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She rolls her eyes. "It's no secret you don't like me. I'm not exactly fond of you either, so the feeling’s mutual." She pauses, shaking her head as she purses her lips. Disappointment washes over her expression as she lets go of my wrist. "I thought maybe you could put this petty bullshit aside so we could work together, but I was wrong. I don't think this is going to work."
I shouldn't be surprised, but her words feel like a slap to the face. She brushes past me as she exits the ice rink and leaves me out there alone. I watch her as she disappears into the locker room without another look in my direction. As I finally force myself off the ice, she's coming back out of the room with her bag slung over her shoulder.
"Aria," I start, my voice hoarse and low. I can't let her walk away, not when I need her. Without her, I'm back to where I was. Without a partner. I'm fucked without her.
She looks at me over her shoulder with a warning written in her expression. "Don't, Leo."
I let it go and allow her to walk out of the rink without another word.
I fucked up.
***
My footsteps are heavy as I follow the paved path around the park. It snakes through trees and shrubs, circling the pond in the middle with a bubbling fountain. The sun has since set and the moon hangs in the night sky. It's full tonight, so it illuminates the walkway and casts its light across the surface of the pond. The park's now vacant, but I'm still here after it technically closed. I can't eradicate the guilt that continues to flood me in waves. As soon as I think I've forgiven myself, I see the image of her face flash through my mind again.
The disappointment hits me like a knife in my chest. Aria was right. Goddamn, she was right about so many things. We skate so well together and what she added to the routine made it perfect. It was exactly what it was missing. I was being childish and letting our past rivalry get in the way of our future. I didn't want to skate against Aria. I wanted to skate with her. I was just too stubborn and too fucking hardheaded to see it at first.
And now she's gone.
I have to get her back.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I open my messages and tap on Coach Kincaid's name. I type a message to him and I head out of the park. I step onto the sidewalk and follow the path into the small town of Idyll Cove. It's a sleepy town where everyone moves on island time. Given that it's a Thursday evening, the street is relatively empty. Most of the shops are closed and the only thing open are two restaurants and a bar.
As I walk past Davino’s, I glance to the right and look through the window. The glass is tinted, but I can see her as clear as day. She's sitting alone at a table as she lifts a glass of wine to her lips. I watch as she tilts her head back, the liquid sliding down her throat. Her long black hair is pulled back from her face and hangs down her back in loose curls. I stand outside the window, watching her as she directs her gaze in the opposite direction.
A smile pulls on her lips and I glance to where she's looking. She isn’t there alone. Griffin steps into the main room of the restaurant and takes a seat across from her at the table. Griffin fucking Carr. The asshole she ended up dating in high school. The asshole who took home the gold medal from regionals after I fell during a jump and fucked up my score.
Anger spreads through my body like wildfire. My feet are cemented in place, my entire body paralyzed with irritation as I watch the two of them. Griffin settles in the seat across from her with his gaze trained on hers as they fall into what appears to be a comfortable conversation. I watch them for another minute before I'm able to regain control over my legs again. Griffin is not getting the girl this time.
"Fuck this.”
Abandoning my spot by the window, my movements are purposeful as I stride over to the door of the restaurant. I pull it open gently and I'm careful to not draw any attention to myself as I enter. My footsteps are light, yet there's a heaviness in my limbs. Only two other tables are occupied in the dimly lit space. Soft classical music plays in the background. I step around the other tables with my sights set directly on Aria fucking Reed. She doesn't notice me at first as she laughs at something Griffin says to her.
As I get closer to the two of them, she lifts her gaze from his, her eyes widening as she sees me. My strides are long and I cover a lot of space in no time until I stop directly behind Griffin. Aria's lips part slightly and I watch the pink tint wash over her cheeks. She's surprised to see me, but she doesn't look like she's not pleased with me.
Good.
"Leo?"
Griffin slowly turns around, his lips lifting into a smile as his eyes settle on me. "Well, if it isn't the infamous Leo Wells."
I resist the urge to drive my fist into his face. No one would ever let me live something like that down considering Griffin is practically God's gift to everyone. He was always known for being a kind, gentle person. I knew there was more to Griffin Carr than what he showed the rest of the world, but I was never one to throw someone under the bus… unless he gave me a reason to.
I force the fakest, most plastic-looking smile onto my face. "Griffin."
"What brings you here?" Griffin asks me, the sweetness in his tone sickening. He tears his gaze from mine as he grabs his glass of wine and takes a sip. "I'm sorry we don't have another seat for you at the table."
I shrug with indifference as I grab an empty glass from the table behind me. Aria's eyebrows pull together as she watches me pick up the decanter of wine and pour some into my own glass. "That's okay. I'll just take yours instead."
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Leo,” Aria scolds me at the same time Griffin asks his stupid question.
I turn my attention to her, instead of wasting any more of my time on her date. “Aria. We need to talk.”
Her chin dips slightly, her eyes widening as a wave of worry passes through her irises. “Can this wait until later?”
"No," I tell her with a stern tone. One of us will be leaving this restaurant alone and it will not be me. I will not be leaving until I speak directly with Aria and I'm not going to do that with Griffin present. "It's a time-sensitive matter and it would be best if we discuss it now."
