Page 8 of Icebound Hearts

“Jesus, that looks so good,” Will says, licking his lips as he leans over to get a closer look.

“You can have some,” I reply, glancing at him. “Just don’t open the new bottle. That’s for the Jenga shot game.” They exchange puzzled glances.

“Jenga?” Will asks, his tone mocking. “We’re playing Jenga?” He cracks a grin, clearly intrigued. “Yeah, drinking Jenga. At the last Olympics, Alina and I got bored in our hotel room, so we devised our version. It’s a lot more fun than you’d think,” I smirk, imagining the chaos that will follow. Roman claps his hands together. “Fuck yeah. Now I’m excited.”

“Alright, alright, save some energy,” I tease, shaking my head as I finish stirring the concoction and adding the ice. This is precisely what I need tonight—some chaos and fun. “What are we eating for dinner?” Graysen’s voice cuts through the buzz of conversation, his tone light and casual as he walks into the kitchen, looking around with an appreciative glance.

“Homemade pizza,” I reply, setting the cocktail dispenser aside. “Alexei and the others should be here soon.” Greysen rubs his hands together, a smile creeping across his face.

The doorbell rings just as I finish the dough, and Will and Roman both jump to their feet, practically knocking each other out of the way as they rush to answer it. I can already feel the energy in the house shifting. Everyone is here to have a good time, and I’m determined to make sure that happens, even if thoughts of a certain someone and when he’ll be joining us keep trying to invade.

“Wait—what?”

Roman’s voice carries from the front door with a surprised laugh. I look up from the kitchen counter to find Roman standing in the doorway, staring at the brunette woman on the front step.

“Maddie?” Roman asks, his voice tinged with disbelief. “What the fuck are you doing here?” “Hello, brother dearest,” Maddie says, her voice light and playful. “I was invited, so here I am.” I blink, caught off guard by the sudden revelation. Will looks equally stunned.

“She’s your sister?” Will asks, his tone full of genuine surprise. Roman glances from Maddie to Will, then back to Maddie, before giving a slow nod.

“Yeah, she is.”

Wait, what? “How do you not know she is his sister? I ask, confused. “My sister lived with our grandparents most of her teenage years. The guys never met her.” I give Roman a nod. It makes sense now.

Roman shoots Will a suspicious look. “Wait, is she the brunette you talked to me about earlier today?” Roman asks, narrowing his eyes at Will. Will’s face instantly flushes a deep red.

“What? No,” Will replies, his voice awkward and strained. “I wasn’t—” Roman leans in and whispers something in Will’s ear, and I see Will gulp, clearly taken aback by whatever Roman just said or threatened. I can’t help but smirk at the awkward energy in the room, mainly since it doesn’t involve me for once, as Roman excuses himself to help Alina, who just walked up with a bag that is slipping off her shoulder. The sight of Alina’s flushed cheeks only makes me love her more—she has no poker face.

“Come on in, guys,” I say, trying to ease the tension. “It’s freezing outside.” Alexei follows behind them, looking around the house with curiosity. “This place is nice, love,” he comments, a playful grin tugging at his lips. “It needs a bit of a feminine touch,” I say, rolling my eyes. “But I’m working on it.” Alexei chuckles andthen nods toward the living room. I notice Greysen is now back in the living room, his attention fixed on his video game.

“Bestie, kto on?” Alexei asks in Russian, his eyes narrowing mischievously. “Who is he?” I give Alexei an amused smile, glancing toward Graysen. “Hockey player.” I lean in closer. “I don’t know if he’s gay, though,” I whisper. Alexei smirks, his gaze moving up and down Graysen’s frame. “I’ll find out.” He answers in Russian. Before I can stop myself, I toss a cranberry at Alexei, hitting him square in the face. “Nice aim, Kat,” he says, wiping his face, a playful glint in his eyes.

The night continues, the banter flowing effortlessly between us as we prepare the pizzas, dividing ourselves into groups to make it smoother. Ever the strategist, Alexei calls dibs on Graysen being his partner, which has both of them laughing as they begin to spread sauce and cheese over the dough. Roman hasn’t left Alina’s side since she arrived, flirting with her shamelessly. Meanwhile, Will is doing his best to make small talk with Maddie, although he keeps glancing over at Roman, who hasn’t taken his eyes off either of them.

Maddie, though—she’s a gem. The second Alina introduced us, and the conversation came quickly, as if we had known each other forever. I can tell Roman has a soft spot for her, and it makes the whole night feel lighter. The door swings open, and there he is.

Aiden.

His gaze flicks to me as he walks past me and into the living room; for a brief second, everything else blurs—like the entire world just paused. My heart leaps, thudding wildly in my chest, betraying me. Damn it.

“Ale, are you okay?” Alina’s voice pulls me back, soft but knowing. She follows my line of sight toward the living room, and when she glances back at me, a smirk spreads across her face.

I swallow hard, forcing my expression into something neutral. “Yeah. I’m fine.” Will raises an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Why are you calling her Ale?” he asks Alina.

Alina shrugs, still grinning. “Kat’s middle name is Alexandra. Ale is my nickname for her. We’re Ali and Ale. And no, you can’t call us by those names; only Ale and I can.” I shoot her a mock glare but can’t help the small smile that tugs at my lips. Before I can respond, Graysen’s voice cuts through the air.

“Knight.” I turn just in time to see Aiden approaching the kitchen. The space suddenly feels smaller. The air is sharper. I hate how aware I am of him, how I can feel his presence before seeing him. The scent of pine and bergamot surrounds me as he stops behind me, his height making him tower over me. His movements are effortless as he leans slightly to the left, pushing his arms over the counter, over my arms, over me, before stretching my slab of dough between his hands, the muscles in his forearms flexing.

The muscles in my jaw clenched. I swallow. Focus. It’s just pizza dough. Get a grip, Kat.

“You’re struggling.” He states his voice is low, smug. I roll my eyes, gripping the counter's edge to ground myself. “Thanks for stating the obvious cap, everyone has a partner, and I suck at this,” I mutter.

Aiden chuckles as he drags the dough I was working on, bringing it closer to himself before flashing me a smirk. I scream in my head.

I hate him so much.

His hands work the dough with a practiced ease, large and veiny, making the motion look natural. I catch myself staring and snap out of it, my face heating. The knot in my stomach tightens. I need a distraction. Now. Without thinking, I grab a shot glass, fill it to the brim, and knock it back in one go. The burn does little to settle me. “Are you okay?” Alina’s voice is quieternow, laced with curiosity. I nod, though my eyes betray me, flickering back to Aiden. He’s talking to Roman now, laughing at something.

Why does he have to look like that when he laughs? Why does it make something in my chest squeeze?

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