Page 55 of Accidentally Yours
“I don’t want to fall on my face.”
“I won’t let you.” He stood, balancing on his skates and offering his hand. She took it.
“Okay,” she said, her gaze tentative. “I’m trusting you. Don’t let me down, Cole.”
He wanted her trust. All of it. And when she stood, wobbly, Ethan grasped her tight, steadying her. They drifted toward the rink and stepped out cautiously—testing their footing like newborn colts.
“Okay, I think I got this,” Paige said after half a lap. She let go of his hand.
“You sure?” He didn’t want to let go of her, but Paige nodded and skated off on her own. She took a few shaky strides, arms pinwheeling for balance, before she caught herself on the half wall.
“Whoa. Okay.” She chuckled. “You arenotallowed to laugh if I fall.”
“Me? Laugh?” Ethan placed a hand to his chest, gliding into an easy stride across the rink. “I would never.”
She gave him a look, challenging him, then pushed off the wall. Wobbly. Determined.
He skated toward her. “Bend your knees, Moon.”
“I am!”
“Not enough,” he countered.
“You’re very bossy on skates.”
“Only because I don’t want you to face-plant.”
“I would prefer not to do that either,” she said, laughing as she managed a tight turn. “Okay, I think I got this . . ” She wobbled again, and he offered his hand. He felt lighter when she grabbed hold.
“You’re doing great,” he encouraged, meaning it.
Slowly, they found a rhythm—hand in hand. The rink lights dimmed, and the disco ball spun overhead, scattering silver flecks of light across the floor and on their faces. For a moment, Ethan let himself lean into the magic of it. Paige’s laughter. The nostalgic music. Her fingers curled around his. This was exactly what he’d hoped for. Maybe more. Why hadn’t he asked her on a real date sooner?
“I have to admit,” Paige said after another lap, “I think this might be the best date I’ve ever been on.”
“Best?” he asked, genuinely shocked. Maybe a little concerned. “What kind of dates have you been on?”
She shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of bad dates.”
He laughed, inching closer. “Well, I’m honored to be the best of the bad.”
“You’re the best of the good ones too,” she added, teasing—but there was something in her voice, something real, that hit him square in the chest.
They rounded the curve of the rink again just as Cyndi Lauper’sGirls Just Want to Have Funburst through the speakers. Paige squealed and picked up speed, bouncing and swaying in time with the music, her laughter lighting up the rink better than the disco ball.
Ethan matched her energy, pushing off faster and skating backward so he could watch her—really watch her.
Everything about her pulled him in. The easy way she laughed, the glow in her cheeks, the way she moved like she didn’t care who was watching. She had a kind of honest, unfiltered joy that tugged at something deep inside him, something he’d almost forgotten how to feel.
She made him feel good. Real. Like maybe, just maybe, he was allowed to want more.
“You know,” she said, skating up close, breathless from their skate-dance session. “You’re full of surprises.”
He arched a brow, still coasting backwards, wanting to grab hold of Paige and spin her into his arms. “Is that a good thing?”
She studied him, something soft and knowing in her gaze. “The guy I saw on TV? That wasn’t this guy.” She waved a hand up and down.
He held her gaze, the sincerity in her eyes cutting right through him. “I don’t showthis guyto many people.”
