Chapter 5 Jealousy on Ice
Aurora’s POV
I tried to skate away, but Lila wasn’t done yet.
She glided closer, her long black hair swinging behind her like she was in some shampoo commercial. “Oh come on, Rory. You should know what you’re getting into. Julian doesn’t do serious. Last month it was me, then Sarah from the afternoon session, then that blonde girl who always wears the red jacket…” She ticked them off on her fingers with a sweet, poisonous smile. “Should I keep going? There’s a whole list.”
My stomach twisted. I already knew Julian had a reputation, but hearing the names out loud made it feel real and ugly.
Julian’s face hardened. “Lila, that’s enough.”
“What?” she said innocently. “I’m just being honest. Girl code, right? Wouldn’t want Marcus’s sweet little sister to become another notch on your belt.”
“Leave her out of this,” Julian snapped. His voice had gone cold and sharp. “We’re training for the competition. That’s it. So back off and let us work.”
Lila raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by how serious he sounded. She looked between us for a second, then gave a fake little laugh.
“Whatever you say, Reyes.” She skated away, but not before shooting me one last dirty look over her shoulder.
The rink felt quieter after she left. I stood there staring at the ice, embarrassed and angry at the same time.
“You okay?” Julian asked softly.
“I’m fine,” I muttered, even though I wasn’t. “Let’s just practice.”
We spent the next thirty minutes working on our first real pair lift. My nerves were all over the place. Every time Julian placed his hands on my waist, I kept thinking about Lila’s words and Marcus’s warning.
“Ready?” Julian asked, positioning himself behind me.
I nodded, but my legs felt shaky. “Just… don’t drop me.”
He stepped closer. I could feel the warmth of his body against my back.
“Hey,” he said gently, his voice low near my ear. “I’ve got you, Rory. I won’t let you fall. I promise.”
Something about the way he said it — soft, steady, and completely serious — made my heart stutter. This wasn’t the cocky Julian. This was someone different.
I took a deep breath. “Okay.”
He lifted.
For the first few seconds, I was terrified. My body went stiff, scared my ankle would give out. But Julian held me strong and steady, his grip confident. I extended my leg into a graceful position, the way I used to in ballet. Suddenly, everything clicked. We were moving together perfectly, gliding across the ice like one person.
When he brought me back down safely, we stayed close for a moment, both breathing hard. Our faces were inches apart. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and for a second, the whole world went quiet.
“You were amazing,” he whispered.
My cheeks burned. Butterflies exploded in my stomach. I quickly stepped back, trying to shake off the feeling.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, avoiding his eyes. I couldn’t stop thinking about Marcus’s words: He’ll break your heart.
We kept practicing, but the air between us felt different now. Charged.
After practice, my legs were exhausted and my ankle was throbbing. As we walked out of the rink into the cold morning air, Julian hesitated beside his car.
“Marcus is still pissed, right?” he asked.
“Yeah. He barely talked to me yesterday.”
Julian sighed. “Get in. I’ll drive you home. No point in you taking the bus like this.”
I wanted to say no, but my ankle hurt and I was too tired to argue. I climbed into his old black Honda. The inside smelled like him — clean, with a hint of mint gum.
For the first few minutes, we drove in silence. Then Julian spoke.
“My parents are really strict,” he said suddenly, eyes on the road. “They moved here from the Philippines with almost nothing. Everything they do is for me to make it to the Olympics. Sometimes it feels like if I fail, I’m failing them too.”
I looked at him, surprised he was opening up.
“That sounds heavy,” I said quietly.
He nodded. “It is. So I guess… I party and flirt and act like I don’t care because it’s easier than thinking about how much pressure I’m under. Dumb, I know.”
I stared at my hands. “Then why do you do it? The whole playboy thing?”
Julian glanced at me for a second before looking back at the road. “I don’t know. Maybe because it’s simple. No real expectations. No one gets hurt if I don’t get too close.”
The car got really quiet. I wanted to ask him more, but the words got stuck in my throat.
When we pulled up in front of my house, Marcus was already standing on the porch, arms crossed, waiting like he knew exactly what time we’d arrive.
Julian turned off the engine. “I’ll talk to him.”
“No, Julian—”
But he was already getting out. I watched nervously from the passenger seat as Marcus walked straight up to him. They stepped away from the car, talking in low voices.
I cracked the window a little, trying to hear.
“I told you to stay away from her, man,” Marcus said, anger clear in his voice. “She’s my little sister. She’s already dealing with enough.”
“I’m not messing with her,” Julian replied. “We’re just training. Coach forced this on both of us.”
Marcus stepped closer. “I know you, Jules. You don’t do relationships. You do whatever feels good in the moment. If you hurt her… if you break her heart while she’s already broken from that injury, our friendship is over. I mean it.”
