COLEEN
When Hayden texted me, I thought he was joking.
Hayden: Meet me at the rink. 9 p.m. Bring warm clothes.”
I have missed him. Since he got back he needed some time to properly settle in so I decided to leave him be.
I stared at the message for a full minute before replying.
Me: What are you plotting?
Hayden: Why don't you come and find out.
It was almost ten degrees below freezing when I stepped inside the athletic complex that night. The rink lights were still on, casting a pale blue glow over the empty ice.
The faint hum of the cooling system buzzed in the background, and somewhere, the boards popped from the temperature shift.
Hayden was already there, leaning against the boards with a smug grin. He had two pairs of skates sitting on the bench beside him, one was his, the
