and cuddly. And if things go the way I’m hoping for today, maybe I can give it to him later. Deciding to trust my intuition, I purchase it along with the hoodie, making sure to rearrange the stuffie so he’s hidden at the bottom of the bag.

I’m hoping to surprise my boy.

When Adrian emerges from the lockers, freshly showered and smelling like the delicious citrusy scent of his cologne that I’ve grown used to. His dark brown hair is styled back, and he’s wearing a pair of black jeans and a snug white shirt.

“Hey! Thanks for waiting for me,” he says with a shy smile, stopping short just by my side. Hopefully, it will only be a couple of hours before I can hug him to me in the embrace we both seem to crave.

“Hey there.” I hand him his mocha. He takes a sip, lightly rattling the cup so he can hear the ice inside.

“This is good. I wouldn’t have been able to tell you bought it twenty minutes ago. Even the ice is still intact. Thank you!”

“You’re very welcome. I place my palm on the small of his back and guide him toward the exit. I hold the plastic bag with the Ice Dragon’s logo away from him. I know he’s already spotted it, but he probably just thinks it’s for me. “Let’s get you some food.”

His smile is wide and teasing. “Are you trying to feed me, Theo?” He looks over at me with this faux innocence, and I suddenly find myself speechless. He’s beautiful like this.

Damn.

That’s exactly what I’m trying to do. Isn’t it?

What is it about this man that makes all my Daddy instincts come to the surface?

I clear my throat. “We need to sort out our…relationship.” The last word is almost a whisper.

Several other students are nearby, and all we need is for the wrong person to overhear us call this thing a fake relationship to fuck it all up.

His eyes widen with excitement. “Does this mean you’re saying yes?” His voice is so cheerful, I can’t help but smile back and nod.

Adrian throws his fist into the air and does this little happy dance. The excitement radiating off of him is contagious. Suddenly, I feel like we’ve won the lottery or some all-expenses-paid vacation. “I figured we could chat over food and lay out some ground rules or requests and limits.”

“Good idea. Can we go to my favorite restaurant? It’s only about a five-minute drive from here, and you need to try their grilled chicken. Oh! Maybe we can split an arugula salad and some French fries.”

I chuckle. “Just give me directions and we’ll head right over.”