Page 41 of Cold As Ice

Poor bastard wasn’t handling things well.

Connor: A few texts back and forth.

Austin: What’s up with that?

Connor: Things got a little claustrophobic at my parents’ house.

Noah: Is she there for the rest of winter break?

Connor: I don’t know.

Noah: I hope you know what you’re doing.

Austin: Holden has a point, Con.

Connor: Since when do you give a shit about our relationship?

Austin: Dude, you were going to propose. Now she’s with her mom and you’re stuck in Dayton.

Connor: Some space will do us both good.

Noah: You don’t think you’ll have enough of that when she’s back in Lakeshore and you’re not?

Connor didn’t reply, and Noah sent me a text to our separate chat.

Noah: Do you think we should be worried?

Austin: He’ll pull himself out of it.

Noah: Yeah, and if he doesn’t?

Austin: It’s Connor, Holden. He’s the best of us.

If anyone could get through this, it was him.

But as I re-read my words, I wasn’t so sure anymore. Everything was different now.

Connor was injured.

Ella was hurting.

And I couldn’t get a girl I barely knew out of my mind.

* * *

I didn’t get to see Madison again. But it was probably for the best, considering Ella returned to Lakeshore unannounced after Connor, the idiot, fucked things up again.

She looked half-asleep as I banged and slammed around the kitchen, grabbing everything I needed.

Noah had texted to say she wasn’t in a good way, and I saw it the second I opened the door to her, looking red-eyed and hungover.

“Here you go,” I said. “It’s the best I could do.”

She lifted her head to find me pushing a plate of pancakes and bacon toward her. “I’m impressed.” She gave me a weak smile. “It smells good.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not completely useless.” I moved back to lean against the counter. “So you haven’t talked to Con?”

“Nope. I’m not sure I’m ready to hear all his excuses.”

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