Ruined on Ice

Chapter Eight

~Taylor~

“You kissed Maverick Stone?!”

Becky’s voice bounced off the cinderblock walls of her dorm room like a scream at a concert. I sank deeper into her beanbag chair, pulling my knees up to my chest as both my best friends stared at me like I had given birth to a squid.

I swallowed hard, heat flooding my cheeks all over again. “I… well, it’s—”

“Oh my God, Taylor,” Samantha cut in, her eyes wide with disbelief. She was sprawled across Becky’s bed, legs kicking in the air. “You went from zero to full public makeout with the enemy in like thirty seconds. Spill. Right now.”

I buried my face in my hands for a second, my heart still fluttering like a wild butterfly every time I remembered the moment. The firm press of Maverick’s mouth. The way his big hand had cupped my face. The possessive slide of his palm to my waist. And then that soft, lingering kiss on my cheek before he walked away.

“It’s not what it looks like,” I said, peeking through my fingers. “It’s…..fake.”

They both blinked at me. Becky packed her blonde hair into a pony tail and rolled up her sleeves, as though she was getting ready to go to battle.

"Eyes on me," she said. "Give us the tea. NOW."

I explained everything, Rory’s rich parents threatening to sue, the need to make it look like Maverick had gone after him over a girl instead of random violence. Becky and Sam listened with matching expressions of shock that slowly melted into something else.

Samantha leaned forward, her gray eyes narrowing. “Okay, but what happened to ‘not falling for the rival’? Your words, not mine."

Becky waved a dismissive hand at her. “Screw that. If a guy defended my honor by breaking my cheating ex’s nose on national television, I would be all over him too. Fake or not.”

I let out a weak chuckle, shaking my head. “It’s not like that. I was just so angry at Rory. The way he called me his girlfriend after everything……I snapped. Kissing Maverick was the fastest way to shut him up and make this whole thing believable.”

Becky studied me carefully. “And how did it feel?”

My traitorous mind flashed back to strawberries and mint, to the heat of Maverick’s body and the way my stomach had flipped when he kissed my cheek. “It… didn’t suck,” I admitted quietly.

Their eyes nearly popped out of their skulls.

Suddenly, my phone chimed on the floor beside me. Lila.

I answered immediately. “Hey, sis.”

“Hey. How are you holding up?” Lila’s voice was gentle, as usual. She was a freshman here at Linden studying Psychology, though she still crashed at Dad’s house most weekends.

“I’m fine,” I lied smoothly. I didn't like that everyone was acting like I had nearly died or something. It was just a breakup. A heart-wrenching, soul-sucking, esteem destroying breakup.

But life goes on.

“Really. How are things with you? How’s that cute freshman who asked you out, Leonardo?”

Lila giggled, the sound light and happy. “I… I told him yes, actually.”

“Awwww—”

“No! Don’t distract me!” she interrupted, rightly clocking my attempts at removing myself from the center of focus. “I heard something very interesting today. You’re dating Maverick Stone?”

For f**k sake.

"Oh sorry sis, gotta go!" I quickly ended the call and dropped the phone. It clattered onto the carpet, and Becky bit her lip in the way she did whenever she tried to suppress a giggle.

I stared at the ceiling in horror.

How fast did rumors even spread?

“This is a nightmare,” I muttered.

~

The rest of the week passed in a strange blur.

Maverick and I hadn’t spoken at all since that day in the quad. Not a single text beyond the initial exchange of numbers. It was weird. Every time my phone buzzed I jumped, half expecting it to be him, only to find another concerned message from friends or another pathetic “please talk to me” from one of Rory's many numbers.

People stared everywhere I went. In class. In the library. Some whispered “traitor.” Others gave me pitying looks, like I had lost my mind. A few girls even looked impressed. I kept my head high, hood up when I could, and focused on surviving.

Becky and Samantha helped me pack everything out of my old dorm room. Maeve had made herself scarce all week, smart girl. I didn’t want to see her anyway. Rory, on the other hand, kept trying. He would show up outside my classes or text long paragraphs about “mistakes” and “forgiveness.” I deleted every one.

Thankfully, the Linden Wolves had a home game coming up against the Summit Valley Bears, and as a result cheer practice became my escape. The familiar routines, the loud music, the burn in my muscles, it was the only time my brain went quiet.

We were midway through a tumbling sequence on the sidelines of the hockey arena when a tall figure approached. Damon Konstantinou. Tall. Black hair, striking blue eyes, built like a Greek god. Rory’s best friend and loyal lapdog. He had always given me polite smiles before. Today his expression was cold.

“Hey Taylor. Got a minute?”

I wiped sweat from my forehead and nodded. “Sure. What’s up?”

He glanced at the other cheerleaders, then back at me. “You’re dating Stone now? That’s a low move, even for you.”

Anger flared in my chest at the judgemental tone his voice had. I stepped closer, trying to keep my voice steady. “Channel that energy to your w***e of a friend. I’m not the one who cheated.”

Damon’s jaw tightened. “It's not that. You're a Linden girl. You were once with the golden boy of it's star team. Now you're dating his rival? Stone broke his nose at a game. He's rough, and his violent, meanwhile Rory has always been good to you. You’re better than this, Taylor.”

I scoffed. What else could I have expected from my ex's lapdog? Of course he would find a way to pin this entire drama on me and not his loose friend.

“f**k you, Damon.” I spat. His eyes widened in surprise before I turned my back on him and walked back to my squad, heart pounding. He stood there for another second, then scoffed and stalked off.

My phone chimed in my bag a few minutes later. I opened it, thinking it was from Becky or Sam. It was from the great enforcer of Northwood University himself.

Maverick: You free tonight?

I stared at the screen, my pulse jumping.

Me: Wow, you finally remember I exist. And no, I’m at cheer practice. Why?

A slight pause. Another chime.

Maverick: I’ll pick you up after. I want you to come to my school.

Oh….. my pulse raced even faster.

Me: You don’t have to drive all the way here.

Maverick: It’s 30 minutes, Jensen. Not a road trip.

Me: People are going to stare.

Maverick: I believe that's the whole point.

I bit my lip, thumbs hovering.

Me: Alright then. See you.

My heart did a ridiculous flip. I locked my phone and shoved it back in my bag, trying to focus on the next routine. But the butterflies wouldn’t settle.

Maverick Stone was coming to pick me up.