Page 3 of Snow

Nova pulled off her gloves with a triumphant grin and tossed them aside. “You tapped out faster than last time.”

“That’s because you’re a beast,” he said, ruffling his sweaty hair with his hand. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

They both chuckled as they made their way to the edge of the ring. Joaquin grabbed a towel and slung it around his neck. He shot her a sideways glance.

“So, have you decided if you’re going to accept your entry to Apex?”

Nova had hoped he wouldn’t bring that up. Ever since she received an invitation three weeks ago from the Apex Kickboxing League to participate in their national tournament, Joaquin had been hounding her about it.

“I don’t think I’m going to enter.”

“Why not? The league’s president personally invited you. This is your shot to show off your skills.”

She sighed. “I know, but I’m not really interested in competing. Plus, it’s the same weekend as Rick’s campaign event.”

Joaquin shook his head. “I guess that answers my next question,” he said, giving her a disapproving look.

“What question is that?” she asked.

“If you two were still together.”

She grabbed her water bottle and took a long sip before answering. “He’s still around.” Her voice sounded almost mechanical. “Why?”

“Just wondering. You haven’t mentioned him lately.”

Nova saw him wrinkle his nose, a sign he wasn’t impressed with her boyfriend, which wasn’t front-page news.

She quirked one of her eyebrows. “You’re not even trying to hide your distaste for him anymore, huh?”

“Why should I?” Joaquin shrugged, smirking. “He’s a douchebag in a nice suit. You deserve better.”

Nova rolled her eyes, but his words hit closer than she liked to admit. Joaquin had never liked Rick, and she knew why.

Under that successful, polished, and ambitious persona, Rick often came across as condescending and arrogant. She blamed a lot of that on his upbringing. Rick came from a very affluent family in Salt Lake City. His father was the current governor, though his term would be ending at the end of the year. But if the Montgomery family had their way, the legacy wouldn’t end there. Rick had already announced his candidacy, fully intending to slide seamlessly into his father’s place and continue the family dynasty.

“You don’t have to like him,” she said, trying to keep her tone light, though it was a little more defensive than she intended.

“What do you really see in him, Nova?” Joaquin’s question was soft but probing as his eyes narrowed slightly.

She fell silent, her eyes drifting to the floor of the gym. What did she see in Rick?

Beyond the polished smile, expensive suits, successful legal career, and admittedly handsome face, there really wasn’t much else. Somewhere along the way, she had convinced herself that they worked because they understood each other’s careers and ambitions, but now she wasn’t even sure that was true.

Rick thrived in the spotlight. He loved being the center of every room he walked into. Nova had always been the opposite. She preferred staying out of the public eye, keeping her head down, and letting her work speak for itself. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the only thing they had truly shared in common was that they were both lawyers. However, even that felt hollow because she didn’t particularly enjoy corporate law.

Hell, she despised being a lawyer. She wanted to be doing something she enjoyed. Something that made her feel alive. Her dream was to one day own a state-of-the-art kickboxing gym, where she could train those who share her passion. She also wanted to teach women and girls self-defense so they would never feel powerless.

She had brought it up once to her father while she was still in college, but he shut her down immediately.

“Stop chasing childish fantasies, Nova. Your place is here, in this firm, carrying the family name, not wasting it on some sweaty little hobby. It would be an embarrassment to the family, not to mention what Rick and his family would think.”

Somehow or another, everything in her life always revolved around either her family’s name or Rick and his family.

Rick was another carefully chosen piece of her life. Her family and Rick’s family were longtime friends. The kind that spent holidays together, attended the same charity events, and vacationed together.

She had known Rick most of her life. He was five years older than her and had actually gone through school with her twin brothers, which meant he had existed on the edge of her world as one of Rob and Wallace’s friends for years. They hadn’t really become close until after she graduated from law school and joined her father’s firm, where Rick was already building a successful career for himself.

The two of them started spending more time together between cases, firm events, and long hours at the office. About a year and a half later, they officially started dating, though looking back, Nova couldn’t ignore how much encouragement and subtle pressure had come from both their parents.