I took a seat in the upper section of the stands, far enough away that I wouldn’t be obvious but close enough to have a clear view of the ice. I was probably being overcautious. The rink was nearly empty, with just a few parents scattered around watching their kids skate, but I didn’t want to risk anything for Cody.
When the clock on my phone ticked over to 19:01, a man and a teenage boy of around fourteen or fifteen emerged from the locker rooms, followed by Cody.
The transformation in him made my breath catch in my throat. This was a side of him I had no idea even existed. Instead of the intimidating, aggressive presence I’d seen in the gameagainst Dallas, he was relaxed and casual, his movements loose and easy as he glided across the ice. His voice carried across the rink to me, so patient and encouraging. “We’ll pick up where we left off last week, but let’s start with your backhand shot after our warmup. Show me how you’ve improved.”
For the next hour, I watched Cody work with the teenager, breaking down techniques into manageable pieces until Marcus got the hang of them. His patience never seemed to run out. Whenever Marcus messed up one of the drills, Cody broke it down again, repeating it until he understood.
“Much better,” Cody called after Marcus successfully completed the drill they’d been working on. “Just remember what we talked about. Your grip needs to be a little looser, and then you’ll nail it.”
Marcus nodded, determination written all over his face. “I want to try it again.” This time, when he completed the drill, both he and Cody were grinning, and Cody held up his hand for a high five.
“I knew you could do it.”
That grin. Fucking hell. Did Cody even realise how much he lit up when he was doing this? How obvious it was that Marcus looked up to him, hanging on to every one of his words?
When the session finally ended, Marcus glanced up at Cody as they skated towards his dad. “Did I do okay today?”
Cody reached out, patting his back in a casual gesture that made my heart skip a beat. “You did great. Keep working on that backhand shot, and I’ll see you next week.”
After the rink had emptied out, I climbed to my feet and made my way towards Cody, who was leaning against the boards, watching my approach with an unreadable expression on his face.
“So,” I said when I reached him. “That was different to what I expected.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “What did you expect?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really know. I guess… I like that I got to see this side of you.”
He turned away from me, and I placed a hand on his bicep, feeling it tense beneath my grip. “Cody. Maybe I was seeing things that weren’t there, but it almost seemed like you were enjoying this more than playing.”
His hands fidgeted with his stick as his gaze dropped to the floor. “It’s just a side job.”
“It’s not,” I said. “You were amazing out there, and it was clear to me that Marcus thinks you’re the best thing since sliced bread.”
“It’s—” He cut himself off, rubbing his hand across his jaw. “Fuck. I don’t know why I told you about this.”
Gripping his bicep more firmly, I pulled him closer to me. “I’m glad you did.”
He was quiet for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the ice between us. When he finally met my eyes, I could see the vulnerability in his expression.
“I won’t say anything,” I promised again. “This is yours. No one else has a right to know, not unless you want them to. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or…or like you felt as if you had to say yes to me coming to watch you.”
Shaking his head, he glanced around the empty rink before wrapping his arm around my waist. His mouth dipped to my ear. “I don’t mind sharing this with you, Jude. Only you.”
12
Jude
Idon’t mind sharing this with you, Jude. Only you.
Cody’s words echoed through my mind as he handed me his stick and then did a lap of the rink. I rubbed my thumb over the fraying tape, watching him glide at speed across the ice, so fucking graceful despite his size.
He came to a stop in front of me. “You look like you’re thinking hard.”
“No. Just thinking about how you look at home on the ice. I know how much hard work goes into what you do, but you make it look so easy. Effortless.”
“Jude.”
“It’s true.”
