Ice And Ink(B x B)

Chapter 20: Breaking point

Sunday morning draped Rivermount in a heavy quiet, the slush from yesterday hardening into patchy ice under a pale, cloud choked sky. Jace Calder woke to the trailer's stillness, Mara's soft snores filtering through the thin wall from her tiny room. The clock blinked, it was last seven, too early for the weight pressing his chest --- Ty's text("tank Friday or this hits the team chat,") the photo of him and Ezra locked in that kiss, Ezra's shaky "I'm in" buzzing back last night. He'd barely slept, the couch springs digging into his back, the river meeting replaying -- Ezra's nod, that fleeting truce. His phone sat silent now, Liam's "we'll get Ty" the only life line in the dark. He rolled up, hoodie stiff with dried sweat, he needed to take a shower.

  Mara shuffled out, dragging a blanket, her crayons clutched in one small fist. "Jacey you're sad," she said, climbing onto the couch, her gap-toothed frown too sharp for an eight years old. "Is it hockey?"

   "Nah,kid," he lied, ruffling her tangled curls. "Just stuff. You hungry?" She nodded,
well be a good girl and go have your shower and brush your teeth. She giggled
and he hauled himself to the kitchenette, cracking eggs into a pan, the sizzle a distraction from the storm in his head. Ty's photo burned behind his eyes --- jace's hands on Ezra's face, snow swirling and lips crashing.

    He tried forgetting about the kiss but he couldn't it kept lingering in his mind, replaying over and over, he snapped back to reality tightening his grip on the spatula, eggs scorching. He plated them, going to check on Mara, he found he brushing her hair.
   Your breakfast is ready Mara,it's on the table. "Thanks. Jacey," she said.

   He smiled and walked away bringing out his phone to text Liam:  "Rink today, 2. Plan it." Then Ezra: "meet me there. 2." He needed this, needed Ezra, face-to-face, no running.

   Across town Ezra jolted awake at past eight, his room a chaos as usual, sketches of Jace littered everywhere, his laptop open to Tate's Take, cursor blinking blank. Scenes from last night flashed, the river, Jace's "Together" , that brush off his arm, that electric feeling that terrified him. His mum's words "Hiding won't fix it" clawed at him, sharper than the cold seeping through his cracked window. Ty's photo loomed, proof he couldn't dodge, a wound reopening after every whisper from his injury days. As much as we wanted to keep blaming Jace for them being caught, he had to put blaming him aside and focus on getting that photo.

    He grabbed his phone, Jace's text: "meet me there. 2." And his pulse kicked, fear and want tangling tight. He typed a simple "Okay" and got off his bed heading to the shower to begin his day.

  School was out obviously because it was the Sunday, Sunday was empty but the rink called.
      A slab of cold truth Ezra couldn't avoid. Jace got there first at 1:50 pm, truck idling in the lot, he was here early because he had nothing else to do, he had already dropped Mara of at Mrs Bensons house for her playdate.
    
   He got out of his truck, grabbing his skates, restless, and pushed inside -- empty, lights off, the ice gleaming dull under emergency bulbs. He laced up, boots tight, and hit the surface, skating slow loops, the scrape of blades a rhythm to steady his pulse. Ty's threat lopped and he snarled, wristing an imaginary puck, the echo loud in the dark, Ezra was coming. They'd figure it out, together.

    Ezra rolled in at 2:05 pm, bike skidding on ice, breath fogging as he locked it and slipped inside. The rink was a craven, silent, cold and Jace  a lone figure cutting the ice, hoodie sleeves pushed up, muscles flexing under the damp fabric. Ezra's chest tightened, guilt and anger, and that stupid pull he had towards Jace.
     He stepped to the boards, hood low, voice rough. "You're early."