All Chapters of Skating With Hearts : Chapter 21 - Chapter 27

I didn’t know how long I’d been standing there with her in my arms but the second Skylar finally stepped back, I already missed the warmth. It was stupid, but nothing compared to this—being here with her, seeing her eyes soften like that, feeling like I was someone worth holding on to.She tilted her head, a small smile tugging her lips.“So,” she said, “what now? Are you going to stand there looking like you’re about to write me a sonnet, or are we actually going to do something?”I smirked. “A sonnet, huh? Tempting. But fine…what do you want to do?”Her eyes lit up and her lips curled up. “You ever just hang out in the art studio? I need to finish something.”Five minutes later, I was perched on one of the high stools, watching her spread out her pencils, brushes, and a battered sketchpad like it was her personal treasure chest. She tucked her hair behind her ear and bent over the page. I didn’t even try to hide that I was staring.“You know,” I said, “I didn’t peg you for the ‘seri

I closed my dorm door behind me with a soft click and let my back press against it for a second.The quiet felt almost too loud after the slow burn of the afternoon and evening. My legs carried me toward the bathroom on autopilot, shedding my jacket and bag along the way. Steam soon curled up around me as I sank into a hot shower, letting the water slide over my shoulders, loosening the stubborn knots in my muscles. The scent of my vanilla soap filled the space, wrapping me up in something warm and familiar. I lingered longer than I should’ve, maybe because I didn’t really want to step back into reality. At least not yet. When I finally padded back into the room, my hair damp and hanging over one shoulder, I rummaged through the mini-fridge for the leftover bagel and scrambled eggs from the morning. Not glamorous, but still soft and buttery when I reheated them. The eggs had gone a little rubbery in the microwave, but the sharpness of the cheddar melted into them made up for it. I

The next day, I woke up to the soft hum of the heater and the faint smell of peach soda in the room. For a moment, my brain did that automatic morning checklist—it was Sunday and so I didn’t have class today. Also, my coffee was probably still in the fridge from yesterday—Shit!And then I rolled over as I groaned out loud. And I almost screamed at what I saw. June was lying on the bed across from mine, hair sticking up like she’d fought a small electrical storm, boots still on from last night, one arm draped dramatically over her forehead. She looked like the cover photo for a chaotic band album, except the band had been forcibly disbanded at 3 a.m.As I continued to stare at her with wide eyes and opened mouth while wondering what the hell someone like that was doing here, it all came rushing back—the knock on my door last night, Ms. Finch’s ruler posture and June then stepping into my space I had guarded diligently with her spoon in her hair like she’d lived here her whole life.

As we practiced, Coach Donovan’s whistle cut through the air one last time before he waved us over, sweat running down his temples as he did so. “Good hustle today,” he said, eyes scanning us. “Even you, Ryans. Guess that early exit yesterday didn’t ruin your stamina.”I rolled my eyes in response. Yeah, because sprinting halfway across campus to see a girl is apparently a cardio session now.Before I could even grab my water bottle, Ethan’s grin slid into my line of vision. He was relaxing himself on Liam’s shoulder while he scowled at me. “So,” he started, stretching the word like he was about to ask me how I feel about global politics. “How was your… urgent business yesterday?”I rolled my eyes again and took a swig from my bottle. “None of your business.”I meant that even though Skylar was his younger sister and as expected, he glared at me. “That’s what makes it fun to guess,” Liam chimed in, smirking as if he wanted to diffuse the situation. “Bet you were with Skylar.”Zayn