Page 77 of Icebound Hearts

“He keeps asking my opinions about how clothes look on him. They are clothes. They all look good on him,” Graysen grumbles.

Roman starts laughing, shaking his head.

“He wants your opinion, dude. He knows he looks good. He just wants you to say it. YOU.”

I turn my head toward Aiden, tilting it in Roman’s direction.

This guy gives great advice, but I wish he would take it himself.

I think Roman is a great person. A little childish, of course, but I know he loves my best friend. He just doesn’t know how to love her right. Unfortunately for him and Maddie, their family life wasn’t the best. Giving out their love to someone is something foreign for them.

“God, I’m so stupid. That’s why he keeps pouting.” Roman pats Graysen’s back, pressing his lips together. After dinner, I follow Aiden upstairs into his room.

I jump onto his bed and lay down with a smile. Aiden joins me, resting his head on my tummy.

“I know you’re mad at Roman about Alina, but please talk to him about it.”

I huff as Aiden lifts his head and turns to look at me. “Roman’s dad used to beat his mom in front of him and then move on to Roman.” A gasp leaves my mouth at the information.

“Roman would sleep in front of Maddie’s door, just in case his dad ever decided to hurt her. That’s the kind of person he is. It’s hard for him to open up and let people in. He doesn’t trust easy and has been through a lot. I understand Alina’s frustration, but he has a lot of trauma.”

I nod, pressing my lips together as memories flood my mind. “Max used to drop me on purpose whenever he was mad at

me and then apologize, saying it was an accident.”

Aiden wraps his arms around my hips, pulling me closer to him.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

I shake my head. “I want to. I really want to.”

Aiden nods, placing small kisses on the top of my thighs. “Whenever guys would talk to me at school or the academy,

he would get jealous. He hated that I was a better skater than him, so he would always pick at my insecurities.” A tear drops down my cheek as I continue talking.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I still hear him in my head. Even now. Whenever something important is happening, or my anxiety kicks in, I hear his voice telling me I’m not good enough.”

“He did a number on me for sure. Fucked with my head so bad. But it wasn’t that what ruined us. Before our last qualifier for the Olympics, he saw me talking to one another skater and he started arguing with me, yelling me and telling me i was a cheating bitch.” I let out a scoff at the memory.

“For talking with a fucking guy who, by the way, was on our team.”

“We started our routine and he dropped me on my head. I ended up in a coma for almost 3 weeks because of that fall. I guess I hit the ice so bad, that I fractured my skull.” Aiden uses his thumb to rub shapes on my thigh over and over, the gesture calming me down.

“When I woke up at the hospital, he was the first person I saw. He told me that he wished I had died. That was the day he tried to rape me, while I was in a fucking hospital bed.” I gulp, still hearing the screams I let out until a nurse heard.

I feel Aidens thumbs rub away tears, I didn’t know had escaped.

“Did the bastard hurt you?” I shake my head staring at his pretty brown eyes.

“No. Thankfully one of the nurses heard me scream and he stopped. After that whole mess, I told my coach I quit. She ended up yelling at me, and told me, I was ruining everything and that Max didn’t do anything, I just overreacted and tried to ruin his life, cause he didn’t want to be with me.”

“I opened up to her and she stepped all over my feelings, not caring. I fucking hate her so much.” Two arms circle around me as Aiden pulls me towards his chest. Aiden rubs circles into my skin, grounding me.

“At first, it was just scratches or bruises, nothing bad. He made me feel awful about my hips and weight, saying I needed to be under a certain number.”

Aiden tightens his grip around me. “You are enough, Kat. You are perfect.”

I take a deep breath, letting his words sink in, giving him a small smile.

---