Playing Heart Games

Level 28: Go On A Sort-Of Date

AXEL

I snuck a glance at Violet as I drove.

I'd expected her to be upset. I'd dreaded seeing her cry. But she didn't look upset at all. Her features were calm—happy even.

She caught my gaze and grinned.

I returned a wary smile before focusing on the road.

What was going on in her head? She'd just spoken to the guy who'd broken her heart. And there wasn't an ounce of sadness on her face.

"So, Curls, where to next?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.

Her lips lifted into a grin. "This time, I'm going to show you something."

*

"No way. No bloody way."

A hundred feet away, a building towered over us—Carly's Ice Rink painted in blue glitter above the entrance.

Violet looked up at me. "Axel..."

"Not happening Curls."

Going in there was a one-way ticket to humiliation.

"But it'll be fun," she insisted.

"If I found falling on my face repeatedly fun, then sure, it would be."

I had no idea how to ice skate and she was the last person I wanted to be clumsy in front of. If I went in there I could say goodbye to any semblance of pride I had left.

She caught my hands, tugging them so I was looking at her.

"It's okay if you don't know how to skate," she said. "I can teach you."

Electricity buzzed through my hands. "It's not happening Curls."

"Won't you at least try?" she pleaded. And then she hit me with the ultimate set of puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

And that was how I ended up clutching the side railing of the ice rink, wishing I wasn't such a pushover.

Violet skated towards me, effortlessly gliding on the ice, her brows furrowed in concern. "Come on Axel—let me show you how to do it."

My grip tightened on the railing. "Nope. I'm good." I'd already tripped. Twice. If I had a shred of pride left, I wanted to keep it.

And then Violet brought out the puppy dog eyes again.

Well, crud.

"Fine," I muttered.

She beamed, and my heart stuttered.

"Okay," she said. "Give me your hands."

I inhaled, then reluctantly released the railing, one hand at a time. She wrapped her fingers around mine.

She met my gaze. "Do you trust me?"

Swallowing, I nodded.

"Then just follow my lead, okay?"

And then she was skating backwards, towards the centre of the rink, sliding me along with her.

Further and further from the railing.

"See?" Violet said a moment later when we were at the centre of the rink. "We're skating."

I glanced down, surprised I hadn't tripped yet.

"You're doing so well already," she encouraged.

Why was it that praise from her always messed with my heart?

I glanced down at our hands, woven together. "What you said before—about me being your best friend, did you mean it?"

The words were said casually, but my breath was lodged in my throat.

She nodded. "I feel--I feel like you're the person I trust the most."

Did she have any idea what she did to me when she said stuff like that?

"Thank you," I finally murmured.

Best friend. I liked it. I'd never had a best friend before.

That meant this wasn't just temporary for her. That once she was back with Mark, she wouldn't just move on and forget me.

I meant something to her.

Distracted, I shifted forward on the skates. I stumbled, and the next moment, she was pressed to me and our faces were a centimetre apart.

Her eyes widened, her lips parting. Her breath brushed my mouth.

All I had to do was lean forward and my lips would touch hers.

My fingers brushed her cheek as I pushed a lock of her hair back.

"I'd say you're my best friend too," I murmured.

No matter how much I wanted her to be more.

Then I slid back, putting space between us. I lifted my lips into my typical amused smirk. "You did a really cool trick earlier—can you show me?"

I could play the part. I could be her best friend.

Even if I was in love with her.