Page 66 of Fractured Faceoff

“Isla,” Ava began, folding her arms tighter against her chest. “You’re not seriously telling me you jumped into something with him right away? You barely got out of that relationship!”

“It wasn’t planned!” Isla shot back, frustration spilling into her tone. “One thing led to another, and we’re being honest about it.”

Ava’s expression twisted as if she’d bitten into something sour. “Honest? What does that even mean? You both just decided to make it official without thinking?”

“It means,” I interjected softly but firmly, meeting Ava’s incredulous gaze head-on, “that we both see something worth exploring here.”

“Exploring?” Ava echoed, disbelief dancing on her features. She glanced at Isla again, searching for confirmation. "You?"

Isla held firm, locking eyes with her sister. “Ava, I know it sounds crazy. But you don’t understand how suffocating everything felt with Brody—always trying to fit into this mold of who I was supposed to be.”

“But you’ve been with Brody forever!” Ava said sharply. “And now you’re dating the guy who…” She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

“I'm not tied to anyone or anything,” I pointed out. "I've known Isla a long time. Things just… happened."

Ava blinked slowly as if processing the weight of our entangled lives. Her eyes flickered between us again—still struggling to believe what was happening right in front of her.

I held onto Isla tighter and felt the tension drain fromher body just a bit under my touch. She needed that reassurance now more than ever.

Kash leaned back against the railing, folding his arms with a thoughtful expression as he kept an eye on the burgers. “Look, Ava,” he said, glancing between us. “You can’t deny there’s something real happening here. Jared and Isla make sense together. I'm happy for them. You should be too."

Ava huffed, her disbelief thickening the air. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” he shot back, raising an eyebrow. “You really think Jared’s going to break Isla’s heart?”

“She’s been through enough already!” Ava argued, her voice rising slightly. “He's… he's an NHL player. This is a rebound for him!”

Isla shifted beside me, her brow furrowing in concern. “What does that even mean?” she asked, her tone sharper than I’d ever heard it. "A rebound from what?"

Ava glanced at her sister, frustration flickering across her features. “It means you could get hurt again! And I don’t want to see that happen.”

I could feel my heart race as Isla took a step forward, the heat of the moment igniting something deep inside me.

“Jared is not just some player,” she insisted, fire lighting up her eyes. “He’s amazing—kind and loyal in ways you wouldn’t understand unless you really took the time to see him.”

Ava opened her mouth to retort but paused as Isla continued.

“I mean it,” she said firmly. “He’s always been there when I needed someone to talk to—when everything went downhill with Brody, Jared was right by my side.” Her voice softened as she looked at me,warmth blooming in my chest like a slow burn. “Everyone else lost out on who he truly is because they never bothered to look past the surface. They just assumed he was an NHL player or some dumb hick."

The air around us felt charged with energy as I caught her gaze—her sincerity wrapped around me like a warm blanket.

“And what about the way he treats people? The way he stands up for his teammates?” She turned back to Ava, determination etched on her face. “You think just because he plays hockey that he doesn’t care? He does care—he cares about me.”

Before I realized what I was doing, I pulled Isla in close and pressed my lips against hers. The kiss felt electric; it ignited everything within me—the warmth spreading through my chest deepened into something more than just desire or affection.

Isla melted against me as if all the worries of our tangled lives faded into nothingness for those brief moments. It felt right—so damn right—that nothing else mattered except for us standing there together amidst all the chaos unfolding around us.

“See?” Kash said, putting cheese on the patties. “I highly doubt Isla would let that happen if they were lying to us.”

Ava clenched her teeth together, her expression stormy. “I need to grab the buns,” she muttered before storming off toward the kitchen.

I watched her go, a smirk creeping onto my face. This wasn’t exactly how I’d imagined our little barbecue gathering would go, but it had turned into a show of fireworks. Ava’s disbelief fueled me; I could feelthe spark in Isla beside me.

Kash focused on Isla, brow furrowed. “You’ll tell me if my brother hurts you, won’t you? I’ll make sure to kick his ass.”

“That’s not something you’re going to have to worry about, baby brother.” I looked at Isla, letting a grin spread across my face. “I know what I’ve got with my girl. I’m a lot of things, but I ain’t stupid.”

He handed over two cheeseburgers piled high with toppings and cheese. “Here. Go enjoy yourself.” He nodded toward Ava’s retreating figure. “Enjoy Ava too. She’s been acting strange all week.”

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