Page 30 of Born of Ice

“How is it going?” I ask him, determined to steer the conversation away from her.

She doesn’t need this fucker’s attention right now. Or anyone else’s, for that matter. What? I’m only thinking of her wellbeing.

“Great. Fooley is really stepping it up and playing well. The line looks strong now.”

Now…it looks strongnow—when I’m not there. Maybe we should’ve kept talking about Electra.

“Mhm. That’s great,” I say with as much ease as I can manage, and Sava seems to buy my response at face value but when I avert my eyes from his, a set of ice blue ones catch mine.

And those eyes? They seem to see too much.

Andddd time for another subject change. “Anyway, Stella, we are all good here, aren’t we, falling star?”

“If I have to choose between two evils, I’m sticking with Exton.”

Stella narrows her eyes at both of us. “Fine, but if I hear of any more flying pucks, there will be hell to pay.”

“No worries, you won’t hear about it,” I assure her. And I swear I hear Electra choking on a laugh, but when I look at her, she has her empty mask on and reading that boring book.

Who are you, Electra Monroe?The real you.

“I warned you, my prickly pear.” Stella gives me the universal “I’m watching you” sign, kisses the top of Electra’s head and heads out the door.

“Well, I should get going too,” Severin supplies but doesn’t look anywhere near ready to get out. And who, if not his best friend, will help him do just that?

“Okay.” I stand up, clapping my hands together. “I’ll help you load up. Let’s go.”

“Bye, Severin, it was nice to meet you,” Electra says with a small smile, one that doesn’t reach her icy eyes and doesn’t convey her interest in the guy.

Yet my eye is twitching.

Why the hell is it twitching?

“You too.” Nowthatsmile says it all. “Maybe I can stop by sometime next week? You could show me around Iris Lake?”

“No, you cannot,” I grit out at the same time as Electra says, “Sure.”

And they both eye me with curiosity. But where Electra’s is confused, that fucker’s is smug.

“Don’t listen to that asshole. It’s not like he has any say over who comes here, and you, unlike him, are welcome anytime.” She waves me off.

Great, let’s add grinded to dust teeth to that twitching eye.

Maybe I should have taken Stella’s out and left this place because something is definitely wrong with me. Electra is a nuisance, an angry elf with psychopathic tendencies and…I’m drawn to all of that.

Yep, definitely a masochist.

10

Not interested in the slightest

Exton

I twist and turnon this couch that is at least two sizes too small for my body, for what seems like the hundreds time tonight, but still sleep doesn’t take me. Not that it should yet seeing as it’s only ten o’clock and nowhere near my usual bed time. But Electra disappeared into her room right after Severin left and hasn’t come out yet, just like all the other nights before.

Not that I wanted her company—I didn’t—but it’s boring as fuck here. And where usually at this time I’d be hitting the clubs after a game, I’m staring at the wood plank ceiling and breaking my back on this stupid couch.

I did try to watch TV, but as soon as I turned it on, the said Outlaws game was on…and they were winning.Without me. And something twisted in my gut, something I’ve never felt before.

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