Page 89 of Icebound Hearts

“All I want is you, Roman. I do need you.” She shakes her head, and before he can say anything, she turns and skates toward the exit.

I immediately follow. “Alina, wait!”

Hopping off the ice, I quickly slip on my skate guards and chase after her.

She barely makes it a few steps before turning around and throwing herself into my arms, breaking down into sobs.

I hold her tighter. “Shh, Ali. I’m here.” Her body trembles against mine.

“Why does he treat me like that?” she chokes out. “I want him, Kat. I only want him, and he doesn’t want me at all.” I rub slow, soothing circles on her back.

“It’s okay, Ali. Things will work out for the best. Right now, I

think you both need space.”

She shakes her head violently, her sobs intensifying.

“I don’t want to lose him. You don’t understand, Kat. He’s the only one who sees me—sees everything.” I tighten my hold on her. “I know, babe. I know.”

She takes a deep, shuddering breath before pulling away,

wiping at her tears.

“I need to go. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” And that is exactly when I do worry.

Alina never asks people not to worry about her unless she’s drowning. For the rest of the day, I can’t stop thinking about her. I text her. Call her. Leave voicemails. No response. Alexei says she’s locked herself in her room, drowning in sad music. I feel helpless. My phone pings, and my heart leaps. Ali?

When I unlock it, I see it’s from Aiden.

Aidy

Huh?

Angel Face

My phone vibrates again almost instantly.

Aidy

I bite my lower lip, a soft smile creeping onto my face. Without hesitation, I pull one of Aiden’s oversized hoodies from my closet, slipping it on over my black leggings. I tuck part of it in at the front to make it cuter, then add a beanie, leg warmers, and my boots.

By the time I reach the kitchen, Aiden is already there, waiting for me. The moment I see him, my stomach flutters.

“Ready to go, angel face?” he asks, his voice warm. I nod quickly, and he takes my hand in his.

Before we leave, he tilts his head down, capturing my lips in a soft kiss.

“You look so pretty,” he murmurs. I shake my head, blushing. “I put zero effort into this.”

Aiden laughs, bringing my hand up to his lips and pressing a

soft kiss against my palm.

“Still beautiful.” We step outside, and I slide into the passenger seat of his car.

He drives for almost an hour before pulling over in the middle of nowhere. It’s dark—no city lights, just the moon above us.

I squint at the surroundings. “Are you killing me and dumping my body here?”

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