Page 31 of Ice Melts

Sarah shifted slightly, propping her chin on his chest to look up at him. Her eyes glinted with something playful, but also… something deeper. “Okay,” she whispered, her voice soft but steady, “let’s play a game.”

Travis chuckled, brushing a stray hair from her face. “Another game? You know I’ve got a competitive streak, right?”

She rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching. “Not that kind of game. It’s calledTell Me Something I Don’t Know.”

Travis raised an eyebrow. “You already know everything.”

“Do I?” she asked, her tone light, but there was a challenge in her eyes. A challenge he couldn’t resist.

“Alright,” he murmured, tucking her closer. “You start.”

Sarah bit her lip, thinking for a moment. “Okay… when we were fourteen, I pretended to be annoyed with hockey, but I actually used to watch your games when you didn’t know. I’d sneak into the rink with Tatum and sit way at the back so no one would see me.”

Travis blinked, his heart giving a little unexpected lurch. “You’re kidding.”

She shook her head, grinning. “Nope. I had this whole persona to keep up, you know. ‘Sarah Cooper, the girl who’s too cool for hockey, figure skating all the way.’ But I watched every game you played that year.”

Travis chuckled, but there was a softness in his chest now, knowing she’d been there all along. “I think I would’ve played better if I knew you were watching.”

She snorted. “Please, you were already obnoxiously good.”

His hand traced slow circles on her back. “Alright, my turn.Something you don’t know…”He paused, then smirked. “When we were sixteen, and we were skating out here on the lake, you fell into the snow because I made that dumb joke about penguins…”

Sarah groaned, covering her face. “I remember.”

“I fell next to you remember? … And I wasthis closeto kissing you,” Travis finished, his voice dropping.

Her hand lowered slowly, her eyes wide. “What?”

He smiled, his heart pounding. “Yeah. I wanted to. But I didn’t.”

Sarah stared at him, and for a second, the air between them felt thick, heavy with what could’ve been.

“Why didn’t you?” she whispered.

Travis sighed, his thumb brushing over her cheek. “Because I thought you’d laugh in my face. You were always so cool, so… untouchable. I figured, why ruin a good thing?”

Sarah’s gaze softened. “Travis… I wouldn’t have laughed.”

He felt his heart twist at that, the realization of how many years they’d wasted, too afraid to take the leap.

But there was no fear now. Only this moment.

She swallowed, resting her hand on his chest where his heart thudded beneath. “Your turn again.”

He thought for a second, then grinned. “I’m still scared of the dark.”

Sarah laughed, the sound warm and familiar. “No way.”

“Swear,” he said, chuckling. “Remember that time the power went out during the storm, and I claimed I was just checking on Tatum?”

Her mouth dropped open. “That’swhy you barged into my room with that baseball bat?”

He nodded, laughing. “Yep. Wasn’t trying to be the hero. Just a coward looking for backup.”

Sarah shook her head, grinning. “Gosh, I thought you were so brave.”

Travis sobered slightly, his fingers tightening around her waist. “I’m not always brave, Sarah. Especially when it comes to you.”

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