Page 25 of Love on the Edge
And now, she’s chasing after me.
I slow, testing her reaction. She slows too, unconsciously mirroring me, her instincts already adjusting.
I meet her eyes. “Better.”
Her entire face lights up, green eyes shining like I just handed her a trophy. “Again?” she asks, breathless.
I nod. “Again.”
And we keep skating.
Time flies by, the minutes blurring together as the class moves through their drills. I don’t pay attention to the clock, but I can feel it in the way the kids are slowing down, their initial energy fading into tired but satisfied movements. Nina’s voice rises and falls over the sound of blades scraping against the ice, her instructions mixing with laughter and the occasional stumble.
The little girl is still skating, still pushing herself harder than the others, still chasing something only she can see.
Before I can think about it too much, Nina claps her hands, her voice cutting through the last few moments of practice.
"Okay, kids! Class is over," Nina calls, clapping her hands.
She skates over, still slightly out of breath from trying to keep up with everyone.
"Hey! Val, I see you met my niece, Cassidy," she says, grinning.
I blink, my chest tightening. "Cassidy? As in Cassidy Crosse?"
"Yeah," Nina says. "CC has wanted to learn how to skate forever! Ethan finally gave in and let her take classes."
Ethan’s daughter.
My stomach drops.
I look down at CC, who’s still beaming, completely unaware of the way my world just tilted.
"Nice to meet you, CC," My throat feels tight. "I gotta go."
Her face falls just slightly, but she nods, accepting it without protest.
I hesitate, something twisting in my chest. I don’t know what to say, don’t know how to make this moment mean what it feelslike it should. But I can give her this—one thing I wish someone had told me when I was her age.
"You did great out there," I say, my voice quieter, but steady. "Keep skating."
Her eyes brighten, her small hands gripping the barrier beside her. "Really?"
I nod. "Yeah. You’ve got something special. Don’t stop. But uh… I gotta go."
I don’t wait for her to respond. I don’t wait for Nina to question it.
My heart is pounding, my breath too shallow, my body suddenly too aware of itself in a way I can’t explain.
Ethan’s daughter? No way. I can’t do this.
I step off the rink, peeling off my gloves with a little too much force, but that’s when I see him.
Ethan. Standing there. Watching me.
His expression is unreadable at first, but when I meet his gaze, I recognize it immediately.
He looks pissed.
