In Los Angeles, Rose takes Shane shopping at designer boutiques, insisting on paying for everything. Paparazzi photograph them leaving. Over lunch, Rose asks about Shane’s relationship with Ilya. Shane admits he sometimes resents the “unfairness” of hiding and wishes he could “be open” (109). Rose urges him to do what makes him happy, pointing out that no one who already knows has been judgmental about their relationship. She suggests he create a backup plan in case they’re outed.

The next morning, Ilya FaceTimes Shane to tell him the Ottawa team is getting a puppy and to tease him about the paparazzi photos with Rose. Shane tells Ilya about Rose’s advice. Ilya admits that a “backup plan” might be a good idea, noting that Hayden has commented on the fact that he “look[s] at [Shane] with heart eyes (113). Deeply missing each other after weeks apart, they begin phone sex.

At a face-off in Montreal, three weeks since they last saw each other, Ilya and Shane flirt and make plans for after the game. Ilya scores to tie the game and blows Shane a kiss, earning a warning from the referee. Luca scores to put Ottawa ahead, but Shane ties it again. Later, a slap shot from Shane’s teammate J.J. hits Ilya’s knee. Shane checks on him, and they exchange coded flirtation.

After the game, Ilya learns via text that Shane has been edging himself in anticipation. When Ilya arrives at Shane’s house, they have immediate, rough sex, after which Ilya gently tends to Shane before they fall asleep spooning.

Shane wakes next to Ilya and they shower and make breakfast. They discuss the documentary about their rivalry; Ilya refuses to reveal what he said in his interviews, then grows serious, admitting he couldn’t say what he wanted to—that Shane is “everything” to him. Shane says the same.

Their morning is interrupted when Hayden calls asking them to babysit his four children while he takes his wife to the hospital for a sprained ankle. Ilya is delighted. At the Pike house, Ilya paints nails for the twins Ruby and Jade, their brother Arthur, and himself, explaining that boys can wear nail polish too. Ruby asks if Shane and Ilya are husbands, and the children stage an impromptu wedding ceremony, complete with vows and plastic rings. Both men become unexpectedly emotional.

Back at Shane’s house, Ilya carries him inside bridal-style. Shane admits the day felt like a glimpse of their future, and they talk about having children and dogs together someday. Shane notices Ilya’s badly bruised knee and ices it. When Ilya suggests more people might not care that they’re a couple, Shane dismisses him, and Ilya withdraws emotionally. Shane gently suggests Ilya might benefit from professional help, but Ilya becomes defensive and denies anything is wrong, though his hand trembles.

In Montreal’s locker room, J.J. tries to set Shane up with a handsome gay personal trainer. Shane declines, and J.J. expresses concern that Shane seems “wound too tight” (148). Hayden jokes about their fake wedding and confirms he’d want to be invited to their real one—and that he’d be Shane’s best man.

At his Halloween party, Ilya, dressed as a gladiator, feels lonely despite the crowd. After sharing a joint on his back deck with teammates, he feels overwhelmed by jokes that he’ll never settle down and retreats to his room alone. He finds a text from Shane telling him not to take off the costume.

Late that night, Shane arrives having driven from Montreal. They have rough sex, after which Ilya feels emotionally fragile, hugging Shane tightly. The next morning, Shane leaves early for practice. After watching his car drive away, Ilya breaks down crying. When he recovers, decides he needs “professional help” (161).

In November, Ilya has his first therapy session with Dr. Galina Molchalina, the only Russian-speaking psychologist in Ottawa. He admits he might be depressed. Over 40 minutes, he talks extensively about his mother, sharing fond memories and describing how she tried to hide her depression. He recounts finding her lifeless body when he was 12 and his father’s insistence that her death was accidental. He expresses anger at how “quickly” his father “moved on” and how “disgusted” he seemed by her illness (165).

Galina gives him time to process his emotions. Ilya feels exhausted but better afterward and schedules another appointment. Before leaving, he asks if there is something wrong with him. Galina cannot give him answers yet but reassures him that being there is an important step.

After the session, Ilya walks around Ottawa for hours, feeling raw and hollow. He wonders if therapy is useful at all but decides it might be worth pushing through the pain. He sits by a canal and looks at old photos of himself and Shane from years prior, impulsively sending one to Shane. They agree to watch the documentary together the next day.

Shane arrives at Ilya’s house, and they immediately start kissing. Ilya has prepared ingredients for a healthy dinner they can cook together, finding a recipe that fits Shane’s strict diet. Ilya lights a candle, creating a romantic atmosphere. Shane tells Ilya he loves him, and Ilya responds warmly.

They settle on the couch to watch the documentary. While watching, a clip appears of Shane’s devastating hit by Cliff Marlow. The footage shows Ilya’s terrified face as he crouches over Shane’s unconscious body, frantically waving for medical staff and refusing to leave Shane’s side. Shane realizes he never fully understood how scared Ilya had been. They kiss to stop watching the painful moment.

Later, Ilya’s phone buzzes with a picture of Hayden’s middle finger, a response to Ilya having purchased a FanMail video from him as a prank. Shane wakes up aroused from a dream about having sex with Ilya at center ice. When Ilya teases him about it, Shane confesses the dream. They joke about Ilya’s sexual past before Ilya gives Shane oral sex. Afterward, they eat breakfast together.

Shane receives an email from NHL Commissioner Roger Crowell requesting a meeting in New York. Shane panics, wondering if Crowell knows about his relationship with Ilya.

Shane meets with Commissioner Crowell at NHL headquarters in Manhattan. Crowell praises the Irina Foundation and asks about Shane’s camps, emphasizing their inclusivity. He says he has heard rumors that Shane is “homosexual,” but assures him he does not need to confirm it. Crowell says he appreciates how Shane handles himself, keeping his private life private and putting hockey first. He subtly discourages Shane from following Scott Hunter’s example of activism, claiming “too much talk about” diversity can be “distracting” (183) Crowell offers to help Shane plan a public coming out if he wants, but makes it clear the league would prefer he remain quiet. Shane leaves the meeting feeling disgusted and manipulated.

Shane immediately calls Ilya to tell him about the conversation. Ilya becomes angry on Shane’s behalf. Shane admits he was not planning to come out anyway, but the meeting made him feel “slimy.”

Days later, Ilya has another therapy session with Galina. She asks about his father. Ilya reveals he is “glad” his father is dead. He describes his father as a decorated police officer who hated Ilya’s mother and was disgusted by her illness. His father was only proud of his hockey career when Ilya won a gold medal for Russia, viewing anything less as an embarrassment. Ilya admits hockey and sex were his escapes after his mother died. He reveals he is bisexual and has been in a secret relationship with a rival NHL player for 10 years. Though Ilya never says his name, a silent understanding passes between him and Galina, who clearly intuits his boyfriend’s identity. They discuss the imbalance in their support systems and the realistic best- and worst-case scenarios for their relationship. Ilya admits that while he wants to keep their careers and go public, his worst fear is having to return to Russia if outed.