Chapter Twenty-Two

On Christmas at Ilya’s house, playful teasing about Shane’s strict diet turns barbed, highlighting simmering tension. Despite small moments of affection, their bickering over food and expectations follows them through family gift exchanges and back home.

Ilya gives Shane a framed outtake from their first ad shoot—both laughing, face-to-face—stirring memories of their beginnings. The intimacy leads to sex, but both feel an unspoken rift growing.

On Boxing Day, Ilya nervously invites Shane to teammate Zane Boodram’s small party, hoping to soft-introduce Shane to his circle. Shane refuses, calling it too weird, which enrages Ilya, who feels isolated and unsupported compared to Shane’s confidants.

Their argument explodes: Shane insists they agreed to secrecy; Ilya points out Shane has told several trusted people while Ilya has told no one. When Shane frames exposure as a career-ending risk, Ilya hears a dismissal of his sacrifices. Shane’s jab about Ottawa’s culture cuts deep, ignoring that Ilya chose Ottawa to be near Shane.

Pressed on whether they would choose each other over hockey, Ilya—shaking with anger and hurt—ends the confrontation by saying, “I already chose you, Hollander,” revealing his move to Ottawa was for them. Overwhelmed, he asks Shane to go home, leaving their relationship in painful uncertainty.