Page 83 of Heart on Ice

Oh. Wow. Wasn’t expecting that. I reach out and start wiping away her tears. “I feel the same. I miss you, Issy. My life doesn’t feel the same without you in it.”

“I want to give you a chance, Saint.” I love it when she uses my nickname. “But my heart won’t let me,” she says with a shrug. “I don’t know what to do. I’m very confused. I thought drinking that wine would help me make sense of all this,” she says, swirling her hands around her head, “but nothing makes sense anymore.” I can see the war that is going on inside her regarding her feelings toward me, and I hate that loving me comes with such conflict. “I know you’re going to find someone else one day. Someone who can love you like I can’t. You deserveto be loved, Saint. I want you to be happy. I’m not sure if it’s with me.” Oh. “I’m tired.” Issy moans as she lies down in bed. I pull the covers back and tuck her in, and she snuggles into the duvet. I press a kiss to her temple.

“I’ll wait,” I reassure her.

Issy reaches out stilling me, her eyes are still closed so I’m not sure if she is asleep or not. “I don’t deserve it.” And with that she passes out.

I didn’t sleepat all last night. After putting Issy to bed, my mind kept running over the very drunk conversation we had. In one breathe she told me she loves me and in the next she said we can’t be together because she couldn’t love me. It’s giving me whiplash just like today has with her. She ignored me all day, I’m not sure if she is embarrassed or not.

“How did things go last night?” Sam asks, catching me out by the pool, throwing the ball to Frankston.

“Not great. She’s ignored me all day.”

“Did something happen?” he asks.

“Just drunken words,” I tell him.

“Seems like those drunken words may have stung,” he asks, sitting back on his sun lounger.

“She kept saying last night that I wouldn’t stay in the box. That now she’s opened the box she doesn’t know what to do. What the hell does that mean?” I ask him.

“I’m no expert, but sounds like in her mind she put you in a box. Probably a do not touch box, it was how she was able to avoid you all these years.” That makes sense. “But you’re back in her life now, she opened the box, and now she’s fallen for youagain she can’t stick you back on the do not touch shelf in her mind and she doesn’t know what to do with you.”

“She did confess last night that she has feelings for me. But she doesn’t think she’s the right person for me,” I explain.

“See. You’re off the shelf and she is pushing you away because she is so scared of getting hurt again,” Sam says.

“I would never hurt her again.”

“You know that. I know that. Deep down she knows that. Fear does crazy things to people. If Issy told you today that she's all in, what would you do?”

“Jump the next flight to Vegas and lock her down.”

Sam bursts out laughing. “The thing is you would. Look, Issy is here,” Sam says, holding his hand at his chest. “And you are here.” He moves his hand over his head. “You’re going to have to meet in the middle,” he says, moving his hands to the middle, “if you want things to work out.” He’s not wrong. “Issy is in her head. Women tend to overthink things and come up with a million and one scenarios in their minds. Their brains are scary places. She’s going to need to work through some steps to be on the same page and they may not be in a logical order either.”

“Are you telling me I’m just going to have to go with the flow.”

“Yes. Which might be a new concept to you, but if you want the girl you’re going to have to wait. Remember Nate. He is not a patient man in anything else other than Camryn. If he wants something he goes out and gets it. That situation with that attitude wouldn’t work and would push her away. Look, he was miserable but you’re about to head into training camp you can be miserable there. Give her the time.”

“We’re talking about Issy though. I gave her time last time and she took fifteen years.”

“You make a solid point there. Well, I don’t know then. You’re screwed.” He chuckles.

Gee thanks for the chat, man.

27

ISABELLE

Miss Alessi,

This arrived for you.

Rosa.

Opening the bag, I peer inside and it’s a foil box. I’m so confused but there is a note on top of it.

Issy,

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