“I said I want to see her.”

Leila instantly clutched her hand around the railing inside the elevator as she lost her breath. It was Derek. Just the sound of his voice sent a wave of cold chills down her spine, causing the hair to prickle along her arms.

“And I told you no,” Drew answered, matching his snarling tone perfectly.

“Don’t make me—” Derek started, but the elevator ding distracted him from his thought.

Without thinking twice, she stepped out, her hand already clenched into a fist. Calling her and leaving voicemails was one thing, but showing up at her door unannounced and threatening her best friend was something she absolutely would not allow. She stood in the hallway, her features hard and cold as she confronted her ex for the first time since she found out.

His brown hair had grown out the way it usually did during the winter stretch of the season, and he wore the faded jeans she’d bought him. This time last year she might have returned his smile, pleasantly surprised by his sudden, unexpected appearance at her door. That was last year, though.

She had no more smiles for him.

“Leila.” And just like that, he flipped a switch. Gone was the menace in his voice he possessed only moments ago, replaced by that same gentle breathlessness he always used for her. She actually thought the no-count, trash-talking goon was his hockey alter ego. She’d convinced herself the Derek she knew was the real him.

She was naïve.

It had all been a show for her benefit. He never meant a single word he spoke. The promises were only lies, and the flowers just another prop in the theatrical production that was their relationship. He’d used her. He needed someone to substantiate the façade he portrayed every day, to help make him appear to be that nice guy everyone wanted to know.

He was not a nice guy.

No. Derek Deroty was nothing more than a cheater, a liar, and a fraud. She pointed a shaky finger at the elevator, setting her shoulders straight. “Leave. Now.”

He rolled his eyes, his smile turning annoyed. “You don’t mean that.”

She clenched her teeth, and she thought her heart might explode from the raw emotion coursing through it. “I’m sorry,” she drawled, her voice ragged. “Did the unanswered phone calls and ignored texts send you the wrong message? I said get the hell out.”

“You’re being dramatic again.” He strolled casually in her direction, his hands in his pockets as if she hadn’t just screamed at him. “So, I made a mistake. I get it. I’ve given you your space so you can cool off. But it’s time for you to get over it and come back home.”

Her mouth fell open in awe, or maybe it was disgust. She was too angry to figure out which. “Do you actually believe that’s what I’ve been doing here all this time? Cooling off?”

“It’s what you always do. We get in a fight, and you run to him pouting about it, and then you get over it.” He pointed at Drew with a disgusted look on his face, to which Drew shot him a smile.

She ran her hands down her face, which felt hot and flushed. “I left you, Derek. It’s over. Permanently.” She took a breath, and without debating, she continued. “I’ve already moved on.”

“What?”

Drew’s dark chuckle filled the hallway as he stepped up beside him. “You were wrong this time. She didn’t run to me.” Drew leaned over, whispering to Derek as a smirk spread across his face. “You think she went out all by herself tonight dressed like that?”

Derek looked between them, his mild irritation transforming to rage as Drew’s words started to sink in. “You’re seeing someone?”

“Oh, not just anyone,” Drew chimed, thoroughly enjoying himself now.

On perfect cue, the elevator dinged again. Another chill ran down her spine. A different kind. A better kind that she never wanted to go away.

The elevator opened, revealing Henrik, his tux jacket swung over his arm. His smile was instant. “You didn’t have to wait on me.”

A cool breeze washed over her, dashing all her former anger and resentment. Drew was right. She hadn’t run to him this time around. It was Henrik who saved her heart from breaking, mending every stitch until she couldn’t imagine anyone but him owning it ever again.

As much as that thought scared her, she knew it was true. She was in love with Henrik, and perhaps she always had been. Either way, she knew there would be no going back for her now. His mother’s words rang in her mind, and she agreed with them. Henrik’s affection was a tidal wave, sudden and all consuming. All she had to do was find the courage to step in his path.

Her emotions were on full display, tears brimming her lashes. She could barely breathe as she smiled back at her savior.

“What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Instead, she held out her hand, and he practically leaped out of the elevator to take it, pulling her tight into his side.

She buried her face in his shirt, twining her fingers in it. She wasn’t sure what the future held for them, but in that moment, she knew where she needed to be. Slowly, she turned Henrik’s body toward the hallway, and his eyes quickly followed.

His body went rigid as his eyes made contact with his adversary. His arm tightened around her back.

“Him?” Derek bellowed, his nice guy routine going up in flames. She could see it in his eyes, the loss of control slipping with each heated word he spoke. “You get pissed that I went out a couple times, and decide a better option is him?”

“My decisions aren’t of any concern to you anymore,” she spat at him. Her breathing was shallow. She needed to calm down.

Henrik took a step forward, his entire body shaking in anger. She tried her best to hold him in place. “No, Henrik. He’s not worth it. We’re moving on, remember? Let the past go.”

His eyes caught hers, and she knew her words fell on deaf ears. “Henrik, you’re not on the ice. If you beat the shit out of him now, it’s called assault.”

Something flashed in his eyes, and he smiled. “Not if he hits me first.”

He grabbed her, his hands knotting in the hair at the nape of her neck, and he kissed her. It was different than before, more raw and possessive, but with enough kick to make her knees weak. As if reading her mind, Henrik wrapped his other arm around her torso, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss.

In that brief moment, she belonged to him, and she could feel the thrill of it from her head to the tips of her toes. She couldn’t remember the fear and doubts, or the reservations. Even if she regretted it tomorrow, she would allow herself to get lost in Henrik tonight.

Chapter 24

 

 

HENRIK’S LOSS

Henrik had never felt his adrenaline at such a high. Leila kissed him back. Sure, they kissed earlier that evening, but it wasn’t the same. This time it was in front of Drew, and more importantly, Derek. He knew the simple gesture would set Derek off, and he’d meant it to do just that. A simple kiss to elicit a response out of him, except it hadn’t been simple at all. He’d never felt anything like it before in his life. Then it dawned on him.

Love.

He was in love with Leila.

Before he could even decipher his own thoughts, his lips were ripped away from her. “Get your hands off her!”

The pain was instant, but minor in comparison to every other sensation bursting out of him. His hand touched his nose, and he found blood on his fingertips. Broken. Again.

He took a deep breath, looking up at a panicked Leila. He wasn’t sure if it was the violence or the shock of what happened between them that had her so alarmed, but if he ever wanted to figure it out, he needed to dispose of the thorn in his side that had been plaguing him far too long.