HEART BREAK ON SILENT ICE

Chapter 5: Shattered

MAXON

Been watching Leah Patterson since we were kids. Not in a creepy way, God, that sounds bad. But she was always different. Quiet. Real. The way she'd bite her lip when thinking. How she laughed with her whole body when something was hilarious happened.

Then her dad got religious and suddenly the Pattersons weren't coming to our summer barbecues anymore. She changed. Got quieter. Started hanging with Raya, which never made sense to me.

Started dating Raya because that's what everyone expected. Easy choice. Complicated now. But that kiss in the library... wasn't supposed to happen. Wasn't supposed to feel like my chest might explode. Her hands in my hair. The little noise she made when I touched her. The way she looked at me like she couldn't believe I wanted her.

Then she ran. Because Leah's loyal to a fault. Because I'm dating her best friend. Because I'm an i***t who's spent years pretending I don't feel what I feel.

I need to talk to her. Explain somehow. Which is why I'm at this stupid party, scanning the crowd for the only person I actually want to see. If I could just find her in this mess of people. Spotted her the second she walked in. Hard not to. She wore this blue top I'd never seen before. Hair down instead of up. Looked different. Nervous. Beautiful.

Started moving toward her, but Raya got there first. Of course, she did. Watching them talk felt weird, like spying on something private. Raya's perfect smile. Leah's shoulders were all tense.

Then Ron's hand on my shoulder. "Dude, we need to talk."

"Not now." I tried to shrug him off with my eyes still on Leah.

"Coach is threatening to bench you. " Say your head's not in the game."

Great. Just what I needed. "Can this wait?"

"He's serious this time, man.”

Turned to argue, got caught in some stupid conversation about practice schedules and team politics. By the time I looked back, they were gone. Both of them.

Scanned the room. No sign of Leah's dark hair. No flash of Raya's red dress.

"You listening, Shivanski?" Ron's voice was irritating as hell.

"Yeah. Sure." Wasn't.

Waited by the bar. Nursed a beer I didn't want. Checked my watch. Ten minutes passed. Fifteen. People kept stopping to talk. Hand shakes. Fake smiles. Small talk about games and classes. I couldn't focus on any of it.

Twenty minutes now. Still no sign of either of them. A knot formed in my stomach. The way Leah looked when Raya led her away. Something wasn't right. Pulled out my phone: Where are you? Saw you come in.

Stared at the screen. Nothing. Need to talk to you. About earlier. Waited another five minutes. Still nothing.

Screw this. I started searching the apartment.

I started searching the apartment, pushing through the crowd. Music vibrated through the walls, making everything feel unreal. Sweat and perfume hung thick in the air.

The kitchen is empty except for some guys doing shots. The living room packed with dancing bodies. Two bathrooms, both locked. No answer at either one.

My heart wouldn't slow down. The way Leah looked when Raya led her away kept playing in my head. Something wasn't right.

Heading toward the back rooms when I heard it. A scream. High-pitched. Terrified. Then another. And another. People rushed toward the balcony. Someone yelling to call 911.

My body moved before my brain caught up. Shoving through the crowd, ears ringing with screams that formed a name.

Leah's name. No. Please, God, no.

People's mouths moved, but I couldn't hear anything except the blood rushing in my ears. I couldn't feel my legs moving, but somehow I was running. Shoving. Fighting through bodies that wouldn't move fast enough.

Then I saw her. Blue top against dark concrete. Hair spread like spilled ink. One arm bent wrong. So wrong.

"Leah!" My voice didn't sound human.

Someone tried to hold me back. I fought. Dropped to my knees beside her. Blood on the pavement. So much blood.

"Don't move her!" Someone shouted. Sirens wailing closer. Her chest isn't moving...Oh, God!! she's not even breathing.

"Stay with me." My hands shook, hovering over her broken body. "Please, Leah. Stay." Red and blue lights painted her skin pale. Uniforms pushed me back.

The last thing I saw was her hand, limp on the concrete. Blood dripped from her fingertips, turning her silver friendship bracelet dark red.

Something wasn't right about this. The roof. The fall. The way she'd looked earlier, like she needed to get something important off her chest. And that was when I realized that this wasn't an accident.