Page 24 of Back On Ice

Obviously, I broke up with her all those years ago. I had to. My dad… I had to keep her safe. The only way I could do that was to make my dad think I wasn’t interested anymore.

This anger that I’m seeing in her though, it’s more than that. Doesn’t she understand I did what I had to do forher?

Fuck. Shedoesn’trealize that.

I told her Dad dragged me away that day, but I never told her why Istayedaway. I hadn’t wanted her to know just how bad things got with him. How much he controlled me. Scared me. He used the threat of her parent’s livelihood—the shop—like a knife in the side, forcing me to stay in line. He was powerful in town, he had the means to get them closed down. More than that, he threatenedher.

Tom knew. I had to tell him after the accident. He had to know why I never showed up. We both knew that Sophie finding out what my dad was capable of was not safe for her back then. She would try some way to go against him, and lose. Instead, the secrets just piled up… and I almost forgot just how badly.

From her point of view, I’m an asshole who just up and left the second bigger and better things came along.

When I came to town, I didn’t think it would be easy for things to just go back to the way they were, but I never anticipated it would be this difficult either. It’s not that way for her. Not when there’s so many unresolved issues and unanswered questions.

There’s only one thing to do. I need to tell her everything. Every threat, every extortion, every reason. And maybe, just maybe, I might stand a chance to win her back at the end of it.

Chapter Eleven

SOPHIE

Gettinginto the car in the parking lot of the diner, my hands still shake from the adrenaline of my confrontation with Carter. I type out a text to Abbie.

Me: SOS. Carter drama. Come for lunch?

Hitting send, I watch as the message is marked “delivered”, then make the drive back to the flower shop. I’m fuming, and I need someone to vent to.

The nerve of him.

Showing up tomyweekly breakfast with Tom and Jordan, and telling Jordan he might still end up being his uncle? What the hell is that about?

Can he honestly think that’s still a possibility? After he ghosted me?Leftme?Cheatedon me?

Does he believe one earth-shattering, time-stopping, panty-melting kiss is enough to erase all the damage he’s done?

Yet when I left, the look on his face was one of genuine confusion. I’ve known him almost all our lives, I can tell when an expression is genuine.

When I park at the shop, I’m all out of sorts. Irritated by my conversation with Carter but feeling a seed of doubt about what happened so long ago, I slam my car door harder than I mean to.

My voice is unintentionally harsh when I walk in and see Kerry tending to some arrangements. “Any customers?”

She shakes her head, her brow furrowed. “Only one. Are you okay Sophie? You seem… on edge.”

Sighing, I walk to the register and toss my bag under the counter. “I’m fine, just some personal stuff going on.”

She gives me a small, understanding smile. “Okay, well if you if you need anything?—”

Her words are cut off by the sharp ring of a bell, closely followed by the bang of the door as it hits the wall behind it.

Kerry jumps in surprise, and I only roll my eyes at the figure in the doorway.

“You’re over an hour early, Abbs.”

“Sophie Hartwell. You cannot send me an SOS text about Carter and expect me to wait until lunch. Plus, I didn’t have any patients scheduled anyway.”

“Kerry, we’re going to go into the back.” I peer around Abbie, who is looking at me with an impatient expression. Her brown hair is in two short French braids, her blue scrubs making her honey-brown eyes pop.

Kerry waves me off from her space near the arrangements. “I’ve got it.”

When we reach the back, I flop into the seat at the desk that holds the office computer, and Abbie stands across from me, leaning against the table where we work on our flower arrangements.

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