14. Xander

Xander

The rink was eerily quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the lights above. I'd missed this place, missed the familiar scent of ice and the comforting solitude it offered late at night. Newark had been a whirlwind – exciting, demanding, but also strangely lonely. Now, back in LA, I was still caught between two worlds.

I laced up my skates, the ritual bringing a sense of calm. Stepping onto the ice, I took a few slow laps, letting the cool air wash over me. My thoughts drifted to Ry, the unresolved tension between us gnawing at my insides. I wondered if he'd even noticed I was gone.

As I pressed harder into each stride, accelerating around the rink"s perimeter, the distant creak of an opening door interrupted the stillness. My gaze darted over to see Ry striding purposefully towards the ice.

My heart stutter-stepped.

His build was unmistakable even from this distance – broad-shouldered and lean with a confident swagger that spoke volumes about his character before he uttered a word.

His face remained stoic and unreadable as always – a mask hiding whatever turmoil might be churning beneath – but his eyes... they held something different tonight. Was it determination? Or perhaps regret?

I squinted slightly as if that would somehow translate his unspoken emotions more clearly to me. But all it did was make me more aware of how much space physically – and emotionally – still lay between us.

"Ry?" I skated over, my breath catching in my throat.

"Hey," he said gruffly, his voice echoing slightly in the rink. "Can we talk?"

I nodded, coming to a stop in front of him. "Sure."

Ry laced up his skates quickly and stepped onto the ice. We started skating slowly, side by side.

"I've been an idiot," he began, his voice low. "I pushed you away, ignored you... and I'm sorry."

His words were like a balm, soothing the ache that had been building inside me. "It's okay–"

"No, it's not." He cut me off, his gaze intense. "I was scared. Scared of what I was feeling, scared of what it meant. But seeing you out there, in Newark, I realized... I don't want to be scared anymore. I don't want to lose you."

My heart pounded in my chest, the vulnerability in his words hitting me hard. "Ry..."

We both came to a gradual stop, facing each other on the ice. Ry took a deep breath and stepped closer, our skates barely an inch apart.

His hand reached up, trembling slightly as he cupped my cheek, his touch gentle yet firm. "I don't know what this is, Sunshine. But I know I don't want to keep running from it… from you." He drew in a deep breath, then released it slowly, as if he was building up the courage to say something monumental. "Do you–" He cleared his throat, his uncertainty palpable. "Do you have feelings for me, Sunshine? And I don't mean just as a teammate."

Taking a steadying breath, I blurted out my truth, the words flowing with a mix of nerves and sincerity. "Yeah. I"m into you. Like, a lot."

His eyes brightened instantly, relief washing over his features.

He drew me closer to him, our skates scraping against the icy surface beneath us. "Can I kiss you?"

His question hung in the air between us, as delicate as a snowflake and just as beautiful.

"Make my wish come true, Ry." My voice trembled slightly. "Kiss me."

Our lips met in a sweetly hesitant exploration – tentative.

It was a moment of pure magic.

Our arms wrapped around each other for balance. It was everything I'd hoped for and more – soft, intense, and filled with the promise of something new and beautiful.

The kiss deepened gradually; it was not rushed or desperate but slow and deliberate – an unspoken promise woven between us with every shared breath.

In that moment, it wasn"t just our lips that met – it was also our hopes and fears, dreams and insecurities.

In that pure magical moment.

I could feel myself hardening, an unfamiliar sensation that had nothing to do with a simple physical urge. For the first time that I could recall, my arousal was not about satisfying a basic need. It was about needing Ry.

I felt his hardness pressed against me too, and it sent me spiraling into a dizzying euphoria. The fact that this man – always so serious and stoic – was aroused because of me made my head spin. It wasn"t just about the physical response; it was the raw emotion behind it that left me breathless.

When we finally pulled apart, our foreheads resting together, I knew that this was just the beginning of something special.

"That was my first."

Ry looked at me quizzically. "Your first?"

"My first kiss."

"You mean with a man?"

"No, I mean my first kiss ever." My voice trembled with what I just revealed. Would my inexperience be a deal breaker? Should I have kept my mouth shut?

His eyes widened slightly, then softened. A slow, warm smile spread across his face. "Well, I'm honored," he said, trying to mask his obvious pleasure. "Guess I'd better make sure all your future ones are just as good, huh?"

I laughed. His adorably sweet response only made me like him more. "You'd better." It was the lightest I'd been in over a week.

We kissed again, and then some more. I don't think I could get enough of this guy.

We skated a few more laps, hand in hand, and for now, it was exactly what I needed.