Page 36 of On Thin Ice


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Oh, spill. I love gossip.

Lukas

No gossip. Nothing to tell.

Tyler

Does something stink?

Joshua

Yeah, Lukas’s bullshit.

Chase

[sends pic of Aimee]

Micha

WAIT

THAT’S THE GIRL

THE ONE YOU’VE BEEN PINING OVER FOR YEARS

You have all those posters

Lukas

Firstly, they’re Zara’s you fucker

Secondly, stfu

Chase

Oh snap, our boiz got it bad.

Lukas

I hate all of you so much.

Joshua

but we love you

My chest heaved in agitation as breaths sawed in and out of me. I watched as little snow balls rolled down the slope a couple feet. I just wanted…hell I didn’t know what I wanted. I ran my hand over my face.

I wanted Aimee.

I wanted to be there for her, to be a safe place for her to land.

I wanted to have that chance, to prove that I wasn’t a terrible first impression.

I’d seen what happened that day, the tragedy of it all, and the online aftermath. I’d seen more that day than probably anyone else and my desire of wanting to comfort her, didn’t fully know how to handle that fact.

I thought thatmaybe, progress could be made. And then, the confrontation three days ago happened and now I wasn’t convinced. Running into her—literally the last thing I ever expected. Seeing her standing on that ice, the air had been knocked from my lungs. Because yeah, I’d seen what happened that day. I’d seen and heard her pain, I watched her struggle, and fight…and I watched it all drain away. I watched her bodygo slack, and I think at that moment, I didn’t expect to see her again.

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to find my calm. My phone was still buzzing in my hand—probably the guys just riffing, but I would respond to them later. I wasn’t even sure if it was anger, or just all the emotions all at once. I shook out my arms trying to release the tension that had crept into my shoulders and back.