Thin Ice

𝟒𝟔

JULES POV

"Fix your posture!" Coach Campbell shouts at me from across the rink.

I've been marking my routine for the past hour, waiting for Lukas to show up but Campbell got tired of watching me half ass it and made me full out run it by myself.

I straighten my posture and continue on with my routine.

I need to stop dozing off because competition will be here before I know it and I can't let myself fall behind because if I fall behind then Rowan falls right behind me.

The music comes to a stop and I hear a screeching voice arise. "What has gotten into you Ortiz?" she pauses. "This whole practice you've been sitting on your ass expecting that Romero will show up and make your routine better. I'm sorry but that isn't the truth, he's a hockey player and a stand in for Rowan so get over it," she shouts in my face as some type of wake up call.

My face falls when I realize she's right.

Why am I moping around? I'm the one who got up and left the man.

"Did something happen between the two of you?" she questions, catching me off guard.

"No," I quickly reply.

"Are you sure?" she continues.

"I'm sure," I state as I begin to skate over to the bench.

"There better not be. You know that having relations with your skating partner can always throw off a figure skaters form. I've preached about it multiple times," she rambles on.

"I remember," I blanky reply. I don't have time to deal with her lectures and to be quite frank, I would rather be anywhere that isn't in front of Marie Cambell right now.

I pick up my guards and slide them over my skates, making sure to whip all the ice off my blade first.

"You better be in a better mood and have a better form next time I see you Ortiz!" she shouts at me but I'm too tired to give her any response.

I grab my skate bag and dart over to the locker rooms.

I can't believe he didn't show.

I mean I wasn't expecting anything less after I left him to sleep alone but he made a deal that he'd do this for me.

I shake the thoughts out of my head and clean myself up.

I stare into the mirror and straighten my posture.

I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding and walk out of the locker room, only to get stopped by a wall of flesh.

I look up and realize the sweaty man I bumped into is of course Lukas Romero.

How does this always happen to me?

"Oh," I pause. "Sorry," I mumble as I start to walk away but a hand on my wrist pulls me back.

"Don't do that," he quickly lets out.

"Do what?" I question.

"Walk away from me," he breathes as he stares down at me. His gaze is soft but it makes me feel heavy. It's probably the guilt from leaving that night creeping back up on me.

"Look," I start to talk but hold myself back. What am I even supposed to say? "Can we just forget that it ever happened?" I spit out, regretting my choice immediately.

I watch as his face falls but quickly a smirk appears on his mouth.

"Is that a yes?" I question.

"No Julie, I can't just forget what happened. I can't forget the sound of you. You moaning my name. Or the feeling of me inside of you," he takes a step closer to me in each break so I'm pinned against the wall.

"Keep your voice down-,"

"You didn't keep your voice down-," he begins to joke but I slap him on the arm.

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up," I mutter as I glare up at him.

He takes a step away from me and crosses his arms, with the same stupid smirk that stays on his mouth.

I take a deep breath and copy his movements, crossing my arms and looking up at him.

"Why didn't you show up today?" I question, still angry about him ditching me at practice.

"What are you talking about?" he replies as he cocks his brow.

"Practice, what didn't you show up?" I clarify as I stand taller, attempting to match his height.

"I was there.." he begins but cuts himself off. "Was there one today?" he questions. I nod and his face falls flat. "Fuck, you didn't tell me. I would've blown off hockey today if I knew," he begins and my face falls into one of confusion.

Okay.. now I'm not mad but I'm confused. Hockey is his whole life but he would blow it off just to be my replacement partner? This guy makes no sense.

"I'll remind you next time," I say as I begin to walk off but he grabs my wrist again.

"Julie?" he breathes in a low huff.

"Yes?" I reply in a soft tone to match his.

He takes a second to think to himself, as if he's trying to piece together the right words.

"What does this mean.. for us?" he finally lets up.

"Us?" is all that I say.

Us? I never thought of an us. Well there's the us that's childhood friends or the us that's enemies but this us? I have no idea...

He waits for me to speak before making any sudden moves.

"We need to keep whatever is going on between us professional," I state. His face falls but his eyes stay on mine. "As long as you're my skating partner then there can be no more of what happened the other night," I finish as I set this boundary that's most likely going to get broken.

I expect him to revolt or be mad but all he says is "Okay."

Okay?

I think he can read my confused facial expression when he begins to speak. "Rowan will be your partner in a month, so this'll only last for a month?" he clarifies.

"Uh, yeah. One month of keeping it professional," I state.

"Then I'll see you at practice," he announces as he throws me his stupid smirk and a wink before walking over to the mens locker rooms.

What the fuck did I get myself into?

~

Hey... DON'T BE MAD AT ME!!

It was finals season..

But I'm back and betta than eva ;)