Page 59 of Twisted Collide (Saints Of Redville #2)

59

JOSIE

The thing about a breakup is that you eventually bump into your ex, which is why I am not looking forward to returning to the practice arena today to grab the few things I left behind. The team isn’t always here, but seeing as there’s no game today, there is a good chance I’ll bump into Dane.

Rip off the Band-Aid.

Bumping into him is inevitable.

Since I’m working in the marketing department now, I’m not dressed in my typical casual attire. Today, I’m wearing a knee-length skirt, a pair of heels, and a lightweight sweater, and while my outfit fits in perfectly with all the high-level publicists, I do not fit in near the rink.

My heels click sharply against the concrete floors, and the familiar smell of ice permeates the air. Memory after memory attacks me the farther I walk into the space. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to go in and get out without being noticed, but something tells me I won’t be so lucky. In the distance, I can hear chatter and try my best to make out who’s talking, but I can’t. Most likely, it’s not Dane. He is often a man of few words.

It’s fine. It won’t be too awkward .

Can’t be worse than some of the other embarrassing stuff I’ve lived through. Like the time I slipped and fell into a snowbank in front of my whole sixth grade class. I lived through that, so I can live through this.

This will be faster and far less painful, and I won’t inherit a nickname. It took a while to get the kids to stop calling me frosty after I stood up covered in snow.

I don’t think I’ve ever walked this fast in heels. My feet are going to kill me tonight. Well worth it if I can get out of here undetected. Of course, fate has other plans, as I see Hudson waving at me.

Great job, Hudson. Way to out me.

I take a deep breath and hope it ends with a wave, but again, no such luck on my part.

And since the Moirai sisters of Fate seem to have it out for me, Dane walks off the ice when I pass him.

My guess is he’s going to the locker room, and I’m going to the office beside the locker room.

Great.

“Josephine.”

“Sinclair.”

His eyes widen at the use of his last name, but if he’s going to call me out, he doesn’t. Instead, he stares at me for a long moment, almost like he’s memorizing me.

“Take a picture. It will last longer . ”

“I didn’t expect—”

“To see me again. Yeah, I got that.”

“Look, I messed up. We both got carried away, and I let it happen. I take full responsibility. I’m the fucking adult over here. ”

And I wasn’t? Good to know.

“At any rate,” he continues, “we need to keep our distance now. We got too close to getting caught, and we both have plenty to lose. Turn around and walk away, Hellfire. There’s nothing for you here.”