Page 176 of Ice Princess

He takes a deep breath again. “I don’t know, princess.”

My stomach tightens with agony and confusion. The thoughts in my head are swirling too fast and I don’t think I can say the right thing in this moment, even if I try my hardest.

“Maybe… we should…”

Gunner winces before I’ve even completed the thought.

His jaw keeps flexing. In and out. In and out.

His Adam’s apple bobs.

“I… don’t think we should be naive just because we want to be together.”

He turns his head slightly away, bracing for my next statement.

“I think we should take a few days apart to think about what this means.” I blink back tears. “For you, for me and… for us.”

CHAPTER

FIFTY-TWO

GUNNER

In that moment,it’s not my family’s potential doom that shreds my heart to pieces.

It’s not the thought of my father’s crushing disappointment.

Or my mother’s tears.

Or the inevitable shunning that will come from every Kinsey alive.

What kills me is Rebel Hart’s defeated posture.

My whole life, Rebel was something like a mirage in the distance, a shining jewel I could never, ever touch. She breezed through the world with her shoulders straight, her smile brilliant and her steps so light she was almost floating.

But tonight, her shoulders slump and she doesn’t lift her head once as she plods down the ladder.

She didn’t break up with me.

At least not yet.

The thought of losing Rebel makes it hurt to breathe, but I knew the risks when I told her.

Whatever happens next, I’ll accept.

With a shaky sigh, I prepare myself for the next challenge—letting my parents in on the secret. That task is going to be difficult in a completely different way.

The wind turns chilly and I shiver in my thin T-shirt. It’ll be warm in the house, but I linger in the treehouse, procrastinating for as long as I can stand it.

After a few deep breaths, I bite the bullet and head to my family home.

The porch lights are on and a warm yellow hue beams on the steps. The wind stirs the wind chimes and they sing to me, doing their best to calm me down.

From here, I can hear mom’s laughter. She’s probably on a high after the family gathering. Mom loves having the people over. She was born to be a good host.

Heart hammering inside my chest, I take the steps one at a time.

Mom and dad are in the kitchen.

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