Page 53 of What We Knew Then
“You’re done?” I ask, keeping my voice flat, like I don’t care either way.
Her phone rings before she can answer. Loud. Not on vibrate like everyone else. Her eyes roll when she sees the screen, and she bites her lip like she’s deciding whether to answer.
“What do you want?” she says when she finally chooses to answer, her voice going cold.
She turns away from me and I give her space, skating off toward the boards. I step off the ice, flip on a few more lights, then push back out.
I’m close enough to hear her this time.
“No, don’t… because I don’t want to see you.” Her voice is sharper now, carrying across the rink. “This isn’t about you. You don’t get to decide you made a mistake and just take it back.”
She jabs at her phone, rolling her eyes and ending the call.
“I should go,” she groans, already skating toward the boards. Her whole mood shifts. The lightness from before is gone, replaced with something tight and irritated.
I’ve got a feeling I know why.
“Going to see Freddy?” It’s out before I can stop it.
Cora freezes. Her arms cross over her chest, shoulders pulling in. Her hair’s tied back, dark strands falling down her back. “He’s going to keep calling. I don’t want to explain to my parents why he showed up at the house. My mom would probably let him in.”
That’s not what I expected.
“Wow. You’re really going to give in.” I shrug and skate closer.
She blinks slowly, head tilting and brows pulling together as she looks at me.
Cora is right in front of me, barely any space between us. “You have no idea what you’re talking,” she tries to laugh it off.
“I know enough. I saw the way he talked to you at the bonfire. I’ve heard what people say about him.” My voice comes out rough.
“You are unbelievable.” She shakes her head, and it’s definitely not a compliment. “You tell me to stay away from you, and yet you keep showing up wherever I am. Why is that?”
She throws it back at me, and yeah, this is the fight I picked. I could’ve let her leave. Let her deal with it. But the thought of a guy like that having any kind of hold on her pushes me past that point.
“Don’t act like you didn’t know who I was when we met. You knew whatever happened, you’d see me again. I’m on the goddamn team.” My voice rises, and she doesn’t even flinch. “So the real question is, why does it bother you so much?”
The silence between us snaps tight. It feels charged, like I could reach out and grab it. Cora’s eyes lock on mine, sharp and steady, burning bright blue. She takes a breath, starts to say something, then stops.
“You don’t want me to answer that.”
But before I can press her, the lights go out, taking the hum of the arena with it.
Chapter 34
CORA
Thepowerwouldgoout—that’s just the kind of luck I’ve had recently.
Or maybe it’s a sign from the universe to keep my mouth shut?
“This happen a lot?” Lane asks, looking around as the safety lights kick on. They give us enough light to navigate the arena.
"No. But sometimes the wind off the lake is brutal.” I glance around, then rub my forehead with my fingers. “The doors. Everything is electric. There’s master keys but I obviously don’t have one. So, we’re probably stuck until the power comes back on.”
Shit.
“Should you call your dad?”
