(Slade’s POV)
The rink was empty.
Ryder was already on the ice when I walked out.
He sat at center ice, skates on, helmet off, elbows resting on his knees. A bottle sat beside him, untouched. He didn’t look up when he heard me step onto the ice.
Normally, Ryder would’ve said something stupid by now. A joke. A chirp. Something to cut the tension.
He said nothing.
I dropped down beside him, legs stretched out, blades biting into the ice.
“You gonna say something,” I muttered, “or are we pretending I’m invisible now?”
He finally looked at me.
And yeah. He was pissed.
“You really f****d up,” Ryder said quietly.
I swallowed.
“That girl trusted you,” he continued. “All of them did. Aspen. Winter. Holly.” His jaw tightened. “They’re family to me, Slade.”
I stared straight ahead at th
