Chapter Twenty-Three

Ethan

ETHAN WAS PRETTY proud of himself. When Justin was out of town, he'd started spending more time at the rink. His stick handling had improved. His shot was more accurate, and though he'd always been a good skater, even he had to admit his speed, stops, and transitions had impressed their coach enough to move him up to the second line. Ethan had always been a third-line hobby player, too busy to put in the true time. They'd won a game, and Ethan had scored a goal.

You'd have thought he was competing in the Olympics and not Wednesday night beer league with the way Justin had acted after he scored, yelling like some beast in the stands, pumping his arms, and high-fiving with people he didn't even know. Ethan had tapped the glass with his stick in an all-for-you baby celly before skating down the line for team glove bumps.

After the game , Justin held out his hand and wiggled his fingers expectantly. Sighing, Ethan had dragged back to the equipment room, snagged a puck from the bucket, and returned with his man's prize. It was ridiculous. But the puck sat on a shelf next to a bowl game football, Justin's plaque, and Ethan's cross-country trophy.

Justin's visits were finally over, and they tried to relax as much as possible during the countdown to the draft. ESPN and the NFL Network were a constant back and forth as they watched the coverage and listened to the experts weigh in with draft predictions.

"Do you want to go?" Justin asked for the tenth time.

"I don't think I should," Ethan repeated.

They'd already been over the many reasons. Ethan knew it disappointed Justin, but he honestly thought Justin would blow it. He couldn't ignore Ethan, and there was entirely too much press at the draft.

*

ETHAN THOUGHT THE draft would be a bigger deal. He knew it was huge, but he watched with his father in their living room as Justin walked on stage, put on a team hat, and was presented with a jersey.

Ethan pointed at the screen. "He kept his number."

"Sure did," his father said.

Then things moved along at a clipped pace as Justin's five seconds of fame ended, and they waited to see if McReedy got snatched or if Florida could pull it off.

"Think I was wrong for not going?" Ethan asked as he chewed on a nail nervously.

"Nope. He asked, and you told him how you felt about it. He respected your decision and agreed with your reasons."

"I'm not hiding," Ethan said.

"I know. You are protecting the person you love, Ethan."

"Thanks, Dad."

*

"I'M KIND OF sad. I feel like we just moved in," Ethan said, frowning at the boxes.

"I know, but staying with your parents until we find a house and putting all this in storage until then is the best plan," Justin said for the tenth time. "It's a cool apartment; I'll miss it too. And then you'll start your new school, and we'll have a little time to spend at the beach. We'll have to check out the league teams your coach told you about."

Ethan nodded and taped the last box. "I want a dog after we find a house."

"I will get you a dog," Justin agreed at once. "And you get to pick the houses, top three, and then we decide together."

Ethan pointed at the last box expectantly, giving Justin a hopeful look.

Justin laughed. "Oh my God, I've spoiled you." Then, he picked up the heavy box with a roll of his eyes.

Ethan, pleased, followed him out to the parking lot, giving a little whistle at Justin's muscular arms as he loaded the books into the U-Haul.

"Stop. I'm all sweaty," Justin said.

"Hot," Ethan teased.

And then they were on the road. Ethan rode shotgun as Justin drove. Ethan watched their city disappear in the sideview mirror, then focused on the road ahead.

"It's really happening."

Justin glanced over. "Yeah, babe, our dreams are happening."

"Scary," Ethan said.

"Is this too much change?"

"Absolutely, but I think the all-at-once approach is going to be easier to handle, honestly. I haven't had time to let my brain kick into overdrive. I do think going to my parents as a transition will be good for me."

"We'll take our time and find the perfect house, a house you love and feel safe at."

"I know. Spoiled, remember?" Ethan knew he was a lucky man with a partner who treated him like he was the most important person in the world.

"Well, if we're diving in headfirst…" Justin started, exhibiting a few of his nervous tells as he drove.

"Yes?"

"What if we, uh, I mean… I know we can't do it for real yet, but what if we could do something private, just us, and go ahead and get married?"

"Oh my God, Justin, we're in a U-Haul, and we stink," Ethan said, outraged.

Justin laughed. "I already asked you to marry me. This isn't that; this is just wondering out loud. Couldn't we do something special for now?"

Ethan chewed on a nail, thinking. "Sure, Justin. On top of finding our dream house and an ice rink in sunny Florida, I'll plan our fake wedding." He waited while Justin lost it, then added affectionately, "You really are ridiculous."

"Nah, I really love you, and there are five rinks in Tampa."

"Fine," Ethan said, resigned. "I'll look into it."

"That's a yes."

"Yes, it's a yes." And Ethan relaxed, contented, as Justin drove on, wearing an unerasable smile for miles.

"Are there really five?"

"Sure are."

*

A WEEK LATER , after getting temporarily settled with his parents, Ethan clapped gleefully as Justin held up the two giant ferns. "Yes, those are perfect."

It had been their last stop. They'd already been by the party rental place where they picked up the white arbor. His parents' backyard was the setting. Simple, the arbor and two ferns. His mother had already bought enough flowers and candles to decorate with. Justin's parents were coming down for the private ceremony. Surprisingly, his father asked to officiate, and Justin and Ethan had both instantly agreed.

Justin was excited since part of their plan was to lay out all the houses they'd found and see what everyone thought while they were all there. He'd said something about some legal matters he had to handle with his father and Ethan's.

"Okay, after this, I'll drop you off. I need to run an errand," Ethan said.

"Oh, what do you need? I'll take you," Justin said.

"Nope."

"No?"

"I know you aren't used to that word," Ethan said playfully, "but I have a plan that doesn't involve you."

"Ohh," Justin said, stretching out the word. "We really should come up with a code word for those situations."

"I've got one we can say. ‘Golf game.'"

"Why?"

"Because never in my life will I ever play golf; well, I'd play Putt-Putt, but real golf? Never. And I've never even heard you mention it, but I have seen you flip past it on the TV."

"‘Golf game.' All right, that works," Justin agreed. "So, you have a golf game?"

"Exactly."

Justin frowned.

"What?"

"Well, now I really don't like golf," Justin said with disappointment.

"I'll be gone for, like, an hour," Ethan soothed. "You'll survive."

"I might not."

"Now, who is spoiled?"