Page 41 of Born of Ice

“My man, Exton Quinn, you’re back! I thought you were leaving that day.” A bulky, stoic man with a buzz cut that looks vaguely familiar comes up to our table with a wide grin on his face and bends down to embrace Axe in a weird bro hug.

Well, maybe Exton was right after all, and they allarelooking at him rather than me.

“Eh, couldn’t leave this one to fend for herself.” He points to me, and I roll my eyes.

“Well, well, well, Miss Electricity herself made it into Blade’s,” the guy says, and my whole posture straightens up.

“Liam?” I whisper shout, my shock evident in my voice because there is no one else who called me Miss Electricity in Iris Lake, and that punk who always chased after me and pulled my braids looked nothing like the man in front of me now.

“Flesh and blood.” Liam grins and I brace the palms of my hands on the table, getting up to give him a huge hug when I freeze.

I can’t. I can’t do that. I can’t get up like I used to. How could I forget that?

I sit my ass back down, shifting uncomfortably in the leather seat, my eyes downcast as I fight another wave of tears.

“So, you do know my awesome dude from the bar.” Exton’s easy voice is like a lifeline. One he keeps extending to me every single time just when I need it the most whether he’s aware of it or not. But I send him a grateful look, nonetheless.

“I guess I do.” I smile back but it’s one of those fake “Elle” ones that I reserve for the rest of the world and when my eyes catch onto Exton’s, they warn me he sees it. Sees right through me.

So, what?I want to yell.

I told you to stop.His seems to convey.

I’m not doing anything.

Yes, you are. You are pretending. Why?

I don’t particularly want to answer my imaginary conversation that felt way too real and turn my attention back to my childhood friend. Liam left for college right after high school and by the time he came back, I was long gone. “It’s good to see you, Liam. You’ve changed.”

“So did you,” he says and his face blanches. “I mean that you look beautiful, not that other thing…you know…I didn’t mean that,” he tries to correct himself, wildly gesturing around my wheelchair, but it seems to have the opposite effect—which is quite hilarious, if I’m gonna be honest. “And I didn’t mean that you didn’t look beautiful before. You were. Are. Oh, God, someone kill me now,” Liam groans, tipping his head back, and I giggle.

“Jesus Christ, do all the guys fall over themselves around you, little star?” Exton gives Liam a “what the fuck” kind of look and the poor guy groans some more.

“You’re supposed to be my friend,” Liam cries out to Axe, and I’m definitely giggling now.

“Do you have a crush on Electra?” Exton being the asshole he is taunts Liam some more and the poor guy turns beet red.

“I hate you. You’re no longer my favorite hockey player.”

“Yet you didn’t answer my question.” Suddenly, it’s a lot chillier in this booth and what I took as teasing before now sounds like…jealousy?

“Anywayyyy,” I draw out, shifting the tension away. “Did you decide what you’re having?

“No. There are too many options. Why don’t you guys have all the regular shitty bar food? What’s up with these upscale choices?” Exton’s stomach takes his mind off whatever weird mood he got in and I almost smile at that.

Such a guy.

“Well, the original owners actually wanted people to enjoy their food, not just stuff their bellies.” Now it’s my turn to shoot my childhood friend a grateful look.

“Do you want my recommendation again? Or go with beef wings like you did last time?”

Beef wings. I can practically taste the smoke in my mouth, remembering each and every spice as it danced around my palate the first time I tried them.

“Those were best fucking wings in the history of wings. Whoever created that idea, deserves the Noble Prize and my heart. But I want to try something else too, so throw it at me.”

“Well, the finger food sampler is extremely popular and so are the pizza samplers and loaded short rib nachos.”

“Okay, I’ll take that.”

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