“Hit me.”
“What do you call an elf who sings?” I asked.
He gave me a skeptical look. “I don’t know. What?”
“A wrapper.”
There was a beat of silence before he groaned, his eyes crinkling as he laughed. “That’s terrible.”
“I know,” I said proudly. “And I’ve got plenty more where that came from.”
And I’d keep them coming if I could keep him smiling and laughing like that.
He looked at me with a wry grin. “I think that joke was enough to last me for the rest of the day.”
“Suit yourself,” I sing-songed.
I was ridiculously happy in that moment. Just the two of us, skating on an outdoor rink at the most beautiful resort. And if that wasn’t perfect enough, I was with a guy who seemed to like me forme. He watched me with an amused fascination I hadn’t experienced with anyone else before. And him noticing the new scarf I’d bought yesterday, just to add some color to the drab wardrobe I’d packed and to feel more like myself again, meant more than he probably realized.
“Isabelle!”
I turned at the sound of my name being called across the rink.
Alex stood on the other side of the wall, waving. I should’ve been excited to see him. I should’ve felt relief that he’d finally made it back. But instead, disappointment washed over me like ice water.
It was more than enough evidence of what I already knew—I needed to break up with him.
Holden and I skated over, and even then, Alex barely looked up. He was already pulling out his phone, thumbs flying as he fired off a text or email. Like disappearing for almost two full days wasn’t enough.
“Thanks for keeping her company while I was gone, Prescott,” he said, giving Holden a tight smile. “But I can take it from here.”
Holden only nodded in response, jaw tight.
Alex finally looked at me, and I watched his expression shift as he took in my appearance. Seconds ago, I had been feeling confident in my skin, almost glowing from the laughter and connection between Holden and me. But as Alex’s eyes raked over me, that confidence slipped away, piece by piece.
He reached out and fingered my scarf, just like Holden had, but where Holden’s touch had been admiring, Alex’s was full of disdain.
“What is this?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “Were they handing out free scarves or something? Trying to get rid of them?”
My cheeks burned. Embarrassment flooded me, hot and immediate, especially with Holden still standing right there.
But before I could say anything, Alex waved a dismissive hand. “You know what? Doesn’t matter,” he said. “We both could use some freshening up. I’ve been on a plane all day and would kill for a shower.” He checked his watch, barely pausing. “And you’ve got plenty of time to do something with your hair, finish your makeup, and get presentable for dinner tonight.”
I saw Holden shift beside me, his jaw going even tighter, eyes narrowing on Alex like he was seconds away from saying something. Possibly even doing something. Iwouldn’t put it past Holden to throw a punch. There was no love lost between them.
And for a moment, I wanted to let him, wanted someone to stand up for me, stand up for the part of me that had been shrinking ever since Alex showed up.
But I couldn’t let that happen. Holden was here for a charity event, and I didn’t want him getting any bad press.
I reached out and gently touched Holden’s arm, just enough to stop him.
“Thank you,” I said softly, my eyes holding his. “For spending the last couple days with me. You didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did.”
Something flickered in his expression, something I couldn’t quite name. But he gave me a small nod, the tension in his shoulders slowly easing.
I turned before I lost my nerve, skating away toward the exit to return my skates and head back inside with Alex even though everything in me wanted to stay.
Alex didn’t waste a second telling me in excruciating detail about how his meetings had gone, and I couldn’t find it in me to even pretend like I was listening. I feigned that I was tired and was going to take a nap just so I could get away from him. But instead of sleeping, I googled “how to break up with your boyfriend while on a trip with him.” I had found myself in a precarious situation, and who else could you turn to for sound advice if not Google?
