Page 3 of Devil on Skates
“Hell yeah.” He grins, bumps his cup with mine, and goes back to flirting.
I move on. Every room in this house offers some version of escape. And for once, I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to be anything or anyone that I don’t feel like being.
Eventually, I end up back in the main room. The dancing’s wilder now, and everyone seems to be in their own little world.
And then I seeher.
She’s off to the side, leaning against the wall and watching everything like she’s not really here.
Long dark brown hair. Dark eyes. Shimmery black-and-silver lace dress that reveals her curves and her legs. Impossibly hot.
But it’s not just that. There’s something in her expression, as if she’s somewhere else. Not bored, more like... detached. Sad, maybe. I know that look because I sometimes have it too.
She sips from her cup, her eyes scanning the room. Her eyes meet mine, and she holds my gaze.
Something passes between us, as if we see each other. As if wegetit.
Then she gives me the smallest smile that’s barely there and looks away.
I’m frozen on the spot. I don’t believe in fairy tale moments or whatever, but... this just did something to me.
I want to know her. I want to know why she looks the way I feel, and I want her to look at me like that again.
And I always go after what I want.
I put my drink down, take a breath, and start moving toward her. The crowd shifts around me, people stepping aside as if they don’t even realize they’re doing it.
Everything else fades away.
She’s still not looking at me, but I have a plan.
A smile spreads across my lips.
Mine.
Chapter 2
IRINA
I SHOULDN’T BE HERE. That thought keeps looping in my head while I shift and lean against the wall again, watching everyone around me dance like they’ve got zero responsibilities and worries. The lights keep flashing, the music blares with some annoying pop song, and people are just... happy.
They’re laughing, dancing, and definitely not thinking about tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’m counting down the hours I’ve got left before my life changes forever.
My dad’s voice still echoes in my head.
Noel Costello’s son is a perfect match. His family owns the Stonebrook Shadows and half the investment firms in the state. This benefits everyone.
Translation: it benefitshim.
I’ve seen the photos of Keith Costello. His polite smile, too-perfect brown hair, warm hazel eyes, and an expensive watch on his wrist. His family is basically hockey royalty, and he seems like the kind of guy who’s been born knowing how to network, shake hands, and make deals. And he’s exactly the kind of person a girl like me is supposed to end up with after making one too many expensive mistakes.
I take a sip from my cup and wince. Maybe I should’ve put some alcohol in my juice, but I just don’t feel like it. I guess I really want to suffer tonight.
Not too long ago, I crashed my car while trying to avoid a deer. I totaled it, sprained my wrist, bruised my ego, and handed my dad another excuse to remind me of how much Iowehim. He replaced the car without blinking, and then immediatelyadded it to my invisible tab. Same with tuition. Same with everything.
I close my eyes, letting the music fill the space in my head where my dad’s annoyed voice usually lives. Tonight’s my last night of freedom. One more night where I get to choose something for myself before I officially become a pawn in one of my dad’s business deals or whatever it is.
People keep bumping into me, and I feel completely out of place. But at the same time, it’s like I somehow belong here more than I do anywhere else. Everyone’s just doing whatever they want, whether it’s drinking too much, making out in corners, or dancing like no one’s watching. No one here knows who I am and no one cares.
