Page 55 of Snapping the Ice
I stopped at my Volkswagen Jetta and my gaze caught on a note wedged under the wiper blade. He’d been here all right. No big surprise. I slid the note from under the wiper and opened it. Did I even want to read it? Tate’s handwriting scrolled across the paper.
Ezra,
I can’t understand why you so suddenly broke up with me. What did I do wrong? Maybe I love you too much? Maybe you’re not used to being loved? I wonder if your family broke you and now you can’t accept love from anyone. If you’re waiting for the hockey player to come around, it won’t happen. He’s straight, Ezra. Yes, he has a gay brother, but that won’t make a difference. Maybe he’ll experiment with you, but then he’ll toss you aside. I’ve seen it a million times. Come back to me and I’ll forgive you for this.
All my Love,
Tate
With heat igniting in my chest, I reread the last line repeatedly. “Fuck him.” I crumpled the letter. “He’s going to forgiveme? For what?” He’d lost his goddamned mind. I tossed the letter to the ground and stabbed the button on my key fob. The car doors unlocked.
Shit, I had to keep the fucking letter. It was evidence I might need later. With a huff, I bent over, snatched the paper from the pavement, and stuffed it into my backpack.
The next day, I’d finished my photoshoot for the wedding at a nice golf club in Troon, which was in North Scottsdale. And the day after that, photographed a family in the studio. We’d gotten some cute shots of their baby in a red wagon with flowers all around him. Every night, I’d reconnected with Lucas. Thankfully, Tate hadn’t shown up again, so I didn’t have to lie.
It was late afternoon, and I’d bought a bouquet for Stella. Would she have seen Tate around my place while I’d been gone? I parked in my covered spot in the lot and strolled down the walkway to her apartment.
As I walked, I glanced at my apartment. Nothing seemed out of place. Maybe I was finally rid of Tate? I stopped at Stella’s door and knocked, holding the flowers against my chest.
The door swung open, and her eyes widened. “Oh my, hello Ezra.” She clasped her hands on her chest, her gaze darting from my face to the flowers.
“These are for you.” I held them out to her. “I wanted to thank you personally for helping me with Tate.” She was a fucking saint, in all honesty.
“Thank you, dear.” She grabbed the flowers from me and stepped aside. “Please come in. I have some chamomile tea. Do you like that?” She ambled into her galley kitchen, same as mine, and pulled a vase from a top cupboard.
“I do.” Okay, we’d have tea and not a coffee together. I stepped to her farm-style dinette and sat in a chair.
After putting water and the flowers into the vase, she puttered in her kitchen, setting a teakettle on the stove’s burner. “How is your relationship with the young man going?” She grabbed cups and set tea bags inside them.
My heart bloomed with warmth. “Really well. He’s out of town right now, playing away games with his hockey league.” Irubbed my index finger along a scratch on the table’s surface. “But he calls me every day.”
“He seems very protective of you.” She poured hot water into the cups and brought them to the table, along with some honey. “I prefer honey in my tea. You?” She set everything down.
“Same.” I slid my cup toward me and dunked the bag into the hot water. “He’s protective.” I chuckled. Now that I’d seen some of his games, I knew how physical he was. “He’s used to fights. Hockey players get into it on the ice.”
“That they do.” She gave me a pointed look as she spooned honey into her tea. “I’m from Wisconsin. I’ve seen a few hockey games.” She sipped her tea.
“Oh, my boyfriend—” Fuck, that came out of nowhere. “I mean, Lucas, went to school in Minnesota.” I placed the tea bag on a napkin and spooned honey into my tea.
“Ah, a lot of talented hockey players come from there.” She ticked her brows at me. “So, tell me, what’s happening with your ex?” She tightened her lips.
“Thanks to you, the court granted an order of protection against him. It’s temporary, but it’ll do for now.” I glanced through the window, across the courtyard, shaded by tall trees, and to my apartment. Would I ever feel safe there again? My chest pinched. “Even with the order in place, he came to my studio today.” I sipped my drink. Would he try to contest it?
“He did?” Her eyes widened, and she tsked. “I hope you let the police know.”
Dipping my head, I said, “No, he didn’t stay long, so I didn’t call them.” Was I wrong? All I wanted was for him to leave me alone. I didn’t want to put him in jail.
“Why not?” She studied me. “They need to know he’s continuing to be a threat.”
“I guess I’m hoping he stops on his own.” I stared at my mug, my hands wrapped around its warmth on the table.
“It doesn’t sound like that’ll happen.” She draped her hand around my forearm. “Dear, you’ll need to be strong. It’s time you stood up for yourself.”
My gaze cut to hers and the corners of my eyes pricked. But I was, wasn’t I?
“This man is dangerous.” She tensed the edge of her mouth. “I’ve watched enough crime documentaries to know that once these men turn violent, it only escalates.” Her hand slipped away.
Nodding slowly, I took a hard swallow. Had Tate brought a bat with him to the studio? If he did, was he intending to use it on me? My pulse beat into my temples. “H-he, Tate, left a note on my car today. He keeps apologizing and asking me to go back to him.” But the fucker had made it sound like I did something wrong.
