But then he goes home at night. He makes himself dinner, or orders in from one of the few places he’s found that can accommodate his restricted diet, nothing like the borderline unhealthy restaurants Jake would often suggest. He watches the news, or goes on the internet, or reads a biography or memoir of former NHL greats. He texts Jake more often than not, phone always at his side. He goes to bed early, and wakes up early, and does it all over again, dreading the days off his trainer has mandated, the long stretches of time yawning before him.

By mid-August David misses Jake so much he feels sick with it, the stream of texts and occasional call not even close to enough after the near constant presence of him in Toronto, the absence of him in New York.

If the invitation to Detroit is still open I can come this weekend., David texts Jake in a moment of weakness, up too late considering he has training early the next morning, hating his empty bed.

ttly open!!!!!!!!, is waiting for him in the morning, and he’s as anxious about it as he is relieved.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

David isn’t bored leading up to his trip to Detroit.

For one, he’s still training, and training’s never boring. But, unlike usual, he’s busy after training. He packs, then repacks, trying to anticipate what he’ll need. Clothing, of course, but he probably doesn’t need a suit. He checks the weather forecast. Shorts and t-shirts, then. A pair of pants and a sweater in case it’s cold at night.

It’s just for the weekend, so he shouldn’t bring more than a carry-on, especially because Jake’s already said he’d pick him up, and it’d be rude to make him wait while David collected his baggage. He goes out, buys travel sized toothpaste, shampoo, gel. In Toronto he just used Jake’s, before eventually bringing his own over from the hotel when he realised he’d be spending pretty much every night there. He doesn’t know if it’s rude to do that at the Lourdes’. Better safe than sorry.

He’s never slept over at someone’s house before. Well, he has: his grandmother’s, sometimes, when he was young. His nanny’s, on rare occasions, though more often, if both his parents were away, she slept in their spare room. Jake’s place in Toronto. This feels different. These are complete strangers, for all they’re Jake’s family.