Page 138 of Born of Ice

Oh, fuck…I’m such an idiot.

“Yes, yes, you are,” Electra answers my silent thoughts, reading me like her own book, and I sigh shakily, winding my arms around her as I drop my forehead to hers.

“Little star,” I breathe out shakily. “I’m so sorry. So fucking sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“How about next time you stop for long enough to hear me out, Exton. This is a partnership.” She sighs, motioning between us, and I catch her finger, kissing it. “At least, I want it to be one. I want us to be in this together and I thought we were. I thought you knew me better than anyone. You know my heart, my soul. You are a part of it. I don’t want to be anyone’s Juliette anymore. I want to be your everything.” There’s raw pain in her voice, and I want to punch myself for putting it there.

For ever causing her an ounce of distress. For ever making her doubt my feelings or the intensity of them.

“I’m sorry! I’m so fucking sorry, little star. You are my everything. You’re more than everything. Please tell me I didn’t fuck it all up too much! Please.”

I see the desire in her eyes to keep ripping me apart, to hand me my ass some more but instead, Electra falls into my arms, sighing with content as she fists my shirt, gripping it for dear life and breathing me in.

“I knew who I fell in love with, Exton. I knew you weren’t perfect, just like I’m not. I should’ve told you earlier what I’m planning to do but I was too scared to admit it to myself still and hid it. I’m sorry, that’s on me.”

My fingers lace into her hair, hands cupping the back of her head as I bring her face up from my chest.

“What’s the new plan, little star?”

“I’m going solo.” Her voice is barely a whisper, but those two icy eyes are shining with excitement and fear and happiness and anticipation. “I’m scared. So, so scared, but I’m also sure it’s the right way to go. Your mom did it. She was a single skater, and I think I’d like that too.”

“Oh, Electra.” I tuck her back into the crook of my neck, her arms winding around me in a tight embrace as we stand here, rocking from side to side. “I think that’s fucking amazing!” I kiss the top of her head.

“Yes, so you can shove that ticket to Colorado up your lunatic ass,” she mumbles into my chest as it shakes with silent laughter.

“So, you’re staying?”

Electra brings her head up. “I never left. That was just you being an idiot.”

“Yes, yes, that was, and I’ll spend months, years, making it up to you. I was just so afraid I was holding you back. That you felt like you couldn’t go do what you wanted because you needed to hold my angry hand so I wouldn’t snap.”

“Oh, baby, you don’t need me to hold your hand. I have no doubt you’ll be able to handle yourself on this ice even if I’m not here physically. Because I’ll always be here with you.” Electragently presses the pads of her fingers to my heart. “And here.” She moves them to my head.

Always…

“We are stronger together, Exton. We are made of one. We are born of the same ice.”

My breath hitches as my eyes fill with emotion. She’s right. We can only do this life together. As one. As a team. As two sides of one soul.

“Marry me, Electra Monroe.”

The next morning, she woke up as Electra Quinn, and I…as the luckiest man to ever live.

Epilogue

Olympics – Canada

Please welcome the finalcompetitor, representing United States, Electra Quinn.

“Well, it was just a year ago that we watched this remarkable young lady take what should have been a career ending fall on the ice from a triple twist lift during one of the programs she ran with her then partner, Erik Shishkov.”

“Yes, I think it’s safe to say none of us expected to see Elle back on the ice, let alone on a stage as such, and yet today is her debut as a single female performer.”

“Well, that and the new last name she’s wearing. I could not believe it when they told me Electra is now married to Helena’s son. I mean, talk about fate.”

“I don’t know about you, but I, for one, cannot wait to see her magic on this ice because from what little her team allowed us to see, this is not the Elle Monroe we remember. This is a whole new story and one that is bound to shake that winning pedestal this year.”

“Hmm, yes, I mean just look at her costume. This is not the romantic routine we are used to. She looks fierce and ready to slay this ice.”

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