Page 58 of Back On Ice

“I agree, but only if you never use the phrase ‘blue balls’ in a serious sentence ever again.”

He chuckles and kisses me again. “Deal.”

The ring of Carter’s phone wakes me up. “Carter. Alarm.” I grumble from beneath the blankets. When it keeps going off, I raise my head.

Why isn’t he turning it off?

I look around, but he’s not in bed. Then I hear the shower running.

Sighing, I crawl to his side of the bed to turn off the alarm, but at the sight of the screen, my blood runs cold.

The screen is filled with countless messages, all from a contact named “Nicole”.

I’ve been stupid.

So, so stupid.

Bile rises in my throat as I scroll through them.

Nicole: I miss you baby

Nicole: Can’t wait to see you

Nicole: I need to feel your hands on me

Nicole: I’ll be there to see you soon

A selfie comes through of a model-thin blonde seductively biting her lip. I had thought it couldn’t get any worse, but I was wrong.

I’m going to be sick, right here in this hotel bed. My vision swims. It’s the same girl. The girl who was photographed kissing him right after he left.

He… he told me he didn’t know what was happening when those pictures were taken. Had it all been a lie? Could it be that he’s hadherthis whole time?

Betrayal turns in my gut. Why would he do this to me? Make me some kind of side piece while he has someone else waiting for him? Make me fall in love with him all over again, when he hasn’t meant a single word he’s said?

I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I fell for it.

I need to leave. I can’t be here one more second.

Not able to get my clothes on quick enough, I rip my shirt over my head and nearly trip and faceplant when I pull pants on, but luckily he’s still in the shower when I slam the door behind me, marching out of Carter’s life before he can take off from mine, yet again.

Chapter Twenty Four

CARTER

“Hey, Soph?”I call out, leaving the bathroom with a towel around my waist. “Have you seen my…” The room is empty.

“Sophie?” The sheets in the bed are tossed around, and Sophie’s stuff is nowhere to be seen. Worry fills my chest. It’s not like her to just take off without a word, but maybe she sent me a message.

My phone goes off on my nightstand, and relief fills me. That’s probably her, telling me that there’s an emergency at the flower shop or something. But when I pick it up , rage fills me.

Damnit, damnit, damnit!

My phone is filled with messages, but they aren’t from Sophie.

Fucking Nicole.

The most recent one is front and center.

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