Page 11 of Heart on Ice

I’m too exhausted to fight with her. “I’d rather be alone anyway.”

Kitty gasps. “I know, but you don’t have to be so mean about it.” She turns on her heel and storms toward our room to get ready. Frankston jumps up onto the sofa and takes Kitty’s spot. He paws me, asking me to wrap my arm around him before snuggling in beside me. At least I know he has my back.

3

ISABELLE

MONTHS LATER

Astrange text from Harper woke me up super early this morning.

Harper: SOS. Just landed in NYC see you soon.

This can’t be good. She’s supposed to be in Italy with Felix for Pierre’s wedding. As soon as the message comes through, I check her socials, then Felix’s, and as a last resort, I check Kitty and Pierre’s to see what is going on, but there doesn’t seem to be anything. Of course, there wouldn’t be, they’re probably in the middle of getting married. I heard they got a million dollars from some magazine to shoot their Italian wedding so I doubt they will post anything online to jeopardize that. I don’t know what’s going on, and my anxiety is in overdrive.

Heading into the kitchen, I grab a bottle of champagne from the fridge because if it’s bad news, like she’s broken up with Felix, she is going to want to drink her sorrows away no matter how early it is. Then I order a breakfast platter from the café next door. I don’t cook. I’m hopeless at it. They should probably revoke my Italian citizenship hearing that. I know my nonna isturning in her grave hearing I can’t cook. Look we can’t be good at everything all the time. I hear the front door open and rush out of the kitchen to greet Harper.

I still.

No.

This has to be a nightmare because there is no way in hell I am staring at Pierre St. Fucking Pierre in the entrance of my home, all six foot five inches of him. Harper wouldn’t do this to me. She wouldn’t bring this man into my home.

“Don’t freak out,” Harper says.

Don’t freak out? Oh, I’m most certainly freaking out.

“Nope. No. Get the hell out of my home,” I yell, pointing at the front door.

“Issy,” Felix pleads.

I shake my head. “No. I don’t care what the reason is, he needs to go.”

“Issy, give me a sec …” Harper says as she tries to advocate for this asshole, but I’m not interested.

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting married?” I stare at the man I swore I would never see again. The man who broke my naïve heart into a million pieces.The man that I can’t seem to let go of.

“Yeah, about that,” he answers awkwardly as he rubs the back of his neck. This was always his nervous tell growing up. My eyes narrow and that’s when I notice the disheveled dark hair as if he’s run his fingers through it all night, the dark circles under his eyes, the tie on his suit is loosened and pulled to the side haphazardly, his square jaw is covered in stubble, and those hazel eyes look haunted.

“Welcome to operation runaway groom,” Harper states, giving me jazz hands.

I stare at my best friend, the traitor. “Oh my god, you left Kitty at the altar. And you two helped him?” I’m dumbfounded.Who the hell does that to a woman? Who am I kidding, it’s fucking Pierre, of course he would do that. What I don’t get is Harper entertaining the illusions of this fuckboy. I get why Felix would help him as his brother but her, she’s my friend.

“It’s not what you think,” Harper argues.

“You have no idea what I’m thinking,” I tell her before glaring daggers at Pierre, those familiar hazel eyes quickly looking away from me. Good, I hope I make you pee your pants in fear.

“I can see it on your face,” Harper says.

Of all the people, she is the one who knows what this man did to me. The pain he caused, and now he’s doing that to someone else. I will not be a part of it. I’m not helping this man wreck another woman.

“Come on,let’s go to that party,” Harper pushes.

“I’m tired.” I groan.

“We are going, come on. You don’t want to leave Pierre with all these puck bunnies prancing around,” she warns me.

“I trust him.” I glare at her. I know Harper doesn’t, but I’ve been with Pierre for years now. We love each other, we are planning a future together, he wouldn’t jeopardize that.

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