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Chapter 32: Final Draft
publish date:
2026-07-03 00:28:46
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Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 32: Final Draft
I didn’t sleep much. Every time I started drifting off, my mind circled back to the same unanswered question. Dean’s car. Mason outside my dorm. The moment I turned around and realized Dean had already driven away. I had no idea how much he’d seen, and the uncertainty followed me all the way to Easton the next morning. The athletic center was running on pure preseason energy. Coaches crossed the halls with clipboards tucked under their arms, trainers pushed equipment carts from one room to another, and players seemed to be everywhere at once. The regular season was only days away, and the entire building felt like it had collectively decided there was no more time to waste. I had barely set my camera bag on my desk when Melissa looked up from her computer. “There you are.” “I don’t know whether to be relieved or concerned.” “That depends.” She held up a printed folder. “Your feature’s finished.” I took it carefully, suddenly more nervous than I’d expected. “Already?” “You met
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 31: Old Habits
“You shouldn’t be here.” The words were out before I could soften them. Mason stood outside my dorm with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, looking like he had every intention of waiting until I acknowledged him. Behind me, Dean’s car was still parked where he’d left it. I assumed he was checking something on his phone before driving off and thought nothing of it. Mason gave a tired smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Probably not.” “I told you I didn’t want to do this.” “I know.” He shifted his weight, looking around the quiet courtyard before settling his attention back on me. “But you stopped answering my calls, and I figured if I wanted one chance to say this properly, I’d have to do it in person.” I sighed. “Mason…” “No, just… hear me out. Then I’ll leave.” I almost told him no. I should have. Instead, I stood there while a cold breeze slipped between the buildings, carrying the last of the evening chatter from students heading back to their dorms. “I’ve spen
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 30: Learning Curves
The skates in Dean’s hands looked less like sports equipment and more like a threat to my well-being. I glanced between them and his entirely too calm expression. “You’re joking.” “I’m not.” “I’ve never done this before.” “I know.” “I could die.” “You won’t.” “That’s exactly what people say before someone dies.” His mouth twitched, amusement slipping through despite his attempt to stay serious, and he sat on the bench like this was the most ordinary plan in the world, setting the skates down in front of me. “Come here.”I glanced around the empty arena as if someone else might volunteer. “There isn’t anyone else you can teach?” “No.” “What terrible luck.” “Iris.” “Hm?” “Sit.” I dropped onto the bench with a quiet laugh, shaking my head. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.” “You already did.” “I was emotionally manipulated.” “I suggested.” “You suggested with confidence.” “That usually works.” “It really shouldn’t.” Before I could protest
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 29: Thin Ice
I had three pages of notes and thirty-seven photos, and none of it translated into a finished article. The cursor blinked on the blank page, waiting.“This is your thinking face.”Melissa leaned against the doorway with a coffee, watching me like she’d walked in on a rerun she’d seen before.“I thought my thinking face looked smarter.”“It does,” she said, dragging a chair over and sitting across from me. “That’s the problem.”I slid the notebook toward her. She flipped through it slowly, humming under her breath as she skimmed, pausing here and there like she was testing the weight of something. When she closed it, she didn’t rush to fill the silence, which made me sit up straighter.“Interesting.”“That’s all?” I asked.She tapped the cover. “You’ve barely written anything.”“I know.”“No tragic backstory. No dramatic angle. No headline that screams for attention.”“I know,” I said again, quieter.She leaned back, studying me with something closer to curiosity than criticism. “The f
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 28: Step Closer
My alarm went off at five, sharp and unforgiving, and for once I didn’t argue with it. I silenced it before it could escalate and lay there for a second, already awake in a way that felt unfamiliar—yesterday had been enough of a lesson. I wasn’t about to repeat it. My phone buzzed just as I set it down. Unknown number. I opened the message, expecting something routine, and instead found: Hi. It’s Dean. Melissa gave me your number. You don’t have to come in this early today. I figured we could finish the interview after practice this evening instead. Hope that’s okay. I read it twice, slower the second time, as if the meaning might shift under scrutiny. It didn’t. It was straightforward, practical, and unmistakably him. A small smile slipped in before I could stop it. Of course Melissa had handed over my number. I would have done the same. I typed back before I could overthink it. That works perfectly. Thank you. And thanks for not giving up on the interview after yesterday. The ty
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 27: Almost
“Two hot chocolates.” The phrase lodged itself in my head with absurd persistence. Ryan had already forgotten it, Dean hadn’t reacted at all, and yet it lingered, quietly unsettling me. When I looked at Dean, he met my gaze with the same steady calm as always, like nothing had happened. Somehow, that made it worse. “Can we talk?” I asked, my voice coming out drier than I intended. “Sure.” No hesitation, no edge, no sign that I’d inconvenienced him. Just an agreement, simple and immediate, like it cost him nothing. It should have eased the knot in my chest. It didn’t. “I just need to finish editing a few things first,” I added, gesturing vaguely toward the media room as if that explained anything. He nodded once. “I’ll wait.” “You don’t have to.” “I know.” A faint pause, then, “I’ll wait.” There wasn’t anything to argue with, so I nodded and headed back inside, hoping work would settle whatever was buzzing under my skin. It didn’t. I opened the same folder three times and adju
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