Page 80 of Captured Love

Knox matches my pace, his hands still anchoring me. “There you go! See, I knew you could do it.”

We continue like this, him skating backward while giving me tips and encouragement, me focusing on staying upright and not making a complete fool of myself. Before I know it, we've made a full lap around the rink.

“I think I'm actually getting the hang of this,” I say, surprised at how much I'm enjoying myself.

“Told you.” Knox slowly releases my hands, moving to skate beside me instead. I feel momentary panic at the loss of his support, but I manage to keep my balance. We glide together, our movements becoming more in sync as if we've done this a thousand times before.

As we complete a few laps, I’m beginning to feel more confident. The fear I had when I first stepped onto the ice has melted away, and in its place is a giddy sense of accomplishment. I'm actually doing this!

Knox must sense the change in my demeanor because he turns to me and says, “Ready to try it on your own?”

My stomach does a little flip at the thought, but I nod. “I think so. Just don't go too far, okay?”

“I'll be right here,” he assures me, gradually slowing his pace until he's a few feet behind me.

I take a deep breath and focus on the rhythmic glide of my skates against the ice. Left, right, left, right. I wobble a bit, my arms instinctively reaching out for balance, but I manage to stay upright. A laugh bubbles up from my chest as I realize that I have this.

“You’re killing it,” Knox calls out from behind me.

His encouragement fuels me, and I pick up speed, loving the cool rush of air against my face. I feel free. Of course, that's when my left skate decides to revolt, sending me forward with a yelp.

But before I can hit the ice, strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back against Knox's chest. I can feel his heart beating rapidly against my back, matching the frantic pace of my own.

“Whoa there,” he says, his warm breath tickling my ear. “I've got you.”

I let out a shaky laugh, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. “My hero,” I say, only half joking.

He helps me regain my balance but doesn't let go right away. We stay like that for a moment, his arms around me, my hands resting on his forearms. It feels intimate. Safe. Like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

“I think that's enough excitement for one day,” Knox says, his voice low and husky. He slowly releases me but takes my hand.

I nod in agreement. My heart is still pounding from both the near-fall and the feeling of Knox's arms around me. “Yeah, I think my legs have turned to jelly.”

He laughs and begins guiding us toward the rink exit. “You did great though, seriously. I'm impressed.”

I shrug, trying to play it cool even as a grin spreads across my face. “Well, I had a pretty great teacher.”

“Pretty great, huh?” The smirk on his face tells me where this is going.

“Okay, fine. An amazing teacher. The best.” I roll my eyes dramatically. “Happy now?”

“Ecstatic.” He helps me off the ice and to a nearby bench.

We sit down and start unlacing our skates. As we remove them, I catch Knox watching me with a soft expression. Hereaches over and runs his fingers down the side of my face, allowing them to linger on my cheek.

“Selene, I...” He pauses, as if searching for the right words. “I've been wanting to ask you something.”

My brain is trying to process if this is a good thing or not. “What is it?”

He takes my hand, his thumb tracing gentle circles on my skin. “These past few weeks, getting to know you, spending time with you... It's been incredible. You're unlike anyone I've ever met.”

A nervous giggle falls from my lips. “Knox...”

“Let me finish,” he says with a small smile. “I know we started off well, then it quickly got messed up, and we’ve spent a lot of time building this into something special. At least, I think so. Just everything about you and the way you challenge me to be better. I don't want to imagine my life without you in it.”

I swear I’m almost frozen in place, but at least I’m still able to speak. “What are you saying?”

He takes a deep breath, his brown eyes locking onto mine. “I'm saying that I want to be with you, Selene. Officially. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

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