Page 96 of Brittle Heart

Leo grabs Chiara’s hand and pulls her along, with Sophia giggling as she follows. Josh takes my hand to join them, and I look up at him, asking, “Boyfriend, huh?”

His dimples appear as he smiles down at me, and my stomach flutters.

“I thought that was pretty obvious,” he says.

“Well, no, I’ve never had a boyfriend, so I don’t know how all this works,” I admit as we reach a sort of bleacher where Sophia and Chiara sit, so I take a seat too.

Josh asks, “What’s your shoe size?” as he adjusts his beanie I’m wearing.

“Five and a half,” I say.

“You’re adorable,” he says, giving me a quick kiss on the lips before heading over to the entry stand with Leo, Clay, and Xander to pay and rent skates.

Chiara speaks up from beside me, “You could have told me you have a boyfriend now, Lina.”

“I would have if I had known.” I shrug, making Sophia laugh.

“Lina? That is cute. Can I call you that too?” she asks.

“Sure.” I smile at her.

The boys return from the rental station, and Josh hands Sophia her skates before coming over to me. He sets down his and my skates on the ground, then hands me a folded note and a pen. I give him a curious look, but he just smiles.

I unfold the note and read the words, “Will you be my girlfriend?” Below it are three checkboxes withYes,No,andMaybewritten above them.

My heart races as I look at him. He’s on one knee in front of me, and my eyes start tearing up. I always wanted someone to ask me like this when I was younger, but I was always left out. And now, this kind and wonderful man is giving me exactly what I’ve always longed for.

I take the pen and make an X underYes,look back at him, and he smiles brightly, leaning in to give me a gentle kiss. He whispers against my lips, “My Carolina.”

Josh stands, handing me my skates, and sits beside me to put on his. I try to get my feet into the skates, but it’s a bit challenging. “How hard do I have to pull them?” I ask, feeling unsure.

“Wait, let me help,” he offers, kneeling in front of me again. He binds my skates for me, and as he finishes, he lets his hand slide up from my calf to my thigh.

“Are they feeling okay? Do they hurt?” he asks.

“They’re perfect. Thank you,” I say.

“Why aren’t you that cute?” Chiara pouts at Leo.

“Come on, doll,” he says, pulling her to her feet and onto the ice rink.

“Please, never call me doll,” I whisper to Josh as he helps me stand.

“Never.” He vows, taking my hand and helping me over to the rink.

* * *

Josh

The first thing she does is almost fall on her perfect ass as her feet slip out from under her. I quickly grip her under her arms and pull her close, ensuring she stays steady until she stands straight again, and we both chuckle.

“Off to a great start,” she mutters.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper reassuringly.

“That looks much easier than it is,” she admits, sounding a bit embarrassed.

“That’s true, but don’t worry, we’ll have you gliding around here like a little ice princess in no time,” I tease.

---