Thirteen

Zora

Practice had been a disaster. An unbearable, tension-filled mess that left me exhausted but with no relief. The ice usually calmed me, and helped me sort through my thoughts—but not today. Not when every glance, every near-collision with Reya sent my mind spiraling right back to that damn kiss.

I barely remembered driving to the library. My head was still on the rink, still replaying moments I had no business replaying.

Reya's lips on mine.

The way she had hesitated, just long enough for me to change my mind.

The way I hadn't.

I exhaled sharply, pushing the thought away as I stepped inside the library. The scent of old books and the quiet hum of activity should have been comforting, but instead, it just made me feel out of place.

It had been weeks since I'd last worked a shift. Between hockey, tutoring, and, well... everything else, I just hadn't been around. Judy had insisted she didn't need me, but when she called this morning saying we needed to talk, I had shown up anyway.

Marie looked up from her spot at the front desk and offered a small smile. "Hey, Zora."

There was something in her expression, something uneasy.

That should have been my first clue.

"Hello, Zora," Judy greeted, stepping forward with her usual professional demeanor. "Thanks for coming in."

I nodded. "Of course. What's up?"

She folded her hands in front of her. "I just wanted to let you know I no longer need your assistance here."

It took a second for the words to sink in.

"What?"

"You're only tutoring one student, and I've found someone with more availability to handle the front desk," she explained, her tone polite but final.

Marie winced beside her, as if she had seen this coming but hadn't wanted to say anything.

She knew I was going to get fired?

A hollow feeling settled in my chest.

I forced myself to nod, to keep my face neutral. "Right. Okay."

Judy gave me a small smile like she thought this was no big deal. "I appreciate all the work you've done, and if I ever need extra hands again, I'll be sure to reach out."

"Thanks," I muttered, but the word tasted bitter in my mouth.

Marie waited until Judy walked away before turning to me, her voice low. "Zora, I—"

"It's fine," I cut her off, swallowing down the frustration that was threatening to bubble over. "It's not your fault."

She hesitated like she wanted to say more, but I didn't give her the chance.

I just turned and walked out, stepping back into the cold, my head spinning.

First, the weirdness with Reya.

Now this.

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply.

Today was turning into a complete fucking disaster.

"Oh, damn." Stevie winced. "Well, the coffee shop I work at is hiring. We could go before calculus tomorrow if you want."

I nodded, barely processing the offer.

"Need some wine?" Liv asked, already reaching for the bottle.

"I got it," I muttered, pushing myself off the couch and heading into the kitchen.

The second I was alone, I exhaled sharply, grabbing a bottle of Pink Moscato from the fridge and a glass from the cupboard. My fingers curled around the neck of the bottle as I poured, but before I could take a sip, Stevie's voice carried in from the doorway.

"Do you want to talk about practice?"

I froze mid-pour. "What do you mean?"

She leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "You know. You and Reya."

I swallowed, setting the bottle down. "What about us?"

Stevie gave me a look. "Things were weird today. Awkward as hell. Did something happen?"

My mind betrayed me instantly.

The kiss.

The way her lips had felt on mine, slow and hesitant at first, like she was waiting for me to pull away—but I hadn't. I couldn't.

The way my body had responded without thinking, leaning into her, breathing her in like she was something I needed.

And then... the way it ended. The way she had pulled away.

The way we had spent all of practice today avoiding each other like the plague.

I gripped the counter, inhaling deeply. "It's nothing."

Stevie raised an eyebrow. "Zora."

"I don't want to talk about it," I said quickly, taking a sip of wine to avoid her gaze.

She didn't push, but I could feel her eyes on me like she knew I was full of shit.

And the worst part?

I was.

"What's going on here?" Liv asked, making her way into the kitchen.

I cleared my throat, grasping for something—anything—that would steer the conversation away from where it was dangerously close to going. "I was just telling Stevie how my date went. I realized I never told you guys."

Liv perked up. "Oh yeah, how did that go?"

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the lie I was about to tell.

"It went great. She liked me, and I liked her."

Liv grinned. "Good!"

But Stevie... Stevie wasn't buying any of it. Her gaze stayed locked on mine, sharp and knowing like she was waiting for me to crack.

I needed to change the subject. Fast.

"What's going on with you and Max?" I asked, turning to Liv. "I thought you guys broke up."

I should have felt bad lying to my best friends—the people who had been there for me through everything—but I just wasn't ready to talk about Reya. Not when I didn't even know what to make of it myself.

Liv hesitated for a moment before forcing a small smile. "We're okay now."

The smile didn't reach her eyes. But just like she didn't press me, I didn't press her. I didn't have it in me right now.

Before the tension could settle, Marie walked into the kitchen, making a beeline for the fridge.

"Hey, guys," she said casually, grabbing a bottle of wine.

Stevie raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing home early? Did Judy fire you too?"

Marie scoffed. "No. She just told me to go home and closed the library early."

Stevie frowned. "Is she even allowed to do that?"

Marie shrugged. "I don't know. She said something about an emergency."

Silence fell over the kitchen. I didn't say anything because, well, I knew exactly why I wasn't talking to Marie. But Liv?

She hadn't said a word to Marie since she walked in.

Marie seemed to notice, too. She turned to Liv, glass in hand, her voice careful. "You okay, Liv?"

Instead of answering, Liv watched as Marie poured herself some of my wine, her expression unreadable.

Then, in a calm but razor-sharp voice, she asked, "When were you going to tell me you were sleeping with Max?"

Oh, shit.

I froze, my gaze darting to Stevie, who looked just as blindsided as I felt.

I thought Marie was gay?

She told me she was gay.

Marie, on the other hand, went completely still. The only sound in the room was the soft clink of her wine glass as she set it down on the counter.

She blinked. "What?"

"You heard me," Liv said, her tone steady, but there was an edge to it, a quiet storm brewing beneath the surface.

Marie's jaw tightened. "Who told you that?"

Liv let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. "Wow. Not even gonna deny it, huh?"

Stevie whistled low under her breath. "Well, this just got interesting."

I shot her a look, but she just shrugged, leaning back against the counter like she was settling in for a show.

Marie folded her arms across her chest, her eyes flicking between Liv and Max, who had suddenly gone very, very quiet in the living room.

"I didn't tell you because it wasn't serious," Marie finally said, her voice tight.

Liv let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh, right. That makes it so much better."

Marie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Liv, come on—"

"No, you come on, Marie," Liv snapped. "You're supposed to be my friend. And you didn't think, at any point, that maybe I should know my friend was screwing my boyfriend? Especially when you told everyone you were gay."

Marie opened her mouth, then shut it again, like she debated whether she could talk her way out of this.

Liv scoffed. "Unbelievable."

I shifted uncomfortably, sipping my wine like it might make me invisible.

Stevie, on the other hand, was thriving.

"Damn," she muttered, shaking her head. "You really thought this wasn't gonna come out?"

Marie shot her a glare. "You're not helping."

"I'm not trying to help," Stevie said with a smirk. "I'm just here for the drama."

Liv turned back to Marie, arms crossed. "You know what? Forget it. I don't even want to hear whatever excuse you're about to give." She grabbed her wine glass and downed the rest of it in one go before slamming it on the counter.

Marie flinched.

"I'm done," Liv muttered, before turning on her heel and walking out of the kitchen.

Marie exhaled, running a hand through her hair before looking over at me as if I had something to say.

I raised my hands. "Nope. Not getting involved."

Stevie snorted. "Smart move."

Marie muttered something under her breath before grabbing her wine glass and walking off.

The second she was gone, Stevie turned to me, grinning.

"Well," she said, lifting her glass. "That was entertaining as hell."

I ignored Stevie completely and followed Liv up the stairs, shooting Max a sharp glare as he slipped out the front door. He didn't even look back. Coward.

When I reached Liv's room, I knocked softly. "Liv? It's me. Can I come in?"

Silence.

I hesitated, then tried the doorknob. It was unlocked.

Pushing the door open, I found Liv curled up on her bed, her face turned toward the wall. She didn't move when I entered, didn't acknowledge me at all until she finally spoke—her voice so quiet I barely caught it.

"I was going to break up with him," she murmured. "As soon as I called him and Marie out, I was going to end it."

The weight of her words settled between us, heavy and raw.

"I'm sorry," I said, meaning it, as I climbed onto the bed and wrapped my arms around her. She let me, sinking into the embrace like she was finally letting herself feel everything at once.

A soft buzz broke the silence. My phone.

With Liv still in my arms, I reached for it, glancing at the screen.

Reya: I know things are awkward right now, but the calc test is tomorrow, and I'm freaking out. Can we study real quick?

I stared at the message for what felt like forever.

Reya would be fine. And if she wasn't? Well, then that was just more time I could spend avoiding the mess we'd made.

I locked my phone without replying and tightened my hold on Liv.

Tonight, she needed me. And that was all that mattered.