Roman continued, “I’m worried about you. That’s different from thinking I’m owed every detail.”
“I know.”
“Do you? Because when people care, you get this look like you’re searching for exits before they can make it your fault.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“You’re precisely that bad.”
Somewhere in the room, a locker shut. Milo said, “Ow. Who put an elbow pad in my skate?”
Benny answered, “The universe.”
Roman ignored them.
Jace said, “She was hurt.”
“She gets to be.”
“I know.”
“And you get to feel bad without turning it into a full-time identity.”
“Very wise.”
“I have depths.”
Gear rustled. No one spoke for a moment.
Then Jace said, “I didn’t want to keep lying to her.”
“That part’s good.”
“It doesn’t feel good.”
“Most necessary things feel like shit at first.”
A longer silence followed.
Roman added, “Whatever this is, I’m not asking today. But if it starts chewing up your head on the ice, or if you get weird off it and stop answering people, you give me enough to help. I don’t need the whole story. I need signals.”
Jace’s reply was rough around the edges. “Okay.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
“And if this person makes your life worse, I’ll hate them professionally.”
My breath caught before I could stop it.
Jace said, “They’re not.”
No hesitation.
Roman took that in.
“Then I’ll postpone hating them.”
