Page 40 of Dreams on the Ice

Keeping her as close to me as possible, I wish I could actually consume her body into mine in an effort to protect her. Shield her from all this unnecessary drama that my stupid and selfish family has created. I’ve done a shit job of that, protecting her. But I’m going to make up for it now.

“I’m being realistic,” I state. “Give me two weeks to fix this mess.”

She lets out a heavy sigh, then clears her throat. “You won’t be able to get my clients back. They think I’m a cheater. They think that I’m morally… black.”

I snort. “Honey, not a single part of you could be anything but morally sound. If they can’t see that, then you don’t need them. Two weeks.”

Instead of allowing her to respond because I have no doubt that it’s going to be a denial of some kind, I lean down and press my lips to hers in a hard kiss. Slipping my tongue inside of her mouth, I taste her, a growl rising from my throat. She swallows the sound, and only then do I break the kiss.

Resting my forehead against hers, I let out a long breath. “I got this, honey. Let me take care of this, of you—of us.”

Thankfully, she doesn’t argue, but at the same time, I can tell she isn’t fully convinced. I don’t think that words would convince her anyway. She needs to see it, feel it, and have it wash over her. I don’t blame her, but I’m going to show her that she can depend on me, count on me, and trust that I have her back.

BROOKLYNN

I don’t sleep. It evades me completely. Turning my head to the side, I watch him sleeping peacefully beside me. He’s made his speech and his promises, and he is at peace. I am not… I want to be, but I’m not.

Anxiety fills me. My dad’s advice consumes me. I need to go. I need to regroup and regroup myself. As much as Forrest thinks that he understands, he doesn’t. It’s no fault of his. His job is secure, no matter who he’s sleeping with or how irritated his parents are that they can’t control him.

My job isn’t secure, and neither are my friends’. If it was just me, I might give him the two weeks, but it’s not. It’s me and my girls. Their futures and reputations are what I care about more than myself.

I slip out of bed, then dress in the dark before I sneak out of the bedroom, trying to stay as quiet as possible. I tiptoe down the stairs but stop when I hear someone clear their throat. Turning my head, I look at the noise.

It’s Lev. He’s standing at the kitchen counter. When I flick my gaze down to his hands, I notice that he’s got an omelet on a plate, but not just any omelet. It’s gorgeous. I don’t know what he put in it, but it’s colorful—reds and greens, with an avocado on the side, some kind of creamy sauce, and cheese.

“You are sneaking out, which means you are leaving,” he announces.

Ever so observant, just like the rest of these men. I hate that. Pressing my lips together, I tear my eyes from his fancy omelet and look down at my feet. I’m barefoot, my high heels in my hand.

“I understand why you would go. It would make things much easier.”

“Lev,” I whisper, lifting my gaze to meet his. “It’s not about me.”

His brows snap together. “It isn’t?” he asks. The question is both genuine and smart-assed. I know it is.

“The salon is losing business. People are targeting it because I have an interest in it. It doesn’t matter that I’ve lost most of my clients. What I’m concerned about is everyone else.”

“And Forrest?” he asks.

I jut my chin out slightly. “He deserves everything that is rightfully his. That will never happen with me at his side.”

Lev nods a couple of times, and then he flicks his gaze to mine, locking them. “Isn’t what he wants up to him to decide?” he asks. “You’re making a decision for him.”

“He’ll be happier,” I whisper.

Shaking his head, Lev lets out a heavy sigh. “Girl,” he grunts, “you have no fucking clue how much he cares for you. He would never be happier without you. But it’s clear that you’re going to do whatever it is you want. If you don’t care for him as much as he does you, then you don’t deserve him.”

And with that, just like an animal that has had enough of your shit, he turns his back to me and dips his chin before he starts eating his beautiful omelet, and I have no choice but to either go back upstairs or leave.

The decision I make, I know I’ll regret for the rest of my life—I leave.

And I don’t walk across the street to home. Instead, I sink down into the driver’s seat of my car, start my engine, and head straight toward my parents’ house in Raleigh.

I do exactly what both Forrest and Lev accuse me of—I run. But I do it under the guise of care and love. Because I do love Forrest, and the last thing I want for him is to have his life ruined. And my friends and my sisters, I do it for them.

Every mile that I drive farther away from my house, from Forrest, makes my stomach twist harder and harder. My heart breaks piece by piece, and by the time I pull into my parents’ driveway, it’s nothing but a pile of rubble.

Before I walk into the house, I take my phone out of the cup holder and send a few messages. To my best friends, I send a text, and I know it’s cowardly of me, but I can’t bring myself to tell them in person or talk to them over the phone.

---