FALLING FOR THE ICE KING

Chapter 3

Vivienne's POV

“You actually did it, Vivi,” Sia said, her voice warm but steady. “You got on that plane. They’ll always live in your heart. You'll never stop loving them but I know deep down this move was exactly what you needed. Mostly because you’re stuck with me now, and let’s be honest, I’m pretty spectacular.” She flashed that cheeky grin of hers and took a long sip from her glass.

“We’ll hunt down a new job for you, explore every corner of this city we used to daydream about as kids, and we’ll face the good days and the ugly ones side by side. Laugh until our sides hurt, cry when we need to, figure it all out together. This is your fresh chapter, where you start healing and maybe even rediscover who you are. I feel it in my bones.”

I nodded, blinking back the sting in my eyes as she kept going. “I adored them; they were like my second set of parents. But they’d want you out here chasing life again. Let’s bring our Vivi back, or at least help shape whatever bold new version comes next.”

That was Sia never sugarcoating, always straight to the heart of it. Fierce, generous, unshakably loyal. The kind of friend who shows up without being asked and stays long after others fade. She’d dropped everything and flown home the moment it happened, camping out with me through the worst of the aftermath. I still couldn’t wrap my head around how this free-spirited soul thrived in the brutal world of defense law, but that contradiction was pure Sia. One minute she’d be rocking ripped jeans and battered Converse, the next she’d be commanding a courtroom in killer heels and a power suit that made everyone sit up straighter. Her mind moved at lightning speed too, always three steps ahead.

I lifted the icy glass to my lips. She reached over and gently tipped the bottom, urging me to drink deeper. With a wink, she did the same, nearly draining hers in one go.

“Okay, enough of that for now!” she announced, setting her glass down with a decisive clink. “Come on, let me give you a grand tour of your room. We’ll sort your clothes and I’ll fill you in on the next few days.”

I followed her through the doorway she pointed at and stopped short, a soft gasp slipping out.

“Sia… this is stunning.”

A plush grey throw draped over crisp white linens. Fresh flowers and three generous arrangements filled the space with soft color and sweet scent. Rose-gold frames scattered around held snapshots of our shared history and my family, turning the room into a gentle sanctuary.

I reached for one photo in particular: me and Alice, my little sister, with us kissing her cheeks while she beamed at the camera. Those moss-green eyes of hers sparkled with pure mischief. She was about ten there, us eighteen and heading off to university, full of big plans.

Sia slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. “I needed them close to you here. You didn’t leave any of them behind, not really.”

The moment hung heavy, but she didn’t let it linger. She clapped her hands sharply, snapping me out of it, and dove into my suitcases like a whirlwind, flinging clothes across the bed in cheerful chaos.

“Sia?” I started, but she kept going. “Sienna! Slow down some of that’s already folded!”

She shot me a mischievous smirk, and I realized she was doing it on purpose, creating just enough distraction to keep the darker thoughts at bay. I opened the drawers and she passed me stacks of underwear, soft tees, leggings, jeans, and shorts. I arranged them carefully while she hung the nicer pieces in the massive wardrobe that seemed to swallow everything whole.

Once everything had a place, I grabbed my wash bag and slipped into the bathroom to freshen up. A quick wash, some lotion, and I changed into the light spaghetti-strap top I’d left out. When I came back, Sia was perched on the edge of the bed, thumbs flying over her phone. She looked up with a bright smile.

“Theo texted he and a couple mates are heading to the game tonight and wants us to join. I already said yes and he’s sorting tickets.”

I opened my mouth to slow her down, but she was on a mission.

“Nope, we’re going. Today’s all about you settling in. Tomorrow I’m treating you to real New York brunch done right. Saturday night we’ll meet up with the boys. You’ve hidden away long enough, Vivi. Theo’s solid, he'll be a great friend. You two are going to click, I just know it.”

I nodded again, trusting her instincts like always.

“He already knows what you’ve been through and he’ll have your back if you need it. But his crew is great, warm, fun, the kind of people who pull you in and make you feel like family. So finish that drink.” She handed me my glass, now mostly ice. “We’ve got to fight jet lag, which means we’re heading out for a bit. I’ve got snacks here, but we definitely need to raid the ice cream aisle.”

She was in full bossy-Sia mode, extra vibrant and pushy, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Anything was better than careful pity.

We drained our glasses and stepped back out into the evening warmth. Before we’d even cleared the building entrance, the questions started flying.

“So, what did they feed you on the plane?”

“Eh, I told them I was vegetarian, the chicken looked questionable.”

“Smart move. Should’ve upgraded to first class for better food.”

“I was alright. Snacked on what I had.”

She didn’t need the full truth that solid meals still felt like too much some days. “Read anything good? Watch a movie?”

“I grabbed some magazines at the airport and flipped through them. Keep the British ones for you.”

She clapped excitedly and did a little bounce. “Yes! I haven’t held a real UK Vogue in ages.”

“Marie Claire and Glamour too,” I added. She nodded, pleased.

I filled in the rest with harmless little white lies because the truth was I’d spent most of the flight lost in the window, watching clouds drift by. She pointed out her favorite spots now: our deli, pizza joint, and the nearest Starbucks. I’m a tea person through and through, but I loved how passionately she defended her coffee runs.