Page 108 of Heart of Thorns
“So we askhim.” He glances at me. “Obviously.”
That would make sense. Especially since they’re together a lot. Questioning Stephen on where heandBen are wouldprobably be pretty plausible, and less likely for Stephen to get his hackles up.
“Let’s talk to him tomorrow,” I suggest.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I hit the side button without removing it, silencing the vibration. It’s probably my mother, up in arms once again about going on another date.
She keeps mentioning Cynthia Keenland, which is driving me nuts. She had nothing special going on underneath the layers of Botox and filler. Just her daddy’s last name.
Briar is so much more than that. One, I don’t think she’s even considered filler, in her lips or other places. Two, she has a mind of her own. She does what she wants?—
“You’ve got that sad look in your eye,” Rhys interrupts.
I scowl. “No I don’t.”
“Were you thinking about Miss Heart of Thorns?”
I punch his arm, but he only cackles.
“Get it? She’s head over heels for you, and you’reThorne?—”
“Fuck off.” I get out of the car and slam the door, leaving him behind to hurry up and get inside. My phone goes off again, and I growl louder as I fish it out.
Not my mother, though.
Lydia?
I swipe to answer it fast, my heart picking up speed. “Lydia? What’s wrong?”
She pauses. “What makes you think something is wrong?”
“I—”
“Okay, okay. Heartbreak aside, I think you’re the only one who can help us.”
“Us?”
“Briar,” she corrects. “The women’s team was finishing practice, Coach left, and then suddenly Briar passes us all laced up.”
There’s a distantwhooshin my ears. She’s on the ice?Skating?
“Tell her to stop,” I demand.
She’s not ready. We’ve been working on conditioning, butskatingis a whole new beast. One sideways movement could derail everything. It could set her back months. A year, even.
“We tried.” Lydia sighs. “I stepped off to call you, but Marley keeps trying to talk sense into her.”
“And?”
“It’s not working. She’s frustrated.”
Clearly.
“And angry,” she adds.
At me.
“I’m on my way.” I hang up on her and pivot, nearly crashing into Rhys. “Be back later.”