I finish with my skates, then make a show of pretending to think over his words, one hand massaging my chin like I’m deep inthought. “Hmm, that’s interesting because I happen to remember being instructed to ‘not bother you unless I had to.’”
Wes chuckles. “So someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”
I point to my face. “You better get used to it. I’m not a morning person.”
I’m hit with the immediate instinct to downplay the comment, but Wes’s face breaks into a slow smile that stops me in my tracks.
“It would be a deal breaker if you were a morning person, Red.”
I shift in my seat, draping one leg over the bench between us. “Okay, I’ve wondered something. How did you survive Spencer’s sunshine every freaking morning growing up?”
Wes’s hand lands on my leg, little pinpricks erupting along my skin despite the barrier of my leggings. “It’s been the biggest burden of my life.”
I laugh. “No one should be that happy all the time.”
“It's not natural,” he agrees. “I swear he could find the upside to skating being outlawed.”
“I would be more well-rested this morning, that's for sure.”
Wes and I jolt in surprise at the sound of Spencer’s voice, not having heard him sneak into the rink.
I hop to my feet, leaning against the boards and crossing my arms. “I didn’t know you’d be here this morning.”
“And miss a chance to spread my sunshine and cheer to you misers?” Spencer flashes us a grin before plopping down on the bench, taking my spot, and getting to work on his skates. “Besides, I’d never miss a family skate.”
“It’s not a family skate. This is a lesson for Thea. Where is she, anyway?”
Spencer glances up at me. “Thea’s having a bit of a rough morning, but she’ll be out soon.”
I haven’t talked to Thea since she got into that fight at her hockey camp, and I’m kicking myself for not checking in sooner. Wes said that she hasn’t had any more issues, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t stewing inside like I would be. I’m not sure how being around me will help her, but if Wes thinks it will, I’m going to do whatever I can to make this a good morning for her.
“We’re all here, so it’s a family skate. Including you, Isla. You’re my partner, so you’re part of the Davidson clan. Them’s the rules.” Spencer finishes one skate and moves to the next. He gives us a cheeky smile. “I’m guessing dinner went well last night.”
He definitely spotted Wes’s hand on my leg earlier.
Wes catches my eye. “It had its moments.”
Mercifully, Thea storms down the tunnel toward the rink before Spencer can say anything else, or I melt into a puddle from that look from Wes. She doesn’t say anything and instead rushes onto the ice, beginning to skate laps around the rink.
“I’ve got this,” I tell the guys, and rush after her. “Thea!”
She doesn’t slow down, so it takes ten seconds to reach her. I loop my arm through hers, securing myself to her with my other hand. She finally comes to a stop, and I notice her red-rimmed eyes. She hiccups, then rests her head against my shoulder and lets herself cry.
My heartbreaks.
We stay like this for a while until Thea’s breathing normalizes into slow, even breaths. She pulls back from me, wiping her eyes and sucking in a deep breath.
“This is so embarrassing,” she mumbles, staring down at her skates.
“I don’t think it’s embarrassing. Wanna talk about it?”
Thea’s gaze slowly drags up to meet mine. “I miss my mom, which is so stupid because she abandoned me for a TV show. And when I finally got to talk to her last night for the first time in weeks, she asked me what I thought about staying with Uncle Wes for longer, like for the next school year.” She bites her lip once the emotion starts to overpower her again. “I miss my friends and my team, and my room and my bed. I want to gohome.”
I had the same feeling whenever I visited my parents’ house from boarding school. My childhood house never felt like a home.
“That fucking sucks.” I should censor myself, but I’m also not under some delusion that she’s never heard the word before. And it does fucking suck. The emphasis is important. “Did you tell her that?”
She blows out a breath. “What’s the point? She’s going to ignore me anyway.”
