He laughed softly, warmth radiating from him and spreading into me. “Good. Let’s keep going.”
With every careful glide, my confidence grew, my body relaxing into the easy rhythm we created together. Patrick moved close, never leaving my side, our shoulders brushing occasionally as our pace grew steadier. Slowly, the ice transformed beneath my feet, no longer something dangerous or terrifying but something beautiful and inviting. It felt like rediscovering a part of myself that I’d lost long ago.
After several laps, Patrick gently slowed our pace, guiding us back to the side of the rink. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his phone, the glow illuminating his face softly. I watched curiously as he selected a song, the first gentle notes floating around us, sweet and comforting, filling the empty rink with music.
He pocketed the phone, reaching out to me again with a shy smile. “Dance with me?”
I felt myself blushing, a warmth rushing up my neck. But I nodded immediately, moving willingly into his open arms. Patrick held me close, one hand resting gently on my waist, the other cradling my fingers as we swayed carefully together on the ice.
My heartbeat slowed into something steady and strong, matching the rhythm of the music, our skates gliding softly in small, slow circles. Patrick’s breath brushed warm against my ear, making my pulse stutter pleasantly.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about us,” he began quietly, voice tender but serious. “About how we got here. About how badly I screwed things up.”
My throat tightened, but I waited, letting him speak.
“I know I’m too much,” he continued gently, his thumb brushing soothingly along my back. “I’ve always been that way. I’m too much like fire for anyone’s good. I run fast, and I lovehard. And I’ve got a short fuse that’ll probably cost me my head someday.”
He paused, breathing deeply, as though gathering courage. I raised my head slightly, searching his eyes. They were open, raw with honesty, reflecting everything he felt.
“But that’s the point, Shane,” Patrick said firmly, quietly. “I love hard. I don’t hold back when I care about something…or someone. And it’s you I love.”
My heart stumbled, breath catching painfully in my chest. For a moment, the words felt unreal, as fragile as the ice beneath us. I clutched Patrick tighter, desperate to believe that this moment, this declaration, could be mine to keep.
“You’re sure?” I whispered finally, vulnerable, hopeful, terrified.
Patrick smiled softly, eyes warm and clear. “Yeah. I’ve never been more sure about anything. I know it’s scary, and I know we’ll probably mess things up again. But that’s okay because I’ll keep fighting for you, Shane. For us.”
Tears burned the edges of my vision. His honesty, his quiet, unshakable resolve, unraveled every last piece of doubt lingering inside me. I pressed myself closer, resting my head gently against his chest, his heartbeat steady beneath my ear.
“I love you, too,” I said quietly, words slightly muffled but unmistakable. “I’m sorry for being stubborn. It was a stupid idea, Patrick. I never should have continued with the paper once I knew I was in love with you.”
“You knew,” Patrick said, his lips curling into a pleased smile.
“God, I did,” I said, words flying away from me after I’d spent so much energy to keep them back. “I knew I loved you before I ever knew you could love me back, Patrick.” I pressed my hands against his chest. Right now, I needed all his physical support. The rink was spinning around me even though we weren’t moving. “I was scared and stupid. I was terrified.”
Patrick gently squeezed me tighter, lips brushing softly against my hair. “I get it. But I promise, Shane—I’ll always be right here. You can lean on me.”
We swayed together, letting the music wrap warmly around us, his steady breathing and solid presence anchoring me completely. It felt safe, like finally being home.
After a long moment, I lifted my head, meeting his eyes again. “Thank you,” I murmured softly. “For not letting me give up.”
He smiled, leaning down to press his lips gently to mine. The kiss was soft, careful, and perfect, exactly like him.
“Never,” he whispered when we parted, eyes shining brightly with quiet certainty. “We don’t give up on things worth fighting for.”
And as I skated with Patrick in quiet, easy circles beneath the dim glow of the rink lights, wrapped safely in his arms, I knew he was right. This was worth every fall, every bruise, every stumble we would ever face. Because together, we’d always find our way back up.
EPILOGUE
Six Months Later
It wasthe kind of evening that made you forget the rest of the world existed, just heat radiating off the sand, the hush of water stretching endlessly toward the horizon, and the wind tousling your hair like it had always known you.
I carried our towels over my shoulder, my other hand clasped around Shane’s as we stepped barefoot onto the warm, late-July sand. The breeze off Lake Michigan was gentle tonight, brushing against our skin like it, too, had nothing left to prove.
Shane led the way.
It still hit me sometimes, that shift. He no longer waited for me to take the first step. He wasn’t walking behind me anymore, trying to shrink himself smaller. He moved with an ease that was all new and all his, and God, I never got tired of watching him.
