Love on ice

chapter 3

Molly POV

I pulled Alexis toward the car so hard she almost tripped. My pulse was still hammering in my throat, my palms clammy. I told myself it was just the adrenaline of the crash, not him. Not the way his eyes had locked on me like I was something he refused to let go of.

“Mol, seriously!” Alexis jerked her sleeve free and huffed, keeping pace only because I was practically dragging her. “What is your problem? That was…like…the hottest moment of your life, and you’re storming away like a cop chasing a thief.”

“Because I want to go home,” I muttered, fumbling with the keys.

“You mean because you nearly got crushed by six feet of pure alpha and lived to tell the tale? Girl, you should be celebrating, not sulking.”

I slid into the driver’s seat and jammed the key in the ignition. “It was an accident, Alexis. End of story.”

“Accident? He practically shielded you with his body and then stared at you like he knew your social security number. That’s not an accident. That’s fate.”

I shot her a glare. “Don’t start.”

She crossed her arms and gave me her most dramatic sigh. “You’re impossible. Do you even realize who that was?”

“Yes,” I said flatly.

“Then why do you sound like you want to hit him with your car?”

I gripped the steering wheel until my fingers hurt. “Because I do.”

She snorted. “Liar.”

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. My chest was still vibrating with the sound of his voice, the way he’d said liar like he was peeling me open.

I drove us home in silence, Alexis humming some obnoxious victory song while I kept my eyes locked on the road.

Back in my apartment, the silence was heavy. Safe. Predictable. The kind I usually craved. Tonight it just felt suffocating.

I sat on the couch, staring at my hands. They were steady now, but I remembered how they’d shaken earlier. How my whole body had betrayed me when he got close.

I muttered the words I’d repeated to myself a hundred times before. “Never again.”

Never again to the pull. Never again to alphas.

And definitely never again to him.

******************************************

The second game came faster than I wanted.

I said no. I said no ten times. Alexis wore me down anyway, claiming I “owed her” for dragging her away the first night.

I gave in, telling myself I’d sit through it, stare at the ice, and then leave. Nothing more.

The arena roared around us, everyone buzzing with energy. Alexis was bouncing in her seat, already spilling popcorn down her shirt. I tugged my hood lower, wishing I could vanish into the chair.

The players skated out. A blur of jerseys, blades, and cheers. I kept my gaze down, pretending not to care.

But then I looked up. Just once. Just to see.

And there he was.

He turned his head like he felt it, like he knew exactly where I was sitting. Our eyes met across the boards.

It was only a second, but it felt endless.

The noise fell away. My heart slammed hard against my ribs.

His gaze didn’t waver. Not a flicker.

I tore mine away first, shoving my hands into my lap to hide the tremor.

“Mol,” Alexis whispered, practically bouncing in her chair. “Did you see that?”

“No,” I said too fast.

She grinned. “Liar.”

I wanted to snap at her, but the word hit too close to the one he’d already said.

I stared at the ice, forcing my eyes anywhere but him. But every time he came near, I felt it. The weight of him. The pull.

And I hated that a part of me wanted to look back.

******************************************

The game ended. I couldn’t tell you who won. Alexis rattled off plays and scores, buzzing with energy as we shuffled out. I barely heard her. My body was still humming with that impossible moment.

We slipped through a side exit, hoping to dodge the crowd. The night air was sharp and cold.

And he was there.

Same hoodie. The same duffle slung over his shoulder. Except this time, he didn’t keep walking.

He stopped.

So did I.

His gaze found me instantly. Like he’d been waiting.

“Twice,” he said. His voice was rough, low, cutting through the space between us. “That’s twice now.”

My throat went dry. “What do you want from me?”

“The truth.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” I shot back, forcing the words out.

He stepped closer. Not fast, just steady, deliberate. Close enough for the heat of him to press through the cold. Close enough that I caught his scent—sharp, clean, edged with sweat and something that made my stomach knot.

I should’ve moved. Should’ve backed up. But my feet stayed planted.

His hand brushed mine. Just a ghost of a touch. Barely anything. But it lit fire up my arm, stealing my breath.

I froze.

His mouth tilted, not quite a smile. “You feel it too.”

“No,” I whispered. My voice cracked.

“Liar.”

The word sank into me like a blade.

Alexis shifted beside me, voice nervous. “Um… I’ll just… get the car?”

We ignored her.

I yanked my hand back, clutching it to my chest like it was broken. “Stay away from me.”

For the first time, something shifted in his eyes. Not anger. Not surprising. But something final.

“I can’t,” he said.

The words landed heavy, leaving me breathless, pinned in place.

And deep down, I knew he was right.

This wasn’t over. Not even close.