Page 37 of Iced Out
“I don’t know why you came back.”
She looked away. There was too much between us—past feelings, hurt, and all the things left unsaid.
Through the tree line, the party swelled. A shout cut through the dull noise then laughter. The crinkle of a can crushed under someone’s shoe. Elise’s shrill voice again, weaving through the trees as if she was attempting to drive a wedge between us without even being here.
Mila sighed and took a step back toward the flicker of firelight. I followed without a word.
The path narrowed beneath our feet, pine needles crunching as we moved side by side. The glow of the bonfire grew stronger the closer we got, silhouettes sharpening from shadow to shape.
By the time we broke through the tree line, the sounds were clearer. Someone had turned the music louder. A group near the fire was arguing over a playlist. Elise’s laugh carried above it all.
And then she saw us. Tori and Nina were with her as usual. But not for long. Theo moved in. He didn’t say anything, just took Tori’s hand and pulled her away with a look that said this conversation was over and what came next didn’t require witnesses.
Nina smirked then eased closer to Chase. Elise ignored them as they disappeared into the woods. Her gaze locked on us before she took a step forward. But Chase and Jax moved into her path, casual on the surface, deliberate underneath. As if they hadn’t just made it very clear this moment was off-limits.
Elise’s mouth moved, full of venom. Jax just smirked and tipped his head, the picture of boredom. A grim smile tugged at my mouth, loving how they controlled the situation.
Mila noticed it too—her body eased just a fraction, finally able to breathe again.
“You done yelling at me?” I asked, voice lower now. Rougher.
She dragged her eyes back to mine. “Not even close.”
“Didn’t think so.” I grinned, loving how feisty she was, even if we weren’t anywhere close to a resolution.
She eased nearer to me, all fire and frustration wrapped in something heartbreakingly familiar. “You don’t get to pick and choose when you care, Luke. I mean it. You don’t get to label me an enemy, erase me, and then show up when it’s convenient.”
“I never erased you.”
“Not true. When I came back, you made it crystal clear. You erasedus.”
The air stuck in my chest, heavier than it should’ve been. Even though it was partially bullshit. But she didn’t want to bring the past into it? Fine. I wouldn’t—this time. I closed the distance between us until there was barely an inch.
“Maybe,” I admitted. “But don’t act like we can rewind. You want real? Then don’t show up half here and expect me to pretend that’s enough.”
Her breath caught.
I stepped in, drawn the way the tide reaches for the moon, close enough to feel her exhale on my skin. Her gaze flicked to my mouth then back to my eyes—raw, daring, conflicted. My hand brushed hers. Just a graze. Barely there. But it lit me up, a live wire—too hot, too close, too much. I leaned in more, not touching, just close enough that it felt like a decision.
Her breath hitched. So did mine. Her skin flushed, pupils blown wide, betraying how much she hated wanting this too. Her fingers twitched at her sides, caught between reaching for me or shoving me away. My lips hovered a breath from hers. One move. One second. And we’d tip over the edge.
But she didn’t close the gap. Neither did I. The air between us pulsed—thick, buzzing, almost cruel. My chest was too tight. My skin, too itchy beneath my shirt. I wanted her with a goddamn ache I couldn’t soothe.
Then she blinked, stepping back as though the ground between us was suddenly on fire. That almost burned more than the real thing ever could.
I kept going. “I don’t trust you,” I said again, slower this time, ready to drop a bomb so she was prepared for what was inevitable. “But I still want you. And I hate that more than everything else.”
She didn’t move. Neither did I. I could’ve touched her. Could’ve pulled her in and ruined both of us with a single kiss. But I didn’t. Because nothing about us was simple. We were still suffering from wounds we hadn’t even named yet.
The rustle of leaves behind us reminded me the world still turned, even when everything inside me had stopped.
“I should go.” Her voice lacked conviction.
I nodded. “I’ll walk you back to Avery.”
She shook her head. “I’m not scared of Logan.”
I gave her a small smile. “That’s not why I’m offering.”
