“So this is why you’re so tired when it comes to our practices. Is this why you make so many mistakes? Is he the one making you slip out before the sun even rises? To be here with him?”
Antony’s voice slides through the silence like a knife, smooth yet sharp, carrying that unmistakable air of superiority that makes my skin prickle. There was no rush in his words, no urgency—just the quiet, unshakable confidence of a man who knows that he has already won. He lets the silence stretch for a moment, savoring it, his presence pressing against me like an unseen weight.
“You didn’t really think you’d get away so easily, did you? That no one would ever notice what you’re doing?”
The hatred’s there, coiled beneath the surface like a serpent waiting to strike. It isn’t loud or explosive—no, Antony’s malice is far more refined, far more dangerous. He speaks with the calm detachment of someone who sees himself above everyone else, someone who sees you as a chess piece in his game, already trapped.
His footsteps echo softly as he moves closer, deliberate and controlled. I can almost hear the smirk in his voice when he chuckles, low and mocking.
“Oh, don’t look so surprised. You should know by now—I always see everything. I wonder if your dad would like to know this little bit of information. To know what his precious daughter is up to with a member of his team.”
The words drip with cruel satisfaction, each syllable meant to remind me that I was caught. That no matter what I did, he would always be there. Watching. Waiting. And enjoying every second of it.
I take a deep breath, turning to face him, putting my back to the beauty still taking place on the ice. A small part of me wonders if Blake heard us? Or if he has chosen to ignore what’s happening, seeing it as nothing more than a lover’s quarrel. How wrong he would be about that.
“What is it that you think you caught, Antony? Me, at the rink, practicing to perfect my moves. How is it my problem that someone else was here? How am I supposed to know? I’m sure if my dad were to check the key card swipes, he would see they occurred at very different times.” I hold firm, hoping that is the case. That Blake has been here far longer than my arrival moments ago.
“Hmm, a carefully laid plan. I’m sure my words will weigh heavier than yours. Especially after the issues you caused over the holidays, running off and talking about not coming back to the Olympics.” Antony thinks his words have me shaken. They do. But I’ll never give him the satisfaction of knowing that.
Because while I hope it wouldn’t happen, there is a small piece of me that fears my father would believe him.
“I wonder what my father would think about you following me around like a stalker. The threats you make against me if I don’t do exactly what you want. Speaking of, how did you know I was here?”
My mind goes back to the eerie feeling of being watched at the house. Now I know why I had it.
“Oh, you think I didn’t see you sneaking out? I just didn’t expect to find you here whoring yourself to a neanderthal hockey player. Especially when you despise them. Is this a jab at Daddy? Do you have daddy issues, Geneva?”
“Stop calling me that, asshole. You know I hate it. Are you sure it’s not you with daddy issues? You think I don’t see the way you salivate when you’re around my father?”
He doesn’t bite quickly, but instead laughs, smirking at me like my words meant nothing. His eyes shift upward, as if he’s looking at something over my shoulder, his tongue sliding over his bottom lip. Then I hear him.
Blake.
“Is there a problem here?” His deep protective voice flushes away all the anxiety and fear that Antony had manifested in me.
“Not at all,” he says with a cocky arrogance before lowering his gaze back to me. “GiGi, remember what we talked about. I think I’ll go meet with your dad. Have a little talk about the future.” With those parting words he turns and heads toward the exit, disappearing through the doors and only then do I breathe and turn to face Blake. Hanging around his neck are headphones. It’s then I know why he didn’t hear us. So he must have seen us and came to check on me.
A true hero.
“You sure about that, Little One? I could feel the tension coming off of you all the way on the ice.” Blake's voice fills my body with relief. Until now, I didn’t realize how tense Antony was making me.
Little One. I never knew until this moment how much I missed hearing him call me by his pet name.
I take a moment and pull myself together. “Yeah, my partner just knows how to push my buttons. He seems to think he’s a controlling factor in my life choices.”
He quirks his brow. “Partner? Boyfriend? Is that why you left? Because if you had a boyfriend—”
I don’t even let him finish speaking before I burst out in hysterical laughter, doubling over and clutching my stomach. “Definitely not my boyfriend. Not in the past, not now, or the future. He’s just my skating partner. Nothing more.” Then I mumble softer, “For now.”
The corners of his lips turn up in a smile, one full of warmth and mischievousness. I long to have them on me, kissing along my neck. Nope. I shake my head, pushing the thoughts from my mind. I don’t need to go down that rabbit hole.
“So, how are you and Chase?” I know the answer to that, but he doesn’t know. “I caught a little of your practice the other day and, well, it seemed tense between the two of you. Standoffish.”
He lets out a sigh before running his hand through his hair, pulling gently on the ends. “It’s complicated.” His shoulders sag and I can see the pain that's so evident in his eyes.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe things will change. The two of you belong together.” I smile, showing him I truly mean what I say.
“Why are you here so early?” he asks, as if he’s trying to change the subject.
