Chapter Fifteen :Rowan
533 Words
The rink smelled like sweat, blood, and ice.
Home.
Usually once I stepped onto the ice, everything else disappeared.
Not today.
Because Luca Devereux stood against the glass near the entrance, arms crossed, watching hockey practice like he belonged there.
And worse—
Elena stood beside him.
The second she noticed me skating toward them, her expression shifted.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Awareness.
That dangerous tension sparked instantly between us again.
Coach blew the whistle sharply. “Cross! Focus!”
Too late for that.
I ripped my helmet off as practice ended and headed straight toward the boards.
Luca didn’t move.
Neither did I.
The air between us felt ready to explode.
“Elena,” Luca said calmly without taking his eyes off me, “go wait by the car.”
Her gaze flicked nervously between us.
“I’m not leaving you two alone.”
Smart girl.
“Please,” Luca added quieter.
After a long hesitation, she finally walked away.
But not before glancing back at me one last time.
Big mistake.
Because Luca saw it.
The second she disappeared through the arena doors, he stepped onto the rubber mat near the rink entrance.
“You enjoying yourself?” he asked coldly.
I leaned against the boards casually even though every muscle in my body stayed tense.
“Depends.”
“Watching my relationship fall apart seems entertaining for you.”
That hit harder than expected.
Because despite everything, I didn’t actually want to hurt her.
Or him.
I just couldn’t stay away.
“She still chooses you,” I said quietly.
“For now.”
The bitterness in his voice surprised me.
Luca scrubbed a hand over his face roughly before looking back at me.
“You know what the worst part is?”
“What?”
“She talks about you.”
My chest tightened instantly.
“She says you’re damaged,” he continued. “Says beneath all the anger, there’s something good in you.”
I laughed once.
Sharp.
“She’s wrong.”
“No,” Luca said quietly. “That’s the problem. She sees things she shouldn’t.”
Silence settled heavily between us.
The arena lights reflected off the ice while distant sounds echoed through the empty rink.
Then Luca stepped closer.
“I should hate you.”
“You already do.”
“No,” he corrected. “I hate the fact that part of her wants you.”
The honesty in his voice caught me off guard.
Neither of us spoke for a moment.
Then suddenly Luca laughed bitterly to himself.
“This is insane.”
“Yeah.”
“She loves me.”
“I know.”
“But she wants you too.”
The words landed between us like gasoline near a flame.
Because hearing it out loud made everything real.
I looked toward the arena doors where Elena had disappeared.
“She deserves better than both of us,” I admitted quietly.
Luca smirked faintly.
“Probably.”
Then his expression hardened again.
“But I still won’t let her go.”
Something dark and possessive inside me answered instantly.
“I know.”
And somehow…
That only made me want her more.
- Writer
