Page 20 of Only Ever You

He hums. “Just saying. Looks like she’s as good with a partner as she is on her own.” His eyes follow her every move.

“She’s amazing. Period.” I roll my shoulders, stepping onto the ice. “She doesn’t need anyone’s help for that.”

Turner snorts. “I never said she did.”

“We need to warm up.” Without waiting for a response, I skate toward Asher and the other guys.

I don’t look back to see whether Turner is following, but I also don’t hear anything other than Isla’s laughter echoing around the rink. My stomach roils, and my hands go slick inside my gloves.

This is ridiculous. It’s just practice. I don’t need to be so worked up about it. I can ask her about it later. Maybe it’s just a one-time thing.

Coach claps his hands. “Alright, helmets on. Let’s go.”

The guys start skating toward the first drill, but I hang back for a second. Isla and the dude she was skating with finish up and move toward the gate on our side of the rink.

I grab my water bottle like that was the plan all along and linger near the boards, pretending to take a drink while trying to figure out who the hell he is.

When she spots me, she breaks into a smile and picks up her pace. “I figured you’d already be in the middle of the first drill.”

“Needed a drink,” I mumble, shifting my attention to the guy beside her. “Hey. I’m Michael.”

Up close, it’s obvious I was right—he’s older than we are, with a little stubble on his cheeks. His green eyes flick over me as he runs a hand through his dark brown hair.

“Dean.”

“I’ve never seen you skate with Isla before. Thought I’d say hi. She’s my best friend.”

His gaze snaps to Isla and then back to me before he breaks into a lazy grin that makes my skin hotter. And not in a good way.

“The infamous best friend. Coach warned me about you.” He chuckles.

My chest clenches. What does that mean? What did Elena say about me?

“Cassie, my usual partner, sprained her ankle. Elena suggested I come to Isla’s practice and skate with her.” He presses his hand to the small of her back. “I think we make a great team, don’t you?” he asks, his face tilted toward her.

The way her expression lights up when she looks at him knocks the air out of my lungs. That blush, the one usually reserved for me, appears on her cheeks.

Why is she looking at him like that?

“We do,” she says. “But I still prefer being a single.”

Head thrown back, he laughs. “At least you’re honest.”

He drops his hand then, just in time. I was ready to yank it away from her lower back.

“Will you wait for me?” I ask her, forcing my tone to stay even.

“Of course. I just need to change into something more comfortable.” Nodding, Isla skates past me. I let her go, though I move a bit to block this dude’s path.

“Bye, Dean,” she throws over her shoulder as she hurries to the locker room.

Once it’s just us, I zero in on him. “Aren’t you a little too old to skate with her?”

He snorts. “Dude, I’m sixteen.”

Grunting, I look him up and down. “And she’s fourteen.”

“Two years.” He shakes his head, his lips kicked up on one side. “Coach was right about you.”