Almost thirty, amateur boxer Daron Tulsa has a little mess on his hands. He just so happens to be falling for his best friend, Colm Frost, a sports-themed freelance writer for e-magazines. Life for Daron feels cataclysmically frostbitten because Colm is straight and has a stunning Hollywood actress girlfriend. For Daron, these major blocks leave Colm untouchable, both emotionally and physically.<br><br>As the Pittsburgh winter becomes a tempest of snow, ice, and cold, so does Daron’s heart. He realizes Colm will never be a part of his world and pulls away from the man. But when Colm’s girlfriend travels for her career, leaving him behind, two personal secrets unexpectedly unfold, which may eventually melt Daron’s heart.

Frostbitten

I knew Colm grew tired because of the brandy in his coffee, and he admitted to me, “I don’t want to talk about the last three days with Melinda. Can you respect that?”


“It’s just…forget about it,” he said, waving a hand at me, irritated. “It’s over. Leave it at that. I’m back in the city now, and you have all of my attention if you want it.”


We talked of other things then: the gym, Chad at The Undercut, and my extended time spent alone during the past few days. And then I gave him his signed boxing glove, which he raved about, fell in love with, and promised to cherish for the rest of his life.


“I have a gift for you, too,” he said, setting his cup of coffee on a nearby end table.


“You shouldn’t have done that. I don’t deserve anything from you.”


“Trust me, I’ve been thinking about it since Melinda abducted at the airport.” He moved up to me, told me to stand, which I did, and asked, “Do you trust me, Daron?”


Chapter 21