Page 20 of Break my Heart

Instead of feeling the usual rush of excitement, there’s nothing.

No spark, no heat.

My mind drifts back to the other morning at the rink and the way Ava’s eyes narrowed when she caught sight of me watching her. The most hilarious part was her feeble attempt at ignoring me. When that didn’t work, she skated closer to verbally spar.

Does she feel the same pull I do?

It’s the million-dollar question that begs for an answer.

The girl on my lap nips at my neck, her fingers curling into my hair. “So, what’s it going to be? Come back to my place?”

I stare into her whiskey-colored eyes, trying to drum up a little bit of interest. But all I see is Ava. Her blonde hair, those piercing blue eyes, the way she gets under my skin without even trying.

Fuck.

With a groan, I drag my hand down my face, surprising even myself when I gently lift the girl off my lap. “Sorry, sweetheart. That game really took it out of me.”

Her face scrunches. “You’re leaving?”

“Yeah.” I rise to my feet. “Alone.”

Her lips part in surprise. “Alone?”

I nod, feeling like I’ve been dropped into some weird alternate reality.

This isn’t me.

I don’t walk away from girls like her.

But tonight?

Something’s off.

And I know exactly what it is.

I force a small smile. “I’ll see you around.”

Without waiting for a response, I turn and walk out of the bar until the noise and chaos fade behind me. My thoughts are all tangled up in the one girl I can’t seem to forget.

The one who wants nothing to do with me.

9

Ava

The only sound in the arena is the scrape of my blades over the ice. It’s one of the few things that usually brings me comfort.

Today, though?

It sets my nerves on edge, like every muscle is stretched tight, ready to snap.

I roll my head from side to side, trying to ease the tension, but nothing helps. I’m wound up, and the more I skate, the more Nathan’s voice digs into my brain.

“Lazy. Mediocre at best.”

I can still hear him, criticizing my every move.

The triple salchow is one of the hardest jumps to master, but even now, I feel his judgment pressing down on me, making me second-guess every step. And it’s not just the skating.