Page 97 of Break my Heart

And I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

The thought makes my stomach churn, and it’s enough to have me picking up my pace. By the time I burst through the door into the arena, my heart is pounding against my ribcage. Relief floods me when I catch sight of Ava gliding across the ice, seemingly unaware of what happened. Once she spots me, she skates over. Her cheeks are flushed from exertion as a small smile tugs at her lips.

“Where’d you disappear to?” she asks, planting her hands on her hips.

“Had to use the john,” I lie, trying to keep my tone casual. “Are you ready to head out?”

The arena has always been a safe space for me, but that’s not how it feels at the moment. I just want to get her out of here.

“Yup.”

“Good. Let’s get moving.”

She raises a brow. “Hmmm… Who’s the bossy one now?”

Despite my lingering unease, her teasing tone melts the tension coiled tight inside me. I can’t help the smirk that tugs at my lips. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, Tink,” I murmur, stepping closer. “It’s definitely a promise.”

Her laughter echoes through the empty arena as she reaches out and tugs on my hoodie, pulling me toward the bench where she’s left her skate guards and duffel. The easy banter between us feels natural, like we’ve known each other far longer than just a few weeks.

The sense of protectiveness I feel toward her settles deep in my chest as she packs up her bag. I debate whether to tell her what I saw before nixing the idea and deciding to keep what happened to myself. At least for the time being. For all I know, it was nothing. A weird coincidence. She’s got enough on her plate without worrying about some random creep.

But I’ll be more vigilant from here on out.

I’m not about to let anything happen to my girl.

Once we’re out of the arena and walking toward the parking lot, Ava glances at me, her expression softening.

“Thanks for coming with me.”

“Anytime.” I slide my hand into hers and give it a gentle squeeze. “I enjoy watching you skate. You’re so damn talented.”

Her eyes sparkle in the early morning light. “I think you might be biased.”

“Nope. Not at all.”

As we reach my truck, I realize that I don’t just like being around Ava.

I need it.

I need her.

31

Ava

I tap on the frosted glass of Dad’s office door before pushing it open. The familiar sound of game film plays in the background. Dad sits in his chair, eyes glued to the screen as he studies the plays. The moment he sees me, he clicks off the video and turns with a smile.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he says, glancing at his watch. “I didn’t think you’d be here for another twenty minutes.”

“The professor let us out early.” I drop my backpack to the floor and settle on the seat across from him. “So I came straight over.”

“Good to know I’m getting my money’s worth for your education.”

I smirk. “Thanks to your position at Western, I’m getting a free ride, so you really can’t complain.”

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