Page 3 of Ruthless Blade

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Yeah, I definitely should’ve listened to Hazel.

The look on his face screamed I didn’t belong here. He knew it, and I knew it. I didn’t belong on the ice, as much as I wanted to. My brother always made me feel welcome, but he despised having me around. Like I was a bug on the bottom of his shoe.

I narrowed my gaze, and the moment I did, it seemed he took it as a challenge and a smirk lifted on his lips. It was like he knew something I didn’t.

Ugh, I can’t stand him.

Breaking eye contact, I turned to Hazel, who was not so patiently waiting on me. “Let’s go.”

“About time; you don’t need to be around that mess.”

I followed her down the stairs, listening to the players, their skates going back and forth across the ice.

When we made our way around and out of the arena, I was able to breathe again. It was like being near Kayden, near the ice, constricted my ability to breathe.

Why couldn’t I just let go?

Why couldn’t I just move on?

Because no matter how hard I tried, Kayden wouldn’t let me forget.

“So, what are your plans for the weekend?” She asked, knowing I had nothing to do, meaning I would have to succumb to her will to get me out.

“I’m going home.”

She stopped in her tracks, mouth wide open. “You’re going home? You haven’t been home in over a year.” Her brows turned inward, “What made you change your mind?”

A sigh escaped my lips, “Mom has a boyfriend and she wants me to meet him.”

“Whoa, that’s big. How do you feel about that?” I shrugged, sitting down by the big tree that was right outside the rink. Underneath it was a bench, which right about now, seemed like a pretty good idea. Temps outside were getting hotter, preparing for summer. It made the trek back to campus hefty.

Getting in a car was not my idea of fun, so I walked or rode my bike everywhere I could. Going back home though, would mean riding the bus.

“I don’t know. I’m not thrilled about it. Isn’t it too soon?”

She sat down beside me, her blue eyes showing concern. “It’s been a year since...since it happened. Some people only wait three months. I think it’s time.”

I kicked a rock with my shoe, “She’s moving on too fast. I’m not okay with this and I don’t want to meet him.”

She looked at all the people coming and going from the arena, and I knew she was thinking the exact same thing. “Then don’t go.”

I leaned back against the bench and crossed my arms over my chest. “She threatened me.”

Her head whipped around. “What? Has she lost her mind?”

“Yep. Said if I don’t go home and meet him, she’ll throw all of my stuff in the trash. All my trophies, everything I worked so hard for. She’ll throw it in the trash like it never existed.”

“Why is she being so harsh?”

“I don’t know. It’s like she wants to erase us and start new.”

“Your mom is a selfish bitch. She’s not the only one hurting.” A snort escaped my lips at her words, but the truth was, while she was acting badly, Mom was just hurting. She wanted to erase her pain just as much as I did.

“Alright, let’s go get some food. I’m starving.”

Chapter Two

LEXI