Breaking The Ice (Providence University #1)

by Ali Parker

  The noise around us was almost deafening. I tried to get everyone to hoist Jayce up on their shoulders, but Jayce overpowered me and muscled me up instead. They chanted my name, and I lifted my arms in the air and glanced around, missing the only person in the world I wanted to impress.

  Aubrey.

  Chapter 36

  Aubrey

  “You ready?” Layla brushed her hands over my hair as her eyes moved around my face, inspecting me one last time.

  “Absolutely.” I smiled. “Make sure you keep your phone on you. The guys will finish up while we’re here, and you know I can’t have my phone. I want to know if they won.” I let out a slow breath and leaned over, stretching one more time.

  “You sure about the dance routine you chose?” She held up a thumb drive that I’d given her earlier. “I could easily give them this one.” She lifted a different one and smiled. “It has that beautiful Mozart piece on it that’s just classic ballet. You know McCraven is going to give you hell over this one.” She shook the first drive at me.

  I laughed. “I don’t care. I’m not a classical ballerina, Layla. If they don’t like what I have to offer, then they can choose someone else to perform the solo and take the lead. If I’ve learned one thing over the last few months, it’s that I have to be myself.”

  She put the second thumb drive back in her pocket and nodded. “I’m proud of you, either way.”

  “Good. I’m glad you’re here with me.” I reached out and pulled her into a hug. “Oh, did you get to talk to Teri at all? Did she find out anything?”

  “Yeah. It’s Geoff’s baby. He’s going to help her raise it and they’re going on their first date next week.” Layla blushed. “It’s so fucking cute, it almost melts my heart. Almost.”

  “You’re such a cynic.” I turned as the curtains closed and the girl before me jogged off the stage.

  “Break a leg, or don’t, or I don’t know. Do good. I love you.” She touched my face. “I’ll be right up front where I always am.”

  I nodded and turned as Professor McCraven moved toward me. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I nodded and lifted my chin a little.

  “There are four judges in the audience. Most of them enjoy modern dance far more than classical ballet, but I assume you knew that?” She gave me a sideways glance that said she already had me figured out.

  I laughed softly. “Did you know that I was mixing the two?”

  “Of course, I did.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I know you well enough to know that you’re not one to follow the rules for more than a few moments at a time.”

  “Well, thank you for not kicking me out of the audition.”

  “Why in the world would I do that?” she scoffed. “You’re my best dancer. Now, get out there and show them what we’re both capable of.”

  I nodded and moved past her to the center of the stage to get into position. My feet were doing much better, but there was one difficult move I had to do in the middle of the performance that would push me to my limit. It was too beautiful not to try, though.

  The curtain lifted and I bent down as I listened for the soft violin that started my piece. As the music started, I thought of Lucas and the struggle he seemed to be winning where his brother’s death was concerned. Some part of me knew that I needed to focus on the next move in my routine, but I’d never been strict in dance. In all other areas of my life, yes, but in my routines? Never.

  The music pushed me from one side of the floor to the other and I gave myself over to it. The fear of losing Lucas drove me to dip deeper and jump higher, as if my willingness to give myself over to the moment would save us.

  I positioned myself to spin from one side of the stage to the other and pretended as if my brother were on the other end, holding out his hands and laughing like he’d been doing since we were kids. He was always my focal point when I’d tried directional spins as a young dancer. He jacked me up far more than he helped, but he was there nevertheless, and he always would be.

  A smile lifted my lips and I moved into the last sequence and faced the crowd for the giant finish. Layla’s eyes were filled with tears, and the smile on her face gave me comfort. I lifted on my toes and gave it my all as the music swelled to impossible heights. I loved Lucas White, but I loved dancing as well. There would need to be a compromise between us somehow, but there would be. I had no doubt.

  I dropped to the floor dramatically as the music ended and the students in the auditorium went wild. I stayed there, panting softly until the curtain closed.

  “Bravo. That was magnificent!” McCraven moved up and wrapped me in a hug. “I couldn’t have done it better myself, Aubrey. Beautiful. Just beautiful.”

  It meant a lot to hear it from her, but it didn’t mean the world. The fact that I was proud of myself did.

  “If we could have all the dancers on stage please. We’ll be announcing parts for the spring production.” McCraven clapped her hands and looked down her nose at all of us as she stood on the edge of the stage.

  “That means me.” I glanced over at Layla and smiled. We’d been sitting there for three hours, trying to get through the rest of the performers. Some had done just as well as me, if not better, so my confidence had waned over the evening.

  I moved into line with the other dancers in the company and walked up the stairs. We filed onto the stage, and I avoided standing too close to any of them. They all knew I was an Ice Queen or Queen Bee as the boys called me, and had unfortunately assessed that I was nothing more than a whore. It was sad but not enough to sway me to change anything. It was an unfair assessment, a judgment that didn’t fit me, and yet I would stand beside Lizzy or Teri through anything they had in their future without flinching. I belonged to both worlds.

  “Let’s start with supporting roles.” McCraven worked her way down the clipboard until she came to the lead role. “And now, for our lead role and solo in the spring production of Cats.”

  The crowd buzzed, and my stomach tightened. I glanced down to find the front row full of beat-up hockey boys and Ice Queens. Lucas was in the middle of all of them, his eyes locked on me, his smile loving and sexy.

  “Congratulations to Aubrey Moore.” McCraven turned and winked at me. “I knew she could do it.”

  The place erupted as I moved down off the stage and into the arms of my friends. We laughed and jumped around like the rowdy bunch of idiots we were.

  “Good job, baby.” Lucas pulled me to the side and leaned down to steal my breath with a kiss. I pressed into it and wrapped my arms tightly around him.

  “Did you win?” I moved out of his arms and into my brother’s as Jayce reached for me.

  “We did. Well, Jayce did.” Lucas smiled and patted my brother on the back.

  “What?” I glanced up at Jayce.

  “Yeah, your boyfriend here decided to give me the winning shot.” My brother’s smile widened. “He’s a good guy. I guess you can date him if you want.”

  “Too late.” I moved back toward Lucas and snuggled in against his chest. “Can we go celebrate all of this?”

  “Yep. Lizzy already called Merskys and they have a table set aside for all of us. Do what you need to do and let’s go.” Jayce moved over toward Layla as I glanced up at Lucas.

  “Are you happy with the way the game went?” I lifted to my toes and brushed my nose along his.

  “Yeah, but there was one thing missing.” He kissed me softly a few times as he brushed my hair back. “And I realized today that it was the most important thing in my life.”

  “Oh yeah? Tell me what it was.” I kissed him again as butterflies danced in my stomach.

  “You.” He cupped my face and smiled. “We need to decide what we’re doing this next year while you’re finishing up school. Either you’re transferring to Washington, or I’m telling the Caps no.” He kissed me again.

  “Or we’re going to make this work from a distance because your dreams and my dreams are equally impor
tant.” I ran my hands up his back. “I think we like each other enough to try the long-distance thing out. I’m not going anywhere, and you’re not either.”

  He smiled and tilted his head to the side a little. “I do like you a lot, but it’s so much more than that. I want you in my life for as long as I’m living it. I need to find healing beside you and grow into the man you need me to be. I want to be a daddy to our kids and a good man to you as my woman.”

  Tears blurred my vision as I choked on a soft sob. “Does this mean that you’ll always be the one to touch the bugs?”

  He laughed as tears filled his eyes too. “Yes, baby. I’ll always be the one to touch the bugs and anything else you need me to do. I love you with all of me, and I have since the moment I saw you at the Spring Bash your freshman year. Remember you tried to kiss me that night? Such a hooker.”

  I scoffed and moved back. “I didn’t try to kiss you. You tried to kiss me!”

  “Right. I’d almost forgotten.” He laughed and pulled me in tight. “Tell me you love me too.”

  “I do. I love you so much.” I lifted up and pressed myself against him, losing my concerns in the strength of his arms.

  We’d figure things out like we always did.

  Together.

  The End.

  Want More?

  Check out Talk Dirty To Me!

  A woman in the business of love that’s never been in a real relationship.

  Check. That’s me. Nessa Night.

  Now I know what you’re thinking. That sounds like a stripper name.

  Hold up. Let me explain.

  It’s my radio talk-show name. My incognito way of helping the world love deeper and more often.

  Though my love life is like a ten-year-old fall leaf trapped between the pages of an old journal. #dramatic

  I’m short. Curvy. Average at best.

  And I’m a fraud.

  For all the advice I give on the air, I have zero experience to back it up. I’m eternally single. Forever alone.

  And the only man I’ve ever caught feelings for is one of my callers: Mr No Name.

  Much to my surprise, he’s not unknown at all.

  The grandson of the great Jack Daniels is my caller, and worse? He’s my brother’s best friend from high school.

  Only one way to right these increasingly awkward wrongs.

  High school reunion time. He wants in, and I want a date who looks like him.

  The only thing off is his advice about love. It’s from Nessa night. Me!

  And if he swoons over her (me!) one more time, I’ll have to give in and tell him.

  Besides, I’m in the business of love.

  If I don’t got this, who does? *Gulp*

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  About the Author

  Ali Parker is a full-time contemporary and new adult romance writer with more than a hundred and twenty books behind her. She loves coffee, watching a great movie and hanging out with her hubs. By hanging out, she means making out. The man is hot. Hello.

  She’s a creative at heart and loves coming up with more ideas than any one person should be allowed to access. She lives in Tennessee with her hubs, teenage son, two grown daughters and first grand baby (yes!). Telling a good story that revives hope, reminds us of love and gives a vacation from life is all she’s up to.

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  About the Author

  Hey there. I'm Weston.

  I'm a former firefighter/EMS guy who's picked up the proverbial pen and started writing bad boy romance stories. I co-write with my sister, Ali Parker as we travel the United States for the next two years.

  You're going to find Billionaires, Bad Boys, Mafia and loads of sexiness. Something for everyone, hopefully. I'd love to connect with you. Check out the links below and come find me.

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  Breaking the Ice

  Copyright © 2020 by Ali and Weston Parker

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  The novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and plot are all either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons – living or dead – is purely coincidental.

  First Edition.

  Editor: Eric Martinez

  Cover Designer: Ryn Katryn Digital Art