Page 65 of Uniquely in Love

“That’s not fair!” I protested. “You’re a professional hockey player.”

He winked at me as he came to a stop over the blue line. “Guess you’ll just have to try to keep up, huh, Skater Girl?”

I scowled, finally skating towards him, catching up to him quickly.

“Come on.” He extended out his hand again, interlacing our fingers before we skated together, making a lap around the rink.

We went slowly, like he knew I wasn’t ready to race over the ice yet. But his taunt had worked. And I wasn’t worrying about falling or getting hurt like I had been the last time I’d tried to get on the ice. After my accident, I’d had a panic attack the first time I tried to go back to the rink. The nexttime I’d tried to go back, I couldn’t even start the car. So I’d quit.

Just like I’d quit on him.

“I’m sorry,” I offered.

It wasn’t enough. But it was a start.

TWENTY-TWO

Owen

NOW

Something about the look in Ellie’s eyes as she stepped onto the ice didn’t sit right with me. I knew I had missed a lot. But it was clear, looking at her now, that I had no idea just how much. So I did the only thing I could think of to get her mind off of it—taunted her. Challenged her. When we were younger, we’d raced across the ice countless times.

So, I held her hand and watched her as we took a lap around the ice.

I’m sorry.Fuck, she had no idea what she did to me.

“You don’t have to apologize to me, Ellie. I… I wasn’t there. I should have been there.”

She shook her head. “No. I do. I didn’t let you be there for me, Owen. And that’s on me.”

But I could have fought for her. I should have fought for her. I’d let her go, and I was the one who hadn’t been around. Avoiding being home clearly hadn’t done me any favors. But she was here now.

She’d come to find me.

And it was my turn to be there for her. As her friend, I was going to help her through whatever she wasstruggling with.

I squeezed her hand. “It’s in the past now, though. Now you have me. Okay? I’m here.”

Her eyes met mine, and it would have been impossible to miss the moisture in them.

Tugging her hand, I spun her into my arms, wrapping her up in a hug.

Damn, I was glad I’d rented out the iceplex for the day. The fact that no one was going to walk in on our moment, to interrupt this, was worth how much money I’d donated.

“Okay.” She let go of my hand, skating away from me, and I was transfixed. I’d always been whenever she was on the ice. She was still graceful as she skated—there was no amount of time that could take that from her—but she was hesitant. Reserved now, in a way she’d never been before.

Still, she’d done the hard part. She’d gotten out here. I was damn proud of her. She was so brave. Moving to Seattle, alone? She said it was for the job, but I suspected that was only part of it. But if I thought too much about that, I’d start wanting things I couldn’t have.

But how could I hold myself back? It was so hard to keep denying the truth: I wanted her. So much. One last night hadn’t been enough to temper my desire for her. It would never be enough with her.

I wantedmore.

Leaning against the wall, I watched as she took another lap around the ice all by herself.That’s my girl.

Her cheeks were pink, but her lips had curled up into the smallest of smiles as she closed her eyes, like she was feeling the breeze flowing past her, the ice underneath her blades.Beautiful. She was always stunning, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her now.

When she finally came to a stop in front of me, I couldn’t stop grinning.

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