Page 47 of Boards & Betrayal

"How’s photography going?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. It had been a while since we talked about anything beyond the surface level.

"It's great," she replied, her eyes lighting up momentarily. "I have a good job, and I'm enjoying it. In fact, I had a newborn shoot…" Her voice trailed off, and she glanced away.

"Oh, yeah?" I tried to catch her eye, but she avoided my gaze.

Silence settled between us, heavy and thick.

Something was wrong.

"Al?" I squeezed her side gently, trying to coax her back to me.

"It's fine," she said quickly, but I heard the tremor in her voice. Alarm bells went off in my head.

"Al, what is it?" I asked again, more urgently this time.

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she tried to hide it with her hair, but I saw it. My chest tightened painfully at the sight.

"Is it the skates? Do they hurt?" I asked, feeling helpless and hating every second of it. Not knowing how to make it better gnawed at me.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Look. I should go."

"What? Why?" I stopped abruptly, causing ice to shower around us. I took her arms in my hands, so she was forced to look at me. The pain in her blue eyes gutted me.

"Tell me," I ordered softly but firmly. "Tell me how to fix it."

"You can't," she whispered, and that single word shattered something inside me.

I kissed her tears as they fell, tasting the salt of her pain. It felt like trying to hold water in my hands—impossible and heart-wrenching.

"You've gotta tell me," I whispered against her skin. "You've gotta trust me and tell me what's going on."

Her eyes searched mine, a battle of emotions flickering in those depths. Without another word, I pulled her closer and kissed her, not giving a shit who saw us. Her hands gripped my jacket tightly, pulling me in as if I was her lifeline. My heartpounded against my ribcage, matching the intensity of our kiss—a desperate dance of need and longing.

When I finally pulled away, gasping for breath, a distinctly familiar voice filled up the rink.

"My, my, why am I not surprised?" she drawled.

I turned to face Janet standing just outside the ice, watching us with a look that made my blood boil.

"Thomas, taking advantage of a student. Story of your life, isn't it? But you, Ally? You, I thought knew better."

I clenched my teeth, fighting the urge to snap back at her. The last thing Ally needed was more drama piled on top of whatever she was already dealing with. Janet's presence felt like a punch to the gut, but I refused to let it ruin this moment.

"Janet," I said through gritted teeth, trying to keep my voice steady. "This isn’t your business."

She smirked, clearly enjoying the discomfort she caused. "Oh, but it is when you’re making a spectacle of yourself in public."

I glanced back at Ally, who looked more vulnerable than ever. The pain in her eyes was still there.

"Fuck off," I snapped.

But as we moved to leave the rink, Janet's voice stopped us once more.

"And what will Nick think when he finds out about this?" she called out mockingly.

Ally froze.

That did it.

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