That he had been engaged, his parents and sister died, and he came to the United States.
There was really nothing more that he wanted to share with Lucas. But he wanted to share his life with someone. Someone who would love all of him, even his broken parts.
After a six-mile run, they decided to play around until Lucas had to get Aiden ready to go to school. It was such a convenience having an ice rink in Lucas’s house. Not only was Aiden right upstairs, making it easier on Fallon and Lucas for child care, but Lucas and Tate hardly ever had to go to the arena to skate except for team practices.
Running his hand through his wet hair, Tate squirted some water into his mouth before throwing the water bottle onto the back of the net.
“So what did you do while I was gone?” Lucas asked, his own water bottle in hand, before stopping in front of him.
“Nothing. Watched a whole lot of TV.”
Lucas laughed. “Sounds like fun.”
“Yeah, Leann called last night,” Tate said, referring to his old speech therapist.
“Did she, now? What did she have to say?” Lucas asked with a dirty grin on his face.
Tate shrugged. “She was making sure I was doing well, and asked if I wanted to come over.”
Lucas chuckled. “So you got laid last night.”
Tate laughed, shaking his head. “No, I didn’t go.”
Lucas stopped laughing. “What?”
Tate shrugged again, moving his skates back and forth. “I didn’t want to go.”
“Didn’t want to go? What are you talking about? She is gorgeous and you said she was fun.”
“She was, but I don’t want to have sex with her,” Tate said sheepishly.
Lucas’s face scrunched up. “I’m sorry. I am so confused right now.”
“What?” Tate asked.
“You were really into Leann. What happened?”
Audrey happened.
Tate hadn’t figured out a way to tell Lucas about Audrey and he needed to figure it out quickly. He knew that this friendship crap wasn’t going to last. The air crackled when he was around Audrey, he felt it and he knew she did too. She just had to get over ass-hat before she could fully give herself to him, and he was the perfect person to help her forget about him.
“I just don’t want to only screw around,” he said. “I want a relationship. I want to settle down. I’ve told you this.”
“I know that, even if I think it’s crazy. But Leann isn’t settling down material?”
Tate shrugged. He didn’t know if she was or not. He had slept with her a few times after his private lessons, and then she would leave. It was fun, but he just never felt a connection with Leann the way he had with Audrey. Hell, not even Elsa made him feel the way he did when he was with Audrey.
Looking up, he caught Lucas shaking his head.
“You’re not telling me something,” he said, giving Tate a sideways glance. Tate didn’t say anything, and Lucas’s eyes narrowed even more. “Please don’t tell me you are still hung up on your runaway.”
Tate rolled his eyes. “I like her.”
“Like her? It was one time and you haven’t seen her since … Wait, have you seen her?”
Tate looked down, did not make eye contact.
“You have!” Lucas accused. When Tate looked up, Lucas’s eyes were dancing with mischief and he was pointing his finger at him, laughing.
“Maybe.”
“Who is she? Have you gotten her back in bed again?”
“I don’t want to tell you, and no, we are friends.”
Lucas’s laughter stopped and his hand dropped to his side. “I don’t know what I am more hurt by, the fact that you don’t want to tell me or that you guys are friends and you aren’t hitting it.”
“You shouldn’t be hurt by either. I’ll tell you when the time is right, and I would rather be friends with her than not have the chance to be around her at all,” Tate explained.