Breaking the ice

Grace

The next few days were a blur of new beginnings, each one more uncertain than the last. Jaxon and I were still figuring out what this thing between us really was. After that night, there was this quiet understanding between us, like we both knew something had changed but we weren't quite ready to say it out loud.

I couldn't stop thinking about him—about the way he looked at me, the way he held me close, the way he made me feel like I was the only person in the world. But at the same time, the uncertainty gnawed at me. What if he wasn't ready for this? What if we were just moving too fast?

I spent my days trying to focus on my classes and hanging out with Emma, but my mind kept drifting back to Jaxon. We hadn't talked about what came next, and I didn't know if I was supposed to bring it up or if we were just supposed to let things unfold on their own.

One afternoon, as I was walking across campus, I saw him by the rink. He was standing near the entrance, his hands in the pockets of his jacket, looking deep in thought. I felt my heart skip a beat at the sight of him, and before I could stop myself, I found my feet moving in his direction.

"Hey," I said, my voice a little shakier than I'd intended.

Jaxon turned, and the moment he saw me, his face lit up in that way that made everything else fade away. "Grace," he said, his voice warm and familiar. "I didn't expect to see you here."

I smiled, the tension in my chest easing just a little. "I was passing by and saw you standing out here. I thought I'd say hi."

He chuckled, stepping closer. "Well, I'm glad you did. I've been meaning to talk to you."

The way he said it made my pulse quicken, and I felt a wave of nerves hit me. "What about?"

He hesitated, his eyes meeting mine. "About us. I don't want you to think that I'm just... unsure or playing games. But I've been thinking a lot, Grace. And I want you to know that I'm not backing away from this."

My heart skipped another beat, the weight of his words sinking in. "You're not?"

He shook his head, his gaze never leaving mine. "No. I'm not. I know we didn't exactly talk about what comes next, but... I'm here. I want this. I want us, whatever that means."

I felt my chest tighten, emotion swelling inside me. He wanted this. He wanted me. It wasn't just a fleeting thing for him. And that made everything feel a little more real, a little less uncertain.

I took a step closer to him, my hand instinctively reaching for his. "I want this too, Jaxon. I don't know what it's going to look like, but... I want to see where it goes."

His smile widened, and he gently pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around me with a warmth that felt like home. The moment felt like everything was falling into place. This wasn't some fleeting thing. This was real.

We stood there for a few moments, neither of us saying anything, just holding onto each other. I closed my eyes, listening to the steady beat of his heart, feeling the weight of everything we hadn't said but knew all the same.

Finally, he pulled back slightly, his hands resting on my shoulders. "How about we grab some coffee? I feel like we need to talk more. About everything."

I nodded, the idea of being able to talk openly about this making me feel lighter. "Yeah, I'd like that."

We walked to a small café just off campus, the chilly air still lingering in the early evening. As we settled into a booth, I could feel the change between us. It wasn't dramatic, but it was there—like we were both finally allowing ourselves to let down the walls we'd kept up for so long.

Jaxon reached for his coffee, his eyes meeting mine over the rim of his cup. "Grace, I've been holding back. I think you know that. But after everything that's happened between us, I don't want to anymore. I want to give this a real shot."

I felt my breath catch in my throat, his words taking me by surprise. "You've been holding back?"

He nodded, his gaze soft. "Yeah. I don't do relationships, Grace. It's always been about the game, about control. But with you... I can't pretend that it's just that anymore. You're not just another distraction. You mean something to me."

His honesty, his vulnerability, left me speechless. This was the Jaxon I hadn't known was there—the one who didn't just hide behind his tough exterior but opened up in a way that made everything feel more grounded.

I finally found my voice, a small smile tugging at my lips. "I don't need you to have it all figured out, Jaxon. I don't need some perfect relationship. I just need you to be real with me. And you are. So that's enough."

For a moment, neither of us said anything. The words hung in the air between us, unspoken but understood.

And that was when I realized—there were no guarantees. But there was something beautiful about the way Jaxon made me feel, something real that I couldn't ignore. We didn't have to figure it all out in one conversation. What mattered was that we were both here, together, ready to see where this could go.

"I'm glad you're here, Grace," he said quietly, his voice full of sincerity.

I reached across the table, taking his hand in mine. "I'm glad you are, too."

And as we sat there, talking about everything and nothing, I knew one thing for sure: This was just the beginning of something, and I was ready to face it—whatever came next—together with him.