Riley:
Holy shit, Uncle Fe! Two goals! TWO GOALS!!!!! Fucking epic!
Jared:
That was insane! I was on the edge of my seat until the end. The Warhammers have a shot this year. Raðulfr is already planning to come to more games. Great work tonight—you’ll win the next one!
Mom:
I hear congratulations are in order! So proud of you!
Mom:
Okay, Riley just told me you didn’t actually win, so I’m sorry if my message was insensitive. We’re still so proud of you for “an epic game.” Love you.
Dáithí:
I’m still learning hockey, but I know goals are good, so well done! And you didn’t even have to break your stick on anyone’s head!
Jory:
My son is screeching about how cool you are, so thought I’d remind you that you used to cry when we turned on the air conditioner. Good job on those goals, little bro.
Ari:
Stop blaming yourself. You played an amazing game and scored twice, and I’m so proud I can’t stop smiling. Couldn’t decide if I should offer a congratulatory bj or a commiserating one, so you can have both.
Ari:
Miss you.
My breath stutters in my chest. I’ve felt like I’m on shaky ground with Ari lately—not when it comes to sex. He’s been everything I need and want there. But even though we’ve been spending all our free time together, there’s no denying he’s withholding something. He’s willing to give me everything I ask for, except a glimpse into what makes him tick. At first I thought it might be trauma from losing his home—fair—but he talks about the “anomalies” and what they did to his planet,about people he knew who were lost. It’s only when I try to ask anything more personal that he shuts down.
But he misses me, and that has to mean something. Right?
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Ari
NOVEMBER
I blinksweat out of my eyes and smile at the ceiling. I’ve lived a long time and had a lot of sex, but somehow I don’t remember it ever being as good as it is with Felix. He brings no-holds-barred, no-bullshit energy to everything he does, including sex, and I’m not complaining about it.
If I didn’t already know how deeply he feels things, how passionate he is about the things and people he loves, it would be so easy to think he’s just an aggressive, high-energy athlete. But he’s so much more, and every second I spend with him is balm for my soul.
“How’re the plans going for the next promotional event?” he asks, completely out of the blue, and I need a second to switch mental tracks.
“Done,” I admit. “Thank you so much for your help at the first one. The kids loved you.”
The sheets rustle as he moves, and then he’s smiling down at me, propped on one elbow. “Kids usually do. They recognizethat I too am full of energy and unable to emotionally regulate properly.”
I snort and give his shoulder a gentle shove. “That might have been true before, but not now. And it wasn’t your fault anyway.” I’ve become weirdly protective of him—not so much physically, because I know exactly what kind of damage he’s capable of inflicting—especially when he puts himself down. He’s been fighting his own inner monsters for so long that he occasionally forgets he’s in the process of vanquishing them.
His gaze softens, and he lies back down. “Whatever the reason they liked me, the event went well. Little kids are so adorable when they’re learning to skate.”
“Not as adorable as me, though.” I’m not sure what compels me to say it. It’s not the kind of joke I’d usually make, and I definitely don’t want Felix comparing me to small children.
His laugh is accompanied by an elbow to my ribs. “Nobody could ever be as adorable as you learning to skate. The sight of you slamming into the boards all spread out like a pancake will live in my brain forever.”
