Ink and Ice by Erin McRae (novel books to read txt) 📕

Zack realized that it was now about two in the morning in St. Petersburg. Aaron really should be asleep. And if his phone hadn’t rolled him over to voicemail yet, for whatever reason, it probably wasn’t going to. Which was annoying, for his purposes. He had to settle for a text, lest Aaron think that Zack had misdialed or been upset at his message. Upset was the last thing Zack was.

Zack: Hey. Hope I didn’t wake you. You did great tonight. Which you know, but I want you to know that I saw you. If I don’t talk to you before, safe travels home.

He hoped, desperately, that his words would leave some sort of opening for a reply and that they weren’t just going through the motions of some peculiar closure.

Chapter 25

MID-DECEMBER

Katie and Brendan’s farm

AARON AWOKE FROM A dream about swimming in a warm summer sea to a blaring alarm, a sky that was still dark, and about a hundred more notifications on his phone. Levering himself out of bed, everything hurt—the exertion and excitement of the last few days was finally taking its toll.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the seals. As he packed up his things and got ready to meet everyone downstairs for the ride to the airport he could still see their gleaming eyes peering at him through the darkness and feel the warmth of the one he had—wildly unwisely—pet. The images were almost enough to drive out the memory of the cheering crowd and the weight of the bronze medal around his neck.

Almost, but not quiet. He’d just won the most important medal of his life. He had and was continuing to blow away everyone’s expectations. All that was left now was Nationals—and he knew now that he could do there what he needed to do.

Plus, even if he did make the Olympic team, it wasn’t likely he’d ever have a day like the one he’d just had. Seals in Boston, after all, would be much less remarkable than in St. Petersburg.

He wished, as he took the elevator downstairs to the lobby to meet everyone else, that he could find a way to say goodbye to the ones here.

He didn’t look through his notifications until they were at the airport waiting to board. Most of it was excitement from his family and friends, but there was one name that leapt out at him - Zack’s.

He read Zack’s text at least three times before he was able to absorb any of its meaning; his feelings were too intense. Katie had asked him what he’d wanted out a potential exchange with Zack, and it had been, he now realized, this, exactly this: To be seen by him, and to have their connection not be wholly severed. In all, it was a lot for ten in the morning at Pulkovo Airport with his bronze medal in his pocket and the memory of the seals.

Their flight was called, and in the flurry of gathering bags and boarding passes Aaron didn’t have a chance to reply. Not until he’d settled into his seat between Charlotte and Brendan did he pull his phone back out to type.

Aaron: Thank you :) About to get on an intercontinental flight and my coach is right next to me so I can’t call you back rn. Also training is gonna be a lot when I get home. There’s a dinner at the farm next week. Come with me, we’ll hang out

Zack: What’s the occasion?

Aaron: Trying to be people, not just skaters

Inviting Zack to the farm for dinner when they hadn’t so much as spoken in months was probably a lot and the kind of thing Aaron should have spent more time thinking about first.

Oh well. He was currently feeling too much to have much brain power left for thinking. And really, what was the worst that could happen?

Zack: Are other not-skating people going to be there?

Aaron: Probably. There will be people in from out of town and stuff. There’s a whole crew. It’s fine

Zack: Okay. I’ll go. On one condition.

Aaron: What’s that?

Zack: Tell Katie first. For real this time.

Charlotte paused in tucking her things in the seatback pocket. “Why are you laughing?” she demanded.

THE NEXT WEEK WAS A haze of gym time, ice time, and time spent reviewing the footage Katie shot of him, looking for places to improve. The Christmas break was coming up, but in an Olympic year that meant maybe a handful of days off to visit family, which for Aaron was more complicated than not. Winter weather meant the risk of getting trapped on the island if he were to go home. Which was terrifying with Nationals in the first week of January; when it came to selecting the U.S. Olympic team, Nationals was everything.

The work, when it could be, was a pleasure. But much of it was hard, unpleasant, and even boring. But that was the price of excellence, of getting to compete, and of taking a whole audience along with him. Aaron came home every night bruised, sore, and so hungry that he went through what felt like twice as many groceries as usual.

When the night of the dinner at Katie and Brendan’s came, he spent ten minutes looking for a clean shirt that wasn’t practice wear before giving up and throwing on a t-shirt from a junior training camp. It was the farm, after all, and even if Zack was going to be there, well. He’d seen Aaron looking rougher than this. Plus, they’d all probably wind up visiting the cows anyway.

His phone barked in his pocket as he walked out to his car.

Ari: You still haven’t told me.

Aaron: Busy now!

Ari: Stop ignoring me.

Aaron: I’m getting in the car, can’t talk right now!

He left his phone in the back seat as he drove so he wouldn’t have the least bit of temptation to glance at it. Which turned out to be the right choice, because it barked at him the whole