Ivy:
All the time. Some days I feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. Other days I wonder if I chose the hardest possible version of my life on purpose.
I bite my lip after sending it. That was… honest.
King:
I think people like us don’t know how to choose the easy road. We wouldn’t trust it if we did.
Ivy:
Maybe you’re right.
I glance at the clock and realize how late it’s gotten. How easily the time slipped by.
Ivy:
I should probably try to sleep. Big day tomorrow.
The dots appear. Linger.
King:
Same here. But I’m glad we talked.
I smile at my phone like an idiot.
Ivy:
Me too. Goodnight, King.
A beat.
King:
Goodnight, Ivy.
I set the phone down, my heart warm and restless all at once.
King is charming, thoughtful, and genuinely interested in what I have to say.
And for the first time all day, I’m not thinking about green eyes and a devastating smirk.
4
DECLAN
Game off the Ice
The puck hits the boards with a crack, but my head’s not in the game.
I’m not seeing ice.
No, I'm seeing brown eyes narrowed in irritation and a mouth that called me disgusting without hesitation.
“Hawthorne!” Coach Petrov bellows from the bench, his voice cutting across the rink. “You planning to join practice? Or should we wait for you to finish whatever daydream you're having?”
A few guys snicker. I shake it off and push harder. Muscle memory takes over as I weave through cones. The physical exertion should clear my head.
