Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
I push off one last time, gliding across the rink in a long, sweeping arc. The cold air rushes past my face, and for a moment, I lose myself in the motion. It’s just me and the ice, nothing else.
But when I stop, the silence presses in again. It’s heavier now, more oppressive. I stand alone in the middle of the rink, my breath misting in the air. And I realize that no matter how fast I skate, no matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to outrun the feelings eating at me.
My breath is ragged, chest heaving, as I stare out across the rink. The shadows at the far end seem darker, like they’re closing in.
I blink.
It’s just my mind playing tricks on me.
My heart skips a painful beat when I spot him. For a second, I want to believe I’m imagining things.
It can’t be him.
Not here.
Not now.
But it is.
My old coach stands half-hidden in the shadows, just outside the reach of the dim light. His silhouette is unmistakable—the tall, broad-shouldered frame. The way he stands with his hands shoved in his pockets, as if he’s waiting for me to acknowledge his silent presence.
“You still look good, Ava.” His voice is low, almost conversational, but it sends a shock of fear through me. “It’s a shame you quit.”
The terror that slides through me is icy and sharp. My mouth turns cottony, making it almost impossible to force out the question. “What are you doing here?”
With a shrug, he takes a step forward, his shoes crunching against the ice. “You refused to talk to me. What was I supposed to do?”
I swallow hard as he moves closer, his steps deliberate. The thin barrier of space between us feels like nothing. My skates wobble beneath me, making it impossible to escape.
My heart flutters in panic as the frigid air around us turns suffocating.
“You’re not really going to work with that woman, are you?” he asks, his voice smooth as the whiskey he was always partial to, as he takes yet another step in my direction. “You have to realize we were meant to be together, right? We were so perfect. And we could be again.”
“No.” I shake my head, stepping back instinctively, my blades scraping against the ice. “You crossed so many lines… and you don’t even realize it.”
Nathan’s lips lift. It’s a patient, infuriating smile that makes my skin crawl. “It sounds like your parents filled your head with lies,” he says softly. “I was able to unlock something in you because of our emotional connection. Every move you made was like watching art come to life. It was effortless, fluid, beautiful.”
“What you did was wrong,” I snap, my voice trembling but firm.
His smile never falters. “Did it feel wrong when we were together?” His tone is calm, almost condescending. “I molded you into the perfect skater. No one will ever understand you the way I do. Only I know how to tease out a flawless routine. Deep down inside, you know it’s the truth. You’re nothing without me.”
My breath escapes in shallow bursts as I try to hold my ground. “You manipulated me.”
“No,” he says quietly, shaking his head. The unwavering smile on his face feels like a taunt, the kind of patience that makes me want to scream. “I brought out the best in you. We could be on top again.”
“Stop.” My tone turns desperate. “You’re a predator. You belong locked up behind bars.”
His smile breaks, but only for a second, as his eyes darken, and he takes another calculated step. “You don’t really believe that,” he says, voice hardening. “You’ve been brainwashed.”
I force myself to retreat, but the ice feels unforgiving. The cold, hard surface beneath my trembling legs makes it impossible to feel grounded.
He pulls his hand from his pocket and a glint of metal snags my attention. I’m so transfixed by the small object that I barely notice when he takes another step forward.
My breath hitches and my blood turns to ice as I stare at the gun, unable to tear my eyes away from it.
“Nathan…” My voice comes out sounding as if I’m being strangled from the inside out. “What are you doing?”
“It’s simple. If I can’t have you, no one will.”
His chilling response hangs heavy in the air as it echoes through the arena. Or maybe it just reverberates hollowly in my head. Icy tendrils of fear and panic wrap around my heart, constricting it until movement becomes impossible. Even as he approaches, my brain screams at me to flee. But my feet are slow, the ice beneath me too slick, and my stilted movements are clumsy compared to his steady approach.
“Nathan, please.” My voice cracks as it turns pleading, and my hands shake. I lift them, trying to make him see reason. “Don’t do this.”