Page 43 of Cold As Ice
“Oh, come on. It was pretty funny.”
She began tucking into the pancakes, taking minute bites at first.
“Good?” I asked.
“So good, thank you.” She cleared the plate, and I offered her a small nod.
“You going to be okay if I head out?”
“I’ll be fine. Thanks for brunch.”
I nodded again, heading for the door, but her voice stopped me dead.
“Austin?”
“Yeah?” I glanced back.
“You deserve to be happy, you know.”
Her words cut deep, but I ignored the sting and strolled out of there as if nothing happened.
* * *
Hitching my bag over my shoulder, I grabbed my water bottle and headed out of the gym.
It had been unsurprisingly quiet; most of its regular clientele was home for winter break. So I’d enjoyed having the free weights to myself.
My cell phone vibrated, and I dug it out of my pocket, smirking when I saw Madison’s name.
Madison: How’s your day?
Austin: Just finished at the gym. Do you like to work out?
Madison: I don’t go to the gym and train or anything, but I try to eat healthily and get my steps in.
Austin: It shows.
Madison: Austin Hart… was that a compliment?
Running a hand through my damp hair, I chuckled to myself as I flagged down the approaching bus. I boarded and found a seat, finding another text from Madison.
Madison: So I’ve been thinking... Maybe soon we can get together.
Austin: Yeah, maybe.
Madison: What are you doing with the rest of your day?
Austin: Just on my way to meet a teammate for a drink.
Madison: In that case, I’ll leave you to it. Chat soon hopefully.
Austin: Definitely.
I hopped off the bus and hit the sidewalk, following Ward’s directions to the bar.
“Watch it, Misters,” a stern little voice said as I turned the corner and almost tripped over a child.
I looked down to find a little girl glowering up at me. “My bad.”
