All Chapters of Where the ice melts : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

68 Chapters

The first break

RONAN POVI watched her move around the kitchen as if she belonged there… focused, calm, and bossy in a way that somehow worked. Annoying. Definitely annoying.And yet… I couldn’t look away.She corrected my grip on the bowl, told me to slow down, and told me I was rushing like it was a competition. I wanted to argue. Hell, I always argued. It was instinct at this point.But I didn’t.Because as much as she irritated me, Ivy Cross was…. Different.At twenty-two, she already had a CGPA of 7.2… something I’d heard whispered by professors like she is a damn legend. A genius. The kind of brain people didn’t forget. The kind that could actually drag my ass out of academic hell if she wanted to.And the worst part?She wasn’t trying to impress me.She didn’t flirt. Didn’t fawn. Didn’t soften her words because I was Ronan Hale. She didn't treat me like a problem that needed fixing. And I didn’t know whether th

Not enough

IVY POVFor the past two weeks, Hale had been on his best behavior.And that alone was terrifying.He was… nice. Shockingly nice. Polite. No snapping. No attitude. No bossy commands.Just calm answers and actual effort during our tutoring sessions. All of it started after I helped him bake that strawberry pie for the NHL scout… which was still one of the weirdest things I did ever thought I would do in my life… baking for Hale.Nice Ronan Hale didn’t sit right with me.Classes that day were the usual kind of chaos. Professors rushing through lectures, deadlines piling up, my brain juggling too many things at once. I barely made it to my last class on time and had to sprint across campus just to submit an assignment before the deadline.By the time I was done, my legs ached and my head throbbed.I checked the time and groaned. I was late.Stuffing my notebook into my bag, I hurried toward the cafeteria to mee

Breaking point

IVY POVNo matter how many times I visited Hale, I never got used to how breathtaking his mansion was. The high ceilings, the quiet luxury, the way everything felt expensive without trying… it still made me pause every single time. The past few weeks have been… surprisingly nice. And that was mostly because of Walter. He made the place feel less cold, less like a fortress built for one grumpy hockey prince.I sat across from Hale at the long dining table, notebook open, pen in hand, trying to ignore the way his brow furrowed so tight it looked like it might crack. He squinted at the page, lips moving awkwardly as he tried to read a simple line in Spanish.“‘Romeo… y… Julieta… es… tragico…’” he stammered, mangling the pronunciation so badly it made my teeth ache.“No!” I said, leaning forward. “It’s trágico, with the accent on the ‘a’. Say it again.”He groaned, dragging his hand down his face. “Why the hell does the school want us to read

I said No

IVY POVI sat there, my heart hammering like it wanted to jump right out of my chest.“What movies do you like?” he asked softly, his voice low, smooth, making my chest tighten even more.I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “Uh… I don’t know. A little of everything, I guess. Depends on the mood.” My voice sounded smaller than I wanted, and I hated how aware I was of every sound I made near him.He leaned back slightly, studying me like he was trying to read my thoughts. “A little of everything, huh? Dangerous,” he said, a small smirk tugging at his lips.I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop the small smile that escaped anyway. “Yeah… dangerous for you, maybe.”He chuckled, a soft, low sound that sent another little twist of warmth through me. “Hmm… maybe I like dangerous.”I felt my stomach flutter, and I looked down at my hands, suddenly very interested in the armrest.“Alright,” I whispered, “pick the movie, Mr.

No more control

IVY POVI swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.He was too close… close enough that I could see the faint scar near his eyebrow, close enough to feel his warmth.“Love,” I said slowly, buying time, “isn’t some perfect movie moment.”His eyes stayed on mine, unblinking.“It’s messy,” I continued. “It’s choosing someone even when they annoy you. Even when they make no sense. It’s staying… when walking away would be easier.”His jaw tightened just a little.“It’s caring when you don’t want to,” I said, my voice softer now. “It’s worrying about someone at two in the morning. It’s showing up. Over and over again.”For a moment, he didn’t say anything.Then he leaned back slightly, running a hand through his hair. “Sounds exhausting.”I let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah. It is.”His gaze dropped to my hands, still clenched in my lap, then lifted back to my face. Something unreadable flickered there… some

Threads breaking

IVY POVMy phone buzzed on the counter while Max and I ate breakfast, both of us laughing way too hard at the picture Zoe had sent of her blind date. The guy looked like he’d lost a fight with a hair dryer.I reached for my phone without thinking.RH: Hey, would you like to come to my game tonight?I froze.Another message came in before I could even breathe.RH: Please come… You can bring your friends too.My heart skipped. Then stuttered. Then completely forgot how to function.“Dude… what is it, Ivy?” Max asked, noticing my sudden silence.Before I could stop him, he grabbed my phone from my hand.His eyes scanned the screen. Once. Twice.Then his head snapped up. “Did Hale just invite you to his game?”I swallowed hard.He looked back at the phone, then at me again, like the answer might change if he checked twice. “No. No way. He’s literally begging.”“M

Power and silence

IVY POVRonan walked up to us, Vienna leaning slightly on his arm, looking effortless and perfect as always.“Hi,” he said softly, his eyes flicking to me first.“Hi,” I murmured, my throat suddenly dry.“Thank you for coming,” he added, still keeping his gaze on me. My chest tightened.“Sure…” I managed to say, trying to sound casual.“Are… are you in a hurry? The guys and some of our friends want to grab a drink. Would you like to come with us?” His voice was calm, but there was something in the way he looked at me that made my stomach twist.He added, “Your friends can come too.”I froze, unsure what to say. My mind raced… do I say yes? Do I pretend I don’t care?Then Max’s voice cut through my thoughts. “We would love to,” he said, eyes sparkling as he glanced at Vienna.“Absolutely,” Zoe chimed in, bumping my shoulder lightly, grinning.I took a shaky breath, trying to calm the su

The last tie

IVY POVMax was busy leaning a little too close to Vienna, clearly in his element. Zoe had already turned on her charm, laughing and flirting with one of Ronan’s teammates like they’d known each other for years.I stayed quiet, sitting back and slowly sipping my drink, watching everything like I didn’t quite belong.Then I felt him behind me.Close. Too close.His mouth hovered near my ear, his breath warm against my skin. “Would you like to step out for a bit?” he asked, his voice low and soft.My heart skipped.“Sure,” I whispered.He led me away from the noise, up to the rooftop of the lounge. The city lights stretched out below us, glowing and calm, the wind cool against my face.“The view here is breathtaking… it makes me feel calm,” he said quietly.“It’s beautiful,” I replied.He turned to look at me fully then, his gaze steady.“You know,” he said, “you know everything about me.

Still standing

IVY POVAsshole!Zoe snapped at Max, hands on her hips. “You were supposed to go swimming with us, and you canceled just to go on a date with a girl you barely know.”Max shrugged, completely unbothered. “Yeah… Swimming with you guys isn’t even fun…I'd rather spend my day with some bitches than swimming with you guys. ”Zoe’s eyes flashed. “You… You are such an asshole. And a dickhead.”He laughed, leaning back. “You wish you could suck my dick. I know you want to.”“Ugh!” Zoe cut him off with a groan, clearly disgusted.I just sat there, watching them go back and forth like always. Loud. Messy. Familiar.I glanced at Zoe. Her anger looked a little too intense, a little too personal. And suddenly I wondered if she still liked Max. I knew she’d had a crush on him back in our first year. I remember when she would run after him around the campus. Maybe some feelings never really went away.Zoe finally

My own path

IVY POVZoe and I were having a quiet lunch by the pool, the kind that made everything feel light again. We talked, laughed, gossiped about nonsense… old classes, stupid professors, Max being annoying. For a moment, I almost forgot everything else.Almost.Then a shadow fell over my plate.I looked up.“You must be Ivy Cross,” a voice said.I knew that voice.Vienna.She stood there with a tight smile, the kind that wasn’t a smile at all. It felt dirty. Heavy. Like trouble.I stared at her, my stomach tightening. “Yes?”She tilted her head slightly. “You remember me, don’t you?” she said slowly. “Ronan’s girlfriend.”Yeah… how could I forget?“Yeah,” I said flatly. “How can I help you?” My tone came out colder than I meant, but I could already feel the attitude rolling off her, and I didn’t like it.She scoffed under her breath. “What a slut…”“Excuse me?” Zo

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