Page 21 of Love on the Edge
Drew barely glances up from under the hood of the Camaro as I walk in, wiping grease off his hands with an old rag.
“What’s up, man?” he says, voice easy, distracted.
I don’t answer right away. Just drop onto the couch, elbows on my knees, staring at the floor like it might have the answers I need.
“Nothing really,” I mutter. “Just found out my one-night stand was Nina’s best friend.”
Drew freezes. The rag stills in his hands. Then, slowly, he straightens and looks at me. “Wait, what?” His brow furrows. “Start from the one-night stand part.”
I blow out a breath, raking a hand through my hair. “Last night. Before I left the party, I ran into her—Valeria. She actually spilled her drink on me,” I pause, the memory flickering back—the sharpness in her eyes, the way she looked at me like she already knew I was a mistake but was willing to make it anyway. “We talked. Didn’t plan on leaving together, but it happened.”
Drew leans against the workbench, arms crossed, watching me like I’m about to drop the real bomb.
“We hooked up,” I continue, voice flat. “Thought it was a one-time thing. No details. Just…whatever it was.”
“Alright…” Drew drawls, nodding along. “And?”
“And today, I walk into the rink and see her standing there—not just at the rink. On the ice. Skating like she owns the damn place. Turns out she’s not just some girl I met at a party. She’s Valeria Blaze. Figure skating prodigy. The one Harry’s been raving about. The same Valeria Blaze who happens to be Nina’s best friend.”
Drew lets out a long, low whistle. “Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“And she didn’t mention any of that last night?”
“Not a damn word.” I shake my head, laughing dryly. “Neither did I, to be fair.”
Drew smirks, but it fades just as fast. “So, what? You two just acted like it never happened?”
I tilt my head back, staring at the ceiling. “Not exactly. She panicked when she saw me. It was a whole thing. Then we argued, because apparently, I’m the asshole for existing in the same space as her now.”
Drew lifts an eyebrow. “That bad?”
I let out a sharp exhale, shaking my head. “Worse. First, she realizes I’m still married, and she just—looks at me like I did something wrong. Like I’m some kind of liar.” I lean forward, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “She says I should’ve told her last night, like I was supposed to sit her down in the middle of—” I cut myself off, shaking my head. “I don’t know. Do a full background check before we hooked up?”
Drew smirks, but it’s mild, more curiosity than amusement. “And what, she thinks you’re just out here screwing around now?”
“Pretty much.” I let out a bitter laugh. “She says I’m just ‘moving on’ like it’s nothing. Like I’m the kind of guy who shrugs off a failed marriage and goes looking for a rebound.” My fingers tighten against my knees.
Drew exhales, shaking his head. “She doesn’t get it.”
“No, she doesn’t,” I agree, voice tight. Then I huff out a breath, forcing myself to relax. “Not that I made it any better.”
Drew gives me a look. “What’d you say?”
I rub the back of my neck, already bracing for the judgment. “I might’ve… made a comment.”
“Ethan.”
I sigh. “I said something about her being an ice queen. That maybe there’s a reason she’s never been in a real relationship.”
Drew winces. “Damn. Alright, yeah, that’s bad. But still—”
“Oh, it gets worse,” I cut in. “Because then she fires back with, ‘No wonder your wife left you.’”
Drew’s head snaps toward me. His expression shifts—no smirk now, just understanding that this hit deep.
Silence stretches between us, thick and heavy.
