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I can only nod dumbly, rising from the bench and following after her as she glides out on the ice, moving leisurely as I fall into rhythm beside her. We make an entire circle around the rink in silence before I can’t take it anymore, clearing my throat and hoping I sound more casual than I feel.
“Your skating has definitely improved,” I say, going for teasing.
She snorts under her breath. “Yeah, well, the last time you saw me in skates, I was still wearing a training bra.”
Keep your eyes on the fucking ice, Chase. You already know she’s well outgrown those. You have no reason to confirm it again.
“Right,” I answer with a weird laugh that sounds nothing like mine. “I guess it has been a while.”
“It’s been a while for all sorts of things,” she says cryptically.
I slow my pace. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” she says quickly, skating ahead and forcing me to catch up to her.
“Have you been avoiding me?”
She frowns. “I haven’t seen you. How could I avoid you?”
“I don’t know. You’ve seemed…different.”
“Have I?”
I grind to a halt, grabbing her wrist and forcing her to stop skating. “Lila.”
“Ian,” she counters almost petulantly, her chin tilting up and her eyes narrowing.
“Listen,” I huff. “I don’t really know how to fix whatever I did, but I don’t like this weirdness. I do know that what you heard from Jack the other night isn’t at all what you think it was. I’m not seeing anyone. I haven’t seen anyone since Mei. I’m definitely not bringing random women over to my place. Jack’s place. Whatever.”
She purses her lips, averting her eyes. “I told you, it’s none of my business.”
“Isn’t it?”
Her eyes snap up to meet mine, her lips parting.
Fuck.
I don’t even know what I’m doing. Maybe she really doesn’t care. Maybe I really have been worried for nothing. Why don’t I know which option sucks more?
I watch her features shift numerous times before settling onto something more her—her lips curling in a soft smile as she nods. “I believe you.” She laughs then. “Dork.”
The knot in my chest slowly begins to unwind. I shoot her a grin back.
“Excuse me. Out of the two of us, I am definitely not the dork.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Cupcake.”
I let her wrist slide through my fingers so she can start moving again, and out of the corner of my eye I can definitely notice people stopping to stare and even some blatantly taking photos.
“I think we can expect more photos on the internet soon,” I mutter.
“That was sort of the point, right?”
“Still feels weird.”
“At least there’s not too many people here.” She glances my way. “Why did you pick this place again?”
I feel my ears heat beneath my hair. “I used to practice here a lot as a kid with my dad. He had me out here every weekend and most days after school running drills.”
