All Chapters of The Ice Between Us: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I don’t even make it through the front door before I hear my name.“…Merritt...Lena Merritt...”The TV is on in the living room, volume just loud enough to carry down the hall. My mom must’ve left it playing. I drop my bag by the door and step closer, heart already sinking.It’s the post‑game press conference.And there she is.The reporter from the lobby.Her voice is sugary‑sweet in that way people use when they’re about to say something awful.“Evan, witnesses say the fan was just talking to her. Why did you react so strongly?”I roll my eyes so hard it hurts. “Sports reporter,” I mutter. “Right.”She sounds more like a gossip blogger fishing for drama.I sink onto the couch, arms crossed tight. My stomach twists as I listen.Evan sits at the table, jaw tight, eyes sharp. He looks irritated, but controlled. More controlled than I expected after last night.“We grew up together,” he says when she asks if he knows me.My breath catches. He didn’t have to say that. Then she pushes aga

I’ve been replaying that conversation with Lena for days. The way she stood there in the tunnel, nervous but trying to be brave. The way she thanked me, quiet, sincere, like she wasn’t sure she had the right to. The way her eyes kept flicking away from mine, like looking at me too long might burn. It was awkward. Painfully awkward. But it was also the first real conversation we’ve had in years. And now I can’t stop thinking about her.I keep catching myself looking for her truck when I pull into the arena. I keep glancing toward the pond on my early mornings, wondering if she’s out there skating. I keep thinking about how small she looked in that lobby, surrounded by cameras and questions she didn’t deserve. I want to talk to her again. I want to start over. I want to know her again. But I have no idea how to do that without screwing it up. So when I see her in the parking lot a few days later, hair pulled back, bag slung over her shoulder, looking like she’s trying to blend into the

It’s been a few days since lunch with Lena, and I’m still thinking about it. Not in the stressed, overthinking way I expected. In the good way. The kind of way that sneaks up on you when you’re not paying attention. She stops to talk to me every morning now, just a few minutes before she heads to the pond and I head into practice. Sometimes it’s about training. Sometimes it’s about her parents. Sometimes it’s nothing at all.But it feels… easy. Natural. Like we’re finding our way back to something we lost. And I can’t wait to see where it goes. I’m also trying to figure out who the hell Sabrina is. Every time I think about that lunch, about Lena laughing so hard she nearly spilled her coffee, I get this weird mix of amusement and dread. Amusement because Lena’s laugh is still one of my favorite sounds. Dread because apparently some stranger thinks we’re dating. I still don’t know her. At all.Practice ends, and Mason jogs up beside me as we head toward the parking lot. “So,” he says,

The pond looks beautiful this morning, thin sunlight glinting off the ice, the air crisp enough to sting my cheeks. The younger girls are already buzzing with excitement, lacing up their skates on the wooden bench Coach Daniels set up.And then there’s Sabrina. She stands at the edge of the pond like she’s afraid the ice might stain her skates. Or her soul.She wrinkles her nose. “I cannot believe you actually train out here.”I bite back a sigh. “It’s peaceful.”“It’s dirty,” she corrects, flipping her hair. “There are leaves. And… nature.”Mia snorts under her breath. Harper hides a smile.Coach Daniels steps up beside me, arms crossed. “If the pond is too ‘natural’ for you, Sabrina, you’re welcome to sit and observe.”Her mouth drops open. “Observe?”“Yes,” he says, tone firm. “Sit. Watch. Learn.”It’s the politest clapback I’ve ever heard.The younger girls giggle as Sabrina stomps over to the bench, muttering something about “real athletes skate indoors.”I ignore her and step on

I can’t stop smiling. I’ve tried, really, I have, but every time my mind drifts, I’m right back in the arena. The roar of the crowd. The energy. The way Evan skated out and immediately looked for me. The way he waved. And the way Sabrina practically launched herself over two girls to blow him a kiss.I bite my lip to keep from laughing again. She’s trying way too hard. And Evan being absolutely miserable about it? That’s just… karma. High school karma.Because back then, he used to tease me relentlessly. Not in a mean way—just enough to make my face turn red and my stomach flip. So watching him now, dodging Sabrina like she’s radioactive, feels like the universe finally balancing the scales.The party is loud and warm, full of people talking over each other, music playing, food everywhere. The younger girls are having the time of their lives. And honestly? So am I.Emma, Mason’s little sister, is a breath of fresh air. Sweet, bright, starry‑eyed. She told me she wants to be like me so