Page 16 of Ice Block

“I started worrying about her safety,” I finally admit. “I wanted to protect her, which is ridiculous. Her neighborhood is one of the safest in Milwaukee.” Shaking my head, I bury the panic thrumming through me. “I came back from the bathroom and found her sound asleep. She looked so peaceful. I couldn’t help but think of the what-ifs. What if I let her in? What if something bad happened to her like…” I swallow hard, choking out the next words. “Like what happened to my mother. Then my chest got tight. So tight I could hardly breathe. I freaked out, so I left.”

Hayes looks at me with pity in his eyes. “I know you struggle with what happened to your mom. But shutting other people out? Living alone? Never dating anyone because you’re scared of what happened to her? Do you think that’s what she’d want for you?”

“I don’t need your pity.”Fuck his goddamn advice.“I couldn’t protect her. I can’t let myself get attached to someone else I can’t care for.”

“You wereseven, Vladi. You can’t let that hang over you for the rest of your life,” he says, his voice low with concern. “You’ve had some bad shit happen, but…what if letting Maggie in leads to something good?”

I roll my eyes, a growl rumbling through my chest.And now he says this shit.I had hoped we could all move on. That I wouldn’t have to confront what I did. How I hurt her. But now that heknows, I can’t pretend anymore. I can’t hide the tightness in my chest that still lingers.

“Larsy, I swear I didn’t mean to leave her with no goodbye. I wasn’t trying to hurt her. It was my fault. I don’t want her to hate me.”

“You’re going to have to do some major groveling to get Maggie James back on your good side. She ispissed.” Hayes opens the door to leave, “You know she doesn’t put up with any shit. And right now, Vladi, you are the shit.”

I drop my gaze to the floor shaking my head. In the few interactions since that night, I sensed she was upset with me. In her glare, her snark, the way she gritted teeth through a smile every time she talked to me.I’ve clearly underestimated her anger. Cracking my knuckles, I hear the door close behind him.This is going to be one hell of an uphill battle.

“Fuck.”

12

vladi

“Passenger James, please check in with the gate agent. Passenger James to the gate agent.”

The announcement keeps repeating over and over as I wait in line with my boarding pass pulled up and ready to be scanned in.Some motherfucker named James apparently can’t get his ass to the airport on time.I arrived the required two hours early. I like to get to the gate, find my seat, and relax before takeoff. I was even in the first-class lounge for a while but still made my way to the gate thirty minutes prior to our scheduled boarding.What are people doing that they can’t be here at the correct time?

Larsy chartered a private plane for most of the wedding guests yesterday, but I had a sponsor photoshoot and my agent would have killed me if I missed it. Larsy was kind enough to book me a commercial flight this morning.Hopefully I missed a boring activity or two from this wedding weekend of humid festivities.

“Boarding pass, sir?” the gate agent asks as I hold my phone out for her to scan. “Thank you, and welcome aboard. Enjoy yourflight.” I nod, heading down the jetway and finding my first class aisle seat, settling in as the rest of the passengers shuffle by.

“Passenger James, if you’re on the flight, please ring your call button,” the flight attendant announces over the onboard speaker.Who the hell misses a flight to a tropical destination? On second thought, maybe James has the right idea avoiding the ninety-degree weather.I reach down to grab my headphones out of my bag when I hear an achingly familiar voice yelling, faintly at first then louder as it comes down the jetway, “Here!!!! Wait! Wait! I’m here! Don’t close the door. I’m here!!!” she shouts as she barrels onto the plane with a gasp of triumph. “Made it!”

Staring at the out of breath woman as she drags her carry-on behind her, I fidget against the pressure in my chest. She’s carrying a ridiculously large purse that barely stays on her shoulder and wearing a giant, floppy beach hat that hides most of her face. It dawns on me that the James they have been annoyingly paging was not a James or Jim or Jimmy.

It was Maggie James.

My brows raise and my pulse jumps. I crack my knuckles as the woman I’ve been dreaming about every night walks toward me.

“Glad you made it, Ms. James,” the flight attendant welcomes her. “You’re in 2A. Please take your seat as quickly as possible so we can take off.”

“Sure, no prob—ohhellno,” she scoffs, her eyes wide and nostrils flaring in anger when she sees I’m seated in seat 2B. “I’m not sitting with…with…him.”

“Is there a problem, ma’am?” the flight attendant asks, looking back to the flight crew waiting to close the door.

“Um, yeah.Bigproblem. I need to switch seats. I can’t sit here.”

Larsy failed to mentionshewas going to be on this flight as well.I guess that’s what I get for letting him make all the travel arrangements.I can’t take my eyes off her, the familiar panic bubbling within me.He could have given me a heads up, but this is typical Hayes Larson sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. Only this time it’s a slightly welcome annoyance. Her body screams fury, but her eyes drown in fear. Apparently, she didn’t get the memo either.

I furrow my eyebrows. “Come on, Maggie. Sit down.”

“No. Hell fucking no.”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but the flight is completely full. And we’re running behind, so we need to get you in your seat for takeoff.”

Maggie’s eyes fill with rage as she stares at me, then back at the flight attendant before taking inventory of the other passengers looking at the scene she’s caused. “Fine,” she snaps, tossing her giant bag into her window seat and struggling to place her roller bag in the overhead compartment. She’s barely able to lift it, so the flight attendant has to help her get it stowed. Maggie now stands in the aisle, glaring at me with her brows narrowed like I’m supposed to be doing something.

I suck my teeth, fighting to keep my face neutral. “What?”

“Are you going to get up so I can get in my seat? Or am I supposed to climb over your damn tree trunk legs?”

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