Carter threw a roll of tape at him.
Eric:What are you up to?
Kyle did not appreciate the way his heart lurched when he saw Eric’s text. It was a completely inappropriate and disproportionate response.
Kyle:Just leaving campus.
He watched the three dots blink on his screen for what felt like an eternity as Eric typed. Kyle couldn’t imagine what this was going to be about. He hadn’t heard from Eric in two weeks. He’d almost given up hope.
Eric:I was wondering if you might like to get coffee.
Well, that was adorable.
Kyle:Sure. Where?
They agreed to meet at a café near Columbia that Kyle liked. He ducked into a bathroom before leaving campus. After a three-hour seminar, he doubted he looked his freshest. He examined himself in the mirror and finger-combed the front of his hair so it wasn’t falling into his face. He finally decided it was a lost cause and pulled a black winter hat out of his backpack. He had his favorite glasses on today, at least.
Maybe it was sad that he was so excited about a coffee with a friend, but he’d been having a hard time not obsessing over Eric Bennett lately. Every shift he worked at the Kingfisher he hoped Eric would walk through the doors, even when Kyle knew he was out of town. He’d watched most of the Admirals’ road games, some on the televisions at work, and some at home. His heart had fluttered every time the broadcasts showed Eric’s face, even if it was behind a mask.
Kyle could have texted him. He knew this, and had been tempted to do it several times. On Christmas morning he’d had a message all typed out—just a simpleMerry Christmas—but he’d deleted it. For whatever reason, he’d made a deal with himself that he would let Eric make contact next. And if Eric never did, well. That was that, then. It wasn’t like Kyle had never been ghosted before.
It wasn’t like Eric had ever promised him anything.
So getting a text—aninvitation—from Eric now, after a long and particularly tedious seminar class, was extremely welcome.
When Eric entered the café, Kyle’s stomach flipped. Somehow he’d forgotten how gorgeous the man was in person: tall and elegantly dressed in a long wool coat that was dusted in snowflakes. When he spotted Kyle, he smiled warmly, and Kyle silently commanded himself to be cool.
“Hi,” Eric said.
“Hi.” They stood near the counter, facing each other. Kyle’s hand twitched with the desire to touch him, but he didn’t. From here he could see the snowflakes that were melting into Eric’s hair, making it glisten.
“It’s, um, nice to see you,” Eric said. “It’s been a while.”
Had it seemed like a long time to Eric? Had hemissedKyle? “It has. Did you have a nice Christmas?”
“It was short, but good. It’s always nice to go home.” Eric’s smile fell. “I mean—”
“It’s fine,” Kyle said quickly. “Mom called me on Christmas. We talked for ten whole minutes. It was very festive. Apparently my older brothers are both doing wonderful things and my parents are very proud of them.”
God, why had he just said all of that? He saw unwanted sympathy in Eric’s eyes, so he changed the subject, “Let’s order. I need caffeine after that class.”
A few minutes later they brought their coffees to a small table in one corner.
“I heard that you made the All-Star team. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. It was a bit of a surprise, to be honest.”
“Why? You’ve been playing well this season, haven’t you?”
Eric gently removed the lid to his coffee cup and set it on the table. “Other goalies have been better.Youngergoalies.”
Ah. This.
“Eric,” Kyle said carefully, “did you text me because you’re feeling old?”
Eric’s eyes went wide. “What? No, of course not.” But his brow furrowed in a way that suggested he was considering the possibility.
“I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve done together, and, honestly, all of the time we’ve spent together. But if you’re here because I make you feel young or something...”