Chapter 16 #4
“Not even accidentally. I know I’ve come across as a bit of a selfish prick all these years, but I promise you that’s not the case.”
“Well, you do have to admit, Sergio, you don’t have the best track record.”
“Maybe at face value, no. But come on. Do you think your husband would have kept me in his life all these years if I were a total lost cause?”
Rose’s eyebrow raises again. “I love my husband, but we all know he’s a bit of a himbo.”
Sergio tilts his head and points his chin towards her. “The most lovable himbo I know. But the truth is, and you and I both know this, that he’s not an idiot. And he has the biggest heart out of all of us.”
A smile creeps across Rose’s face. “He truly does. Though Henry is giving him a run for his money.”
“Yeah, he is, isn’t he?” He lightly taps her side with his elbow. “He’s a good kid you guys got there.”
“Thanks,” she says, and braces for the end of the chairlift coming soon. “And you know, you’re not so bad yourself. I don’t always have to give you such a hard time.”
“It’s not like I don’t deserve it. But I’m turning over a new leaf,” he says and dismounts following Rose. “And part of that new leaf involves Jeremy. I want to pick back up where I started with him. Letting him go four years ago is probably my biggest regret.”
She pauses her skiing at the top of the mountain, a little out of the way of the next pair coming off the lift and turns to look at Sergio again. “He is incredible, you know? The best of them all.”
“That’s another thing you and I agree on. And I promise you, I have the best of intentions of never hurting him again.”
Rose studies him. Her gaze is thoughtful. Finally, she smiles. “You know, for some reason, I think I might actually believe you.”
“Yeah?” he asks, barely able to contain his grin.
“Yeah.” She turns to face the edge of the slope that looks out over the entire town of Lake Placid below them. She gives him one last look over her shoulder. “Now, don’t fuck it up,” she says and takes off like a bullet down the mountain.
“I won’t!” he yells out after her, then follows her at a much more leisurely and joyful pace.
As Holden pulls the car into the garage after their day spent on the slopes, Rose looks over the front seat at Sergio in the back. “Can you grab Henry from Jeremy?” she asks, giving him a little wink. “I need to get cleaned up and start getting ready for tonight.”
“Sure thing,” Holden says.
Sergio claps Holden on the shoulder. “She was talking to me, man.”
“Oh!” Holden says, surprised. “Well, this is a turn of events.”
“Maybe,” Sergio says with a little laugh. Then turns to look back at Rose. “Thank you,” he mouths.
“You’re welcome,” she mouths back and gets out of the car.
Sergio opens his car door, then pauses and looks at Adrien in the seat next to him. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck,” Adrien says in a mocking tone despite the fact that he’s grinning. He starts pushing Sergio out of the car. “You’re gonna need it. Now don’t fuck it up!”
“I won’t,” Sergio says, closing the car door.
Besides, as he’s all too aware, if he does fuck it up, there’s always another chance tomorrow.
But then again, the last thing he wants to do is fuck this up and wake up once again with nothing but a kick in the nuts and a hissing cat on New Year’s Eve morning.
Strangely, though, this part of his day is the one he’s been the least worried about.
Probably, because it’s been the part he’s spent the most time perfecting and subsequently enjoying.
Who could blame him, though? What is there not to like?
It’s a perfect moment on a not-so-perfect day in a not-so-perfect life.
If Sergio could, he would frame the time he spends in this barn on this ice with Jeremy Owens forever in a photograph that his mind can create and keep.
Feeling good about himself and Jeremy and optimistic about their future, Sergio pauses and takes a deep, steadying breath at the barn’s door.
Mentally, he runs through his checklist. Everything he’s set in motion is going according to plan.
Taking a deep breath, he opens the barn door and listens to the music that, even after hearing it countless times, floods his heart and flows through all of his senses.
Walking in, Sergio eases into a serene smile.
He pauses at the rink’s half wall and watches Jeremy skate and glide through his moves.
He allows himself a few extra moments and beats of the music to do nothing but admire the man he’s found himself hopelessly enamored with, moving across the ice with strength and simplistic grace.
Slowly, he makes his way over to the cubbies where the skates are stored and grabs a pair for himself and the little pair for Henry, then makes his way to where Henry is sitting with his eyes wide as he watches Jeremy loop around the ice.
Taking care not to startle him or pull Jeremy’s attention away from his skating, Sergio carefully sits beside Henry and winks as he holds up the skates. Henry nods excitedly.
Getting to work, Sergio helps Henry into his skates and laces them up, then puts on his own pair. Once they’re both laced into their boots, he directs Henry’s eyes back to Jeremy. “He’s great out there, isn’t he?”
“The best,” Henry says. “After Mommy.”
Sergio feels a new warmth bubble up in his heart as he repeats the words. “Yeah, after Mommy. Of course.”
Careful, still not wanting to take Jeremy by too much of a surprise, Sergio steps onto the ice and holds Henry’s hand to help him get his footing. Once gliding, he looks up and sees they’ve caught Jeremy’s attention as his own skating brings him closer to where they are on the ice.
Slowing in his tracks, he gracefully spins to a stop a few feet away. A blush blooms across his cheeks. “I thought Henry was my only audience.”
“Sorry,” Sergio says, taking care to hold Jeremy’s gaze. “I snuck in. I didn’t want to disturb you. You look so good out here. Henry and I had to join.”
“I didn’t know you could skate.” Jeremy grabs hold of Henry’s other hand and helps guide him around the ice.
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying I can skate, but I do alright,” Sergio says. He looks over Henry, who’s wobbling between them, at Jeremy. “In fact, I’m in the market for a new instructor.”
Jeremy bites his lip and eyes Sergio, looking intrigued. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. Do you know anyone who might be interested?”
“Perhaps we should ask Rose if she knows anyone.”
“No, Jeremy!” Henry yells. “You can teach him!”
“That does sound like a better plan,” Sergio agrees.
Jeremy smiles at him and blushes a little deeper. “I guess I could find some time to add you to my schedule while you’re in town.”
“I promise to make it worth your while,” Sergio says, making an X across his heart with his free hand.
Jeremy spins them around so that they are skating backward. He and Sergio are doing all the work, and Henry is gliding along between them, happy as can be.
“What brought you out to the barn? I expected Holden to come and grab Henry.”
“I wanted to see you skate,” Sergio says, his tone of voice serious, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
“You’re about four years too late,” Jeremy says and looks away. “I’m afraid I’m not too much to look at anymore.”
“That’s not true,” Sergio says, slowing them to a stop in the middle of the rink. He continues to hold Henry steady with one hand, then grabs hold of Jeremy’s free hand with his other so they form a circle. “No matter how many times I see you skate, you never stop amazing me.”
Jeremy lets go of Sergio’s hand and tugs at his left eye. “You’re only saying that.”
“No.” Sergio shakes his head and resists the urge to reach for Jeremy again. Not yet, he tells himself. Don’t rush him. “I could watch you every day for the rest of my life and never tire of seeing you on the ice. You look … free.”
Jeremy looks at him with his bottom lip trapped between his teeth again. “I guess I am.”
“I wish you could see how you look on the ice.”
“That’s one of the perks of this place,” Jeremy says. He gestures around the rink. The inside, same as the outside, looks like a barn made entirely of wood. “There isn’t a reflective surface other than the ice itself in here.”
Sergio glides closer to Jeremy, working to close their circle again. “Still, I wish you could see what I see.”
Jeremy swallows and moves a little bit closer. “And what’s that?”
Sergio brings his palm to Jeremy’s cheek and uses his thumb to gently tug at the corner of Jeremy’s eye. “Strong and beautiful.”
Jeremy doesn’t pull away. Sergio lets go of Henry’s hand, trusting Jeremy to maintain his grip, keeping Henry upright.
He brings his hand to Jeremy’s other cheek and cups his face.
With that gentle grip, he closes the small gap between them entirely, bringing them chest to chest. He places a gentle kiss on his lips and sighs softly when Jeremy kisses him back.
Chaste and simple, a reward marking an official fresh start.
Breathless, Jeremy pulls his lips slightly away from Sergio’s. “I hate to do this, but I really should start getting ready for the party.”
Sergio brushes his cheekbones with his thumbs. “Alright,” he says and rubs their noses together. “But if you think I’m waiting until midnight for another kiss from you, you’re crazy.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” Jeremy kisses him again.
“So …” Sergio lets go of his cheeks, then grabs his hand again. “Can I ask you to be my date tonight?”
“I thought that was already implied?”
“Are you two done yet?” Henry huffs, dropping his head back, which knocks him off balance and sends him laughing as he crashes onto the ice on his butt. Jeremy luckily let go of his hand in the process, keeping them both from going down.
Sergio and Jeremy share one last longing glance before Jeremy takes his attention back to Henry. “Sorry, Henry,” Jeremy says, pulling him back to his feet. “I didn’t realize we were holding you up.”