Every time I try to talk to Valery, he rolls his eyes and walks away. He's being a bit of a dick.
I spot him walking into the rink and I quickly skate of the ice and run up to him in my skates.
"Valery! Please, just let me talk to you."
"What are you going to say Katerina? Sorry I'm fucking your brother and no one told you? Is that what you're going to say? Because that sounds... absolutely divine."
"No... I'm sorry that I hurt you."
"Bet you $10 bucks you aren't, goodbye Katerina." He stalks off but I grab his arm tightly.
"Valery! Please stop." He turns back around on his heel and clenches his jaw. "I need your help, please."
"I'm not going to fucking help you after all you've done to me Katerina."
"It's about your brother, he's hiding something from me." His eyes widen, he knows what I'm talking about. "Do you know? You live with him, you'd know something right?"
"No... I don't know anything, I'll help you though, I'll do anything to create that dick head's downfall."
"Don't call my boyfriend a dick head please."
"I'll do whatever I want Katerina, just be happy I'm willing to sacrifice all my pain to help you, especially since the pain was caused by you."
"Valery we had broken up just under three months before I started dating your brother."
"You told me... that when you were ready, you'd come back to me, but no, you went off and fucked my brother. Why should I even care? It's not like you're actually ever going to come back to me."
"If you knew half of what I was going through, you'd understand."
"And in what way did my asshole brother help that I couldn't?"
"He distracted me from the pain, you told me to just let it all out."
"That's going to seriously hurt you in the end Katerina, bottling all your sadness up is going to come out in one big rage, why do you think I told you to just let it out?"
"I'll be fine, anyway, you can have the ice, I'm done for the day."
"Thanks, is your brother coming to practice?"
"Nat's session is after your practice, I'm assuming they're coming together, but yeah he's coming."
"Why didn't they just come with you?"
"I've been here about 4 hours."
"It's 11am Katerina."
"So? I need to practice and keep burning off calories." He narrows his eyes at me.
"Katerina... is he hurting you?"
"What? No? What makes you think that?"
"Last time you said those exact words, you were being forced by your coach to lose weight, that was in Russia, you have a nicer coach now, so the only person I could think of is Lev."
"No, I'm fine, I just want to know what he's up to."
"Knowing my brother, it's probably not good."
"Okay... well, bye, I'll see you tomorrow." I smile at him softly and waved goodbye as I walk toward the dressing room.
I get home and find Lev sitting on my bed.
"Hey Lev!"
"Hi gorgeous, how was skating?"
"Great!" I walk over to him, and he looks down at my boobs, then back up at my face a couple times. "Stop staring at my tits!"
"I can't help it when they're right there in my face."
"What'd you do while I was gone?"
"Business stuff, as per usual, then I came over to your house cause my papa was being annoying."
"I'm so tired after that practice."
"Then rest baby girl, you deserve it." He kisses my forehead as I sit on the bed next to him.
"I might go take a shower, then I get dressed, then do you want to go out for lunch?"
"I actually have a business lunch already, I can ask if you're allowed to come gorgeous?"
"No that's alright, I don't want to intrude on business stuff, dinner?"
"Dinner sounds great, I'll take you out to a nice place Kit Kat."
"Great, I won't be long in the shower, I just want to get the ice rink stench off me."
"Frankly I think you smell fine, I would much rather you come cuddle me, but whatever makes you happy Kat." I kiss his cheek and go into my bathroom.
I walk out of the bathroom, in fresh clothes and I flop down on the bed next to Lev.
"I missed you love." He pulls me close and kisses my neck softly.
"Don't you have a business lunch to be at in 20 minutes?"
"It's only five minutes away." He breathes in the scent of my and kisses my neck again.
"Okay crazy, as much as I love cuddling you, you do need to get going."
"Why can't I just stay here with you?"
"So you and your papa will make money and you won't go broke?" He groans and gets up off the bed.
"Will you at least walk me to my car?"
"Sure Lev." I stand up beside him and I loop my arm around his bicep and we walk out of the apartment.
"I don't want to go." He groans and puts his head on my shoulder as we walk into the lift.
"You need to, you'll live, you can always just text me on your apple watch!"
"You just made my day with that idea love."
"I try." He chuckles and kisses me softly.
I wave goodbye as he pulls away from my apartment complex, then I walk back inside, go up the lift and into my apartment.
About 45 minutes later, Ares walks through the door and smiles as he sees me on the couch.
"Hey Kat." He sits beside me and pushes my shoulder.
"Hey! Don't push me!" I grab a pillow and start hitting him with it while giggling.
"Kat!" I laugh again while I put the pillow back down, then I tuck my right knee up to my chest. "Uh..." He scratches the back of his neck and looks me dead in the eye. "Nat and I have set a date... for the wedding." I squeal in excitement and jump up to my feet.
"When? Oh my god! This is so exciting!" I jump up and down a few times, but Ares catches my shoulder.
"Slow down Kat, I know you're excited for your best friend and brother to get married, but just take a breath." I glare at him, and I whack his arm away. "It's on the 6th of October."
"October? It'll be cold!"
"It's LA Kat, we'll be fine considering we lived in fucking Russia for 5 years."
"Fair enough, but I'm so happy! Oh my god Nat's going to look so beautiful!" He smiles and looks down.
"Yeah she is..." I giggle at him.
"You little simp!" He glared at me and starts whacking me with a pillow.
"She's my fiancée! What do you expect you little крыса!"
"YOU DID NOT."
"Oh I did." He sports a goofy smile, and hits me one last time with the pillow.
"You're not a very nice brother Ares Petrakis."
"Did you just full name me?"
"Mhm." I laugh and sit back down next to him. "Lunch?"
"I was actually about to meet Valery for lunch, you can come though." I glare at him.
"We might be on good terms now, but that doesn't mean I want to go out for lunch with him."
"I don't think you're on good terms."
"Why's that?"
"He was super on edge at practice today, and I saw you guys talking before you left."
"How so?"
"He was just really irritable, I don't know, anyway, I need to get going, do you want me to just Uber Eats you some food?"
"No, I'm sure I'll find something to eat." I smile at my brother, then he walks back out the front door, and I tuck both my knees up to my chest and I rest my head on them.
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Chapter 30!
YOU ARE READING
Tough Ice
RomanceThe basis idea for this story is from @.3.talo on tik tok, I give full credit to them. This book is about a figure skater who's brother is on the hockey team at the same rink. His best friend, who also happens to be on the team, is deeply in love wi...
