All Chapters of On Thin Ice With You: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Late November settles over Toronto like a held breath.The trees outside Mia's window have given up on leaves entirely, bare branches moving in the wind against a sky that starts going grey by four o'clock. Mia has been on the same group discussion thread for two hours, which is longer than she'd planned.She hits send, closes the tab, and stretches until her spine makes three distinct complaints.The browser is still open. A pop-up blinks at the edge of the screen—some kind of local event notification. She clicks it.Diwali Festival Celebration—Nathan Phillips Square.She reads the description slowly.The Festival of Lights. She scrolls through photos from previous years. Streets were mapped in colored powder, rows of clay lamps, market stalls running as far as the camera can reach.Something in her chest does a small, interested thing.She picks up her phone.[Mia]: There's a Diwali festival coming up. I've never been to one. Are you free that weekend?His reply arrives before she's

The interior of the Bentley is a sanctuary of sweltering luxury, the heater humming a low, steady tune that coaxes a soft sigh of relief from Mia's lips.A dark, knowing smirk plays on Elias's lips as he looms over her.He leans deep into the cabin, reaching across to pull the seatbelt over his girlfriend—he's making sure she's locked in.Mia is oblivious, her head bowed as she meticulously adjusts the fluffy collar of her cashmere shawl. She's focused on the soft wool until a sudden shadow eclipses the light. Her breath hitches, and she looks up, only to find him inches away.One of Elias's hands grips the doorframe for leverage, the action pulling his coat sleeve back just enough to reveal a sliver of a powerful, corded wrist. His other hand reaches across her, the dark fabric of his cashmere coat brushing against her knee.The cabin, once spacious, suddenly feels suffocatingly small.As his arm sweeps across her chest to grab the belt, Mia instinctively presses herself back into th

The silver jewelry stall stops Ellie in her tracks.She'd been mid-sentence, and then the light catches a row of hand-hammered bangles and the sentence simply ends. She grabs Lucas's sleeve without looking at him."There." She points. "We're going there.""For how long?" Lucas asks, with the tone of someone who already knows the answer."Don't ask questions." She glances back at Mia and Lisa, winks once and disappears into the crowd with Lucas in tow.Tyler has already located the samosa stall by smell alone. He turns to Lisa. "Food first. I cannot function in this state."Lisa laughs. "Okay. Food first.""Mia, Elias—samosas?"Elias looks down at Mia.She shakes her head slightly, just for him."We'll find you in a bit," she says to Tyler. "I want to look at the drink stalls first.""Fair enough." Tyler spots Lisa already moving toward the food and follows immediately, still calling back over his shoulder. "Don't get lost! The crowd's only going to get worse!"And then there are two.

"We were going to browse the stalls, but the crowds were just too much," Mia explains with a soft laugh."Oh, look at you, Mia! Defending him already?" Ellie teases, nudging her with a wicked grin. "You're far too biased toward this man. You're spoiling him!"Elias doesn't miss a beat. "If she's not going to be biased toward me, who else is she supposed to love?"Elias turns her away from the conversation and repositions her back against his chest."Do you like the stalls?" he murmurs against the shell of her ear, his warm breath sending a treacherous shiver down her spine. "Tell me what you want. We'll go pick out a gift once the crowd thins."Mia feels a spark of mischief ignite in her chest.She leans back against his sturdy frame, looking up at him through her lashes. "Sure," she chirps. "It can be my birthday gift."The effect is instantaneous. Elias's arm, which had been resting comfortably around her, cinches tight. His blue-gray eyes widening as he stares down at her in pure,

The morning comes in sideways through the curtains.Mia sleeps through it.She'd stayed up later than usual—the residual warmth of the evening, the particular inability to settle that follows a night that contained too many good things.When she finally surfaces, it's because her phone has vibrated itself halfway off the nightstand.She picks it up without opening her eyes.When she opens them, her screen is completely covered.She stares at it for a moment, her brain still offline, and then the notifications resolve into meaning.She sits up and reads.The headline is large and unambiguous.Romance Confirmed? Hockey Star Elias Weston Spotted With Mystery Woman at Diwali Festival: Full Protective Mode All Night.Below it is a video. Shaky phone footage, festival lights in the background, the kind of casual surveillance. The focus is clear enough. Elias, his arm at her waist, his head tilted toward her ear. He pulls her closer when the crowd thickens.Then the fireworks footage. His ar