“Where are we going?” I whisper.
“You’ll see.”
We climb. The metal rattles under our boots, and when we reach the top, the city opens around us. Frosthaven stretches wide, lights glittering against the dark. The streets below are alive with fans still celebrating, their cheers faint echoes that float up to us. Up here, though, it’s quiet. Just the hum of neon from the bar sign, the wind tugging at my jacket, and Phoenix beside me.
He stops near the edge, resting his hands on the low wall. For a moment he just breathes, looking out at the city. Then he glances at me.
“You know,” he says softly, “I’ve been waiting for this moment. To see you like this.”
“Like what?”
He studies me, eyes dark and full. “Like you could take on the world. You were always strong, Lee. But you hid it. You played small. And now look at you.” He shakes his head, smiling like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. “I’m proud of you.”
The words slam into me harder than any hit I’ve taken on the ice. Proud. Not of my goals or the win. Proud of me. My throat burns, and I have to look away before I break.
“Phoenix—” My voice cracks. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything,” he whispers. His hand slides to my cheek, tilting my face toward his. “Just kiss me.”
So I do.
The kiss is slow, deep, nothing like the wild, hungry ones we’ve shared in locker rooms and dark corners. This one is steady, deliberate. His lips are warm, his breath tastes like whiskey and mint, and the whole world shrinks to just us. I fist his jacket, holding him close, terrified of letting go.
When we part, his forehead rests against mine. His chest rises and falls in time with mine.
“I have something for you,” he says.
“What?”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small black box. My stomach flips. He doesn’t drop to one knee—Phoenix isn’t the type—but he presses the box into my hand.
“Open it.”
“Phoenix, this better not be?—”
Phoenix laughs. “Just open it, sweetheart.”
My fingers shake as I do. Inside, resting on velvet, is a single key.
I blink. “What is this?”
“It’s the key to our new house,” he says simply. His voice is steady, but his eyes give him away—they’re nervous, hopeful, blazing. “I bought it last week. It’s in the same neighborhood as where we live now. It’s nothing crazy, but it’ll fit both of us and whoever else comes into our lives. Been waiting for the right time to give this to you.”
My heart slams against my ribs. “Our… house?”
“Yeah.” His hand slides to the back of my neck. “I don’t want you wasting money on an apartment you never use. I don’t want you anywhere but with me. Move in, Leander. Not just your stuff—you.Let’s build something. A place that’s ours. Porch swing. Dog. Hell, a whole future, if you’ll have it. If you’ll have me.”
Tears sting my eyes before I can stop them. The city blurs around us.
“I love you,” I whisper, voice breaking. “God, Phoenix, I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” he says, fierce and certain. “Never leave my side.”
The key digs into my palm as I clutch it tight. Forever. That’s what he’s giving me. Not just a house. Not just a place to sleep. A life. A home.
“Yes,” I choke out, tears slipping down my cheeks. “Yes, I’ll move in. Yes, I’ll love you forever. Yes to everything.”
He pulls me in, kissing me again, and this time the kiss is desperate—like he’s anchoring himself to me, like he’s afraid of what will happen if he lets go. I kiss him back with everything I have, my tears mixing with his breath, my wildness colliding with his calm.
