Semua Bab SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal : Bab 51 - Bab 60

Samantha’s POVThe moment the car rolled through the gates, my stomach clenched.I didn’t even need to see the sign. The trees, the faint smell of pine mixed with the cold sting of ice in the air, the crunch of gravel under the tires, everything was the same. The training camp. That training camp.I heard Anthony groan low under his breath from the front seat, and I didn’t even need to ask why. I knew. I felt it too, the memories rushing back like they’d been waiting for me just past the gates.Eight years ago.Eight years, and I could still see it all: the first time he’d walked over to me, cocky grin plastered on his face like he owned the rink, showing me how to tie my skates properly because apparently I’d been “wasting energy lacing them wrong.” He’d leaned down, his fingers brushing mine, and I remember blushing so hard I almost yanked my foot away.Then the kiss. God. That stupid, reckless, breathtaking kiss. The one that convinced me, for a second, that maybe we were more tha

Samantha’s POVI didn’t sleep.Not properly, anyway. I tossed and turned all night, staring at the ceiling like it held answers to questions I didn’t want to ask. Every creak of the wood, every gust of wind against the cabin walls, reminded me where I was. Here. Back in this place that felt more like a battlefield than a training ground.Somewhere past midnight, I heard Anthony moving around in the next room. A floorboard groaned, a muffled thump, the sound of water running. My chest tightened. I hated that I could tell it was him, that even after all these years my body still knew his rhythms.When I finally drifted off, it was restless, shallow. I dreamed of the rink, cold, endless, with Anthony always just out of reach, spinning away from me no matter how fast I chased him.The alarm ripped me awake at 3:30 a.m. I groaned, slapping at my phone until the noise stopped. My head pounded. My muscles ached, though I hadn’t done anything yet. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, bargain

Samantha’s POV When Cole finally called, “Break,” I nearly sagged with relief. It felt like hours. “Off-ice conditioning. Ten minutes. Let’s go.”Anthony released my hand with a quiet, unreadable expression. I flexed my fingers, as though shaking off the ghost of his touch, and forced my legs to carry me to the benches.We unlaced our skates and jogged to the track outside. The cold air slapped against my damp skin, my lungs already heavy. Cole had set up a circuit, cones, ropes, medicine balls. It looked like military training disguised as fitness. My legs were already shaking from the laps and the drills on the ice, and now this? He had to be joking.“Five stations,” he explained, pacing like a general about to send us into battle. “Sprints, push-ups, squat jumps, rope pulls, core holds. Two minutes each. No breaks.”I groaned out loud, dragging my hands down my face. I was starting to regret not choosing the other coaches, because I was sure none of them had this plans. “Are you

Samantha’s POV I sighed. I wanted to snap at Anthony, but instead, I closed my eyes and let him tie the blindfold around my head. Darkness swallowed me whole.My breathing picked up. My hands clenched at my sides.“Relax,” Anthony murmured near my ear, softer than I expected. “I’ve got you.”My chest tightened. That was the problem.“Step forward,” he said.I froze. My hand twitched at my side, itching to rip the blindfold off. “If I hit a wall, I swear…”“You won’t.” His tone was maddeningly calm, like he could see through every protest. “One step. Just one.”I sucked in a breath and moved. The mat shifted under my sneakers, the rubber squeaking faintly. My arms flew out slightly, as if they could catch balance for me.“See?” he murmured. “Not so bad. Now left. Two steps. Stop.”I obeyed, pulse racing, every nerve waiting for disaster. But nothing happened. Just his voice, firm but low, carrying me forward.He paused. “Good. Now, straighten your shoulders. Trust your center. Don’t l

Samantha’s POVI had just collapsed onto the bed when the knock came. My legs ached from training, my shoulders burned, and every muscle in my body screamed for rest. The last thing I needed was someone bothering me.The plan was to ignore whoever it was, but the knock came again. Persistent.I groaned, rolled over, and buried my face in the pillow. Maybe if I simply ignored it, they’d leave.“Sam,” Anthony’s voice slipped through the wooden door like a ghost I couldn’t get rid of.Of course. Who else would it be?I squeezed my eyes shut. “Go away,” I muttered into the pillow, hoping he’d catch the hint.Silence. For half a second, I thought it worked.Then, another knock, slower this time. “Open the door.” His tone wasn’t harsh, but there was a weight behind it, steady and unyielding, the kind of voice that didn’t believe in being ignored.I sat up, hair a tangled mess, heart pounding faster than it should. Why was I nervous? I shouldn’t be nervous. He was just Anthony. Infuriating,