All Chapters of The Ice Between Us: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

44 Chapters

Chapter 21 Evan

It’s been a few days since the party, and things have settled into this weird, comfortable rhythm. Lena and I text every day now. Not long, deep conversations. just little things. A joke. A picture of the pond. A sarcastic comment about practice. And, of course, her favorite topic: Sabrina.Every time Sabrina does something ridiculous, which is often, Lena sends me a play‑by‑play like she’s reporting live from the scene. This morning’s text was:Lena:Sabrina told the girls she’s “basically a Hart.”Should I send condolences?I laughed so hard I nearly dropped my protein shake.Tonight, I’m having dinner with my parents at one of the small Italian places downtown. The kind with dim lights, red‑checkered tablecloths, and a menu that hasn’t changed since before I was born. It’s loud and warm and familiar, the kind of night that makes me forget how stressful playoffs are.Dad twirls pasta onto his fork like it’s a competitive sport. Mom keeps tearing off pieces of garlic bread and droppi

Chapter 22 Lena

I haven’t been this excited to get out of the house in weeks. I’m standing in front of my mirror, brushing out my hair while my mom sits on the edge of my bed, sipping her coffee and giving me that look. The one that means she’s about to start trouble.“So…” she says casually, “Evan’s mom is joining us today.”I roll my eyes. “Yes, Mom. You already said that.”“And Mason’s sister, Emma, you invited her. And you’re smiling.”“I smile,” I protest.“Not like that,” she says, pointing at my face. “That’s your ‘Evan texted me this morning’ smile.”I groan. “Mom. We’re just friends.”She hums like she doesn’t believe a single word. “Mhm. And I’m the Queen of England.”I toss a pillow at her. She dodges it, laughing.“We are just friends,” I insist. “He has playoffs. I have recovery. We’re both busy.”“And yet,” she says, standing and grabbing her purse, “you’re glowing.” I shove her out of my room.We meet Mrs. Hart and Emma outside the boutique downtown. Emma practically launches herself a

Chapter 23 Sabrina/Coach Daniels

I can’t breathe. I’m pacing my room, replaying the shopping trip over and over until the humiliation burns behind my eyes. Lena’s mom. Mrs. Hart. That little girl. All of them ganging up on me like I’m the problem. Like I’m the one who doesn’t belong. They treated me like I was invisible. Like I was ridiculous. Like I was… wrong. And Lena just stood there, letting them defend her like she’s some fragile princess who needs rescuing.It makes me sick. I flop onto my bed, gripping my phone so tightly my fingers ache. I’ve tried everything, being nice, being supportive, being patient. And what has it gotten me? Ignored. Dismissed. Laughed at.Evan won’t even look at me. His mother practically shoved me out of the restaurant. And Lena? She’s walking around like she’s the golden girl again. No. No, I’m not letting that happen. If they want to paint me as the villain, fine. I’ll give them a story worth talking about.I scroll through my contacts until I find the number I saved months ago, th

Chapter 24 Evan

Practice ends on a high note, fast, clean, sharp. Exactly what we need heading into playoffs. I’m grabbing my water bottle when Coach Hartman’s voice booms across the rink. “Hart! Office. Now.” Not a request. Not even close.The guys all wince like I’m walking into a firing squad. Mason mutters, “Good luck, dude,” under his breath.I follow Coach down the hall, still sweaty, still breathing hard, still clueless about what I supposedly did.The second I step into his office, I know something’s off. He’s standing behind his desk, arms crossed, jaw clenched, eyes locked on me like I personally set the rink on fire. “Sit,” he snaps. I sit. He doesn’t. “What the hell is going on with you and that girl?”I blink. “What girl?”“Don’t play dumb with me,” he barks. “Lena. Merritt. Whatever her last name is.”My stomach drops. “Nothing is going on. We’re just...”He slams his hand on the desk. “Don’t give me that. Not after this crap.”He spins his monitor toward me. And there it is. The articl

Chapter 25 Sabrina

It’s been almost a week since the article dropped, and honestly? I’ve never felt more… powerful. Everywhere I go, people are whispering. In the rink. In the locker room. In the stands at the competition today.Some of them look at me with sympathy, poor Sabrina, betrayed by Evan Hart. Others look at me like they’re not sure what to believe. But they’re talking. About me. About him. About Lena. And that’s what matters.Because for the first time since she came crawling back into town, Lena isn’t the golden girl. She isn’t the comeback story. She isn’t the sweet, perfect skater everyone worships. She’s the scandal. And she’s not even here to defend herself. I stand near the warm‑up area, stretching, pretending not to listen as two girls whisper behind me.“Did you see the article?”“Yeah… I feel bad for Sabrina.”“I don’t know… something about it seems off.”“Well, Lena’s not here, is she?”I smile to myself. Exactly. Lena didn’t show up. Didn’t enter the competition. Didn’t even come t

Chapter 26 Coach Daniels

I knew things were getting bad. But I didn’t realize how bad until I watched Sabrina’s press conference. I’m sitting in my office, laptop open, coffee going cold, listening to her spin lie after lie with a straight face. Blaming Lena. Blaming Evan. Blaming “heartbreak” for her second‑place finish. By the time the clip ends, my jaw is clenched so tight it hurts. This is spiraling. Fast.I grab my phone and call my boss, Ramirez, in Chicago. He answers on the second ring.“Daniels. Tell me you’re seeing this.”“Oh, I’m seeing it,” I say. “And I’m telling you right now, this is all garbage. Every bit of it.”He exhales sharply. “I sent Lena home to recover, not start a cheating scandal.”“She didn’t,” I snap. “That article is fake. Evan doesn’t even know Sabrina. He’s been helping Lena off the ice, that’s it. I can get Hart to attest to it.”There’s a long silence on the other end. I can practically hear him thinking, weighing PR, timing, the season, the optics. Finally he says, “There a

Chapter 27 Evan

The second Coach Daniels drives off, I’m already pulling out my phone. I don’t care that it’s late. I don’t care that I’m exhausted. Lena needs people around her, even if she won’t let me be one of them right now. Mom answers on the first ring.“Evan? Everything okay?”“No,” I say honestly. “I need a favor.”She hears the strain in my voice and goes quiet. “Tell me.”“I need you to check on Lena. Not push her. Not ask questions. Just… be there. And bring Gabby. Lena likes her. She might let you two in more than she’ll let me right now.”Mom doesn’t hesitate. “Of course. I’ll call her mother too. We’ll make it a Women Supporting Women thing. No pressure. Just company.”Relief hits me so hard I have to sit down on the edge of my bed. “Thank you.”“You’re doing the right thing,” she says gently. “She needs a village right now. And you’re giving her one.”I swallow hard. “Yeah.”After we hang up, I stare at my phone for a long moment, wishing I could text Lena. Wishing she’d let me. Wishi

Chapter 28 Lena

It’s been a day since Coach Daniels left, and I haven’t moved from my bed. I know what I promised him. I know I said I’d keep skating. I know I said I’d try. But right now? I don’t want to do anything.My room is dark except for the sliver of morning light sneaking through the curtains. I’m curled under my blankets, staring at nothing, replaying everything in my head like a loop I can’t shut off.The article. The comments. Sabrina’s press conference. Evan at the pond telling me not to pull away.And me doing it anyway.My dad knocks softly on the door. “Lena? Breakfast is ready.” I don’t answer. A few seconds pass. “Sweetheart… at least come down for a little bit.” Still nothing. Eventually, I hear him sigh and walk away. Guilt twists in my stomach, but not enough to make me move.About an hour later, my door opens again. this time without knocking. My mom. She sits on the edge of my bed and brushes hair off my forehead like I’m five again. “There’s someone here to see you,” she says g

Chapter 29 Coach Daniels

I walk into the PR conference room expecting a strategy session. What I get is a circus. Coach Ramirez is already seated, arms crossed, jaw tight. He gives me a look that says brace yourself. The PR team is scattered around the table, laptops open, papers everywhere, tension thick enough to choke on.And then there’s her. One PR rep, young, overly polished, too eager, practically glowing as she clicks through a slideshow that makes my blood pressure spike. She’s pushing a narrative. A narrative that throws Lena under the bus. “…and if we position Sabrina as the emotional victim,” she says, “we can redirect public sympathy toward her. It protects the sport’s image and...”“Stop.” My voice comes out sharper than I intended.She blinks at me. “Coach Daniels, I understand this is sensitive...”“No,” I say, stepping forward. “You don’t understand anything if you think sacrificing Lena is an option.”A few heads turn. Ramirez leans back, watching me like he’s waiting for the explosion.I ke

Chapter 30 Lena

It’s been a few days since Coach Daniels left for Chicago. A few days of pretending I’m fine. A few days of skating on the pond because it’s safe. A few days of avoiding the rink because it isn’t.I haven’t told him I’m planning to compete again. Not the next competition. Not Nationals. I want to. I want to be there. But wanting and believing are two different things.Today… I’m supposed to take the next step, back inside the rink. Mom drives. Mrs. Hart sits in the passenger seat. Gabby is in the back with me, practically vibrating with excitement. I wish I felt even a fraction of that. When we pull into the parking lot, my stomach drops. The building looks bigger than I remember. Colder. Louder. Like it’s waiting for me to fail again.Inside, the air smells like ice and rubber and memories I’m not ready for. We walk toward the rink doors. My hands shake. My breath gets tight. My chest feels like it’s shrinking. Gabby skates out first, fearless, gliding across the ice like she owns it

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