Every day that week, Zach saw his skates by the door when he went to work in the morning and when he came home in the evening. On Friday morning, he picked them up, planning to put them away in the basement. But then he thought of Elise on the canal, smiling, with snowflakes in her hair. She lit him up inside, even when she was touching him with hands that were fucking freezing from being outside on a cold winter’s day.
He couldn’t bear to put the skates away, because then it would feel like it was over. And when he imagined never seeing her again, he felt a painful ache in his chest. He dropped the skates and sat down on the bench by the door as a realization washed over him.
He loved Elise.
He was capable of love, and he loved her.
And if she would have him, he could be with her. He didn’t need to hold himself back from relationships. True, he hadn’t been the most successful with relationships in the past, but it was different with Elise.
He loved her.
Zach left the skates by the door and went to work, but he didn’t feel the same as usual. His world was expanding to include something he’d never thought possible before.
At five o’clock, he was just getting ready to leave when Rupi came into his office.
“Do you need anything else today, boss?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Go enjoy your weekend.”
She put her hand on the door to leave, and then she turned back to him and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t try to set you up with anyone else again. I got the message.”
“I’m sorry for freaking out on you last time. I actually…I don’t need anyone to set me up. Because I’ve already found someone.”
“Oh?” Rupi brightened. “Tell me on Monday. I’m sure she’s wonderful.”
“She is.”
“I would stay to pepper you with questions, but I’ve got a date of my own, and I need to get ready.”
He said goodbye to Rupi and finished packing up. He was a touch nervous about what he was going to do tomorrow, but he knew with absolute certainty that this was what he wanted.
»»•««
Elise did not have much interest in bikes at the moment. It was also hard to care about any of the technical specs when she couldn’t even ride one. So far she had embarrassed herself by saying she wanted “a blue or purple one” and asking whether you could put training wheels on an adult bike. She would just let Corey and his friend figure it out.
It was Zach who kept distracting her. She thought about him all the time. Saw bikes and thought of him teaching her how to ride one in the nearby high school parking lot, kissing her after every little success.
She had trouble falling asleep at night, inevitably remembering how it felt to be cuddled up in bed with him. The joy as he eased into her body and then thrust deep within. His roughness, his gentleness. She recalled every detail of the night they’d spent together, and sometimes she wondered how the hell she’d get over him. Silly—a man she’d been with for one night. Perhaps she wasn’t cut out for all this relationship stuff.
No. Someone will love you. You’ll see.
Still, she couldn’t help but hope that person would be Zach. Couldn’t help but hope he’d change his mind, though it seemed unlikely.
“You okay?” Brit asked, coming up behind Elise. “I didn’t know U-locks were so fascinating. You’ve been standing here for ten minutes.”
Oh. Had she?
“We could come back another day,” Brit said.
“No. I want to do this. It was kind of you to set it up.”
Brit put her arm over Elise’s shoulder. “I knew this would happen eventually.”
“What?”
“You distraught over a guy.”
“Ten years late,” Elise muttered.
“Well, I assume you’re pickier than I am,” Brit said. “You want to go out for dinner after we finish here?”
“Sure.” Elise forced herself to smile.
Twenty minutes later, Corey and Brit paid for a bike with a frame that graded from blue to violet while Elise studied the water bottles. Water bottles were somewhat more interesting than locks, but thinking about Zach was more interesting than either one.
And speaking of Zach…
He was calling her right now.
Elise’s heart kicked up a notch. Hands trembling, she answered her phone.
“Hello?”
“Elise, do you want to go skating? Preferably right now. As soon as you can make it to the rink.”
Apparently all her hopes hadn’t been for nothing.
“I’d love to,” she said. “Give me an hour.”
Grinning far too much, she walked over to her brother and sister.
“I take it you can’t do dinner now,” Brit said dryly.
Elise shook her head, and her smile faded a bit as she worried that maybe she was getting ahead of herself here. Perhaps he didn’t want to be with her the way she wanted him. She hadn’t heard from him in nearly a week, and he’d let her walk away after she’d declared her love for him.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
»»•««
He was waiting for her on a bench outside, his skates on the ground, an envelope beside him. She walked over to him, her heart beating rapidly. What would he say?
When she sat down beside Zach, he folded his arms around her and held her tightly. And that told her everything. She hadn’t been sure she would ever see him again, and now he was holding her like he never wanted to let her go. She squeezed him back, joy blooming in her chest.
They stayed in that embrace for a long time, and then he leaned back and brushed the stray strands of hair back from her face.
“I do feel the same way, Elise,” he said, taking her hands in his. “I love you.”
The words she feared no one would ever say to her…he was speaking them with such sincerity.
“I love you,” he said again, “and I’m going to be the better guy you deserve.”
“You already—”
He put a finger to her lips. “I’m going to be the guy you believe I am. I’m sorry I wasn’t willing to give us a chance last weekend. But I am now—nothing would make me happier.”
This was not the sort of thing that happened to Elise. Men didn’t declare their love for her and look at her like she was the center of their universe. But it was utterly real, and she did deserve it. They both deserved it, this beautiful thing between them.
At first he’d just been the hot guy who was teaching her how to skate. But now he was so much more.
Zach picked up the envelope and handed it to her.
“It’s a promise,” he said simply.
Inside was a reservation to stay at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa the following February. This man, who had told her that he didn’t do relationships, that nothing between them could last, that he would throw her away… This man was promising to be with her in a year. It meant so much.
“You’re sure?” she said.
“Very sure.”
“Now you have to let me say you’re sweet and romantic.”
He kissed her forehead. “You can say that about me, and I’ll make sure it continues to be true.” He pulled her close and whispered, “Thank you for believing I can do this.”
She pressed her lips to his, savoring the feel of his mouth against hers, how wonderful it was. She was looking forward to doing this for a long time to come.
“Shall we skate?” he asked.
“You really want to skate now?”
“And take you out for dinner. Proper date and all.” He smiled, and that smile made her insides turn to mush.
“Why don’t we save skating until tomorrow?” she said, grinning up at him. “After all, Sunday morning is when we usually go to the rink.”
They walked away from the ice, hand in hand.