Chapter 2

Damn

In the locker room I lingered, thinking he’d

show up at any moment. Each time the door banged open I jumped,

heart in my throat, hoping it might be him, a quick apology on his

lips for leaving me like that. Sorry, man,he’d say, running

a hand through his disheveled hair. Crazy reporters, you

know?

But it was never him.

I unzipped my suit and shrugged out of the

top half of it, letting it hang about my waist as my arms and chest

cooled off. The tight material clung to my hips and thighs like a

second skin as I changed my skates for sneakers, moving slowly as

if savoring the motions. Any moment now, I told myself. He’ll

return any second, he’ll see me again, he’ll pull me into another

embrace and sweep me off my feet, tell me we’re fucking awesome

like he did out there on the ice, press his lips behind my ear in a

secret kiss the whole world saw but no one noticed.

Any second. Come on…

When I could dawdle no longer, I chucked my