Burning Ice - Chapter 22: Chapter 22

I was leaning into the mirror, carefully retouching my lipstick, when Stasi popped her head into the room.
"Billie, you've got a visitor." she said, her tone a little too casual,
I froze mid-swipe, the tube of lipstick still pressed against my bottom lip. "A visitor?"
Stasi leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, the corners of her mouth quirking into a knowing smile. "Yeah. Tall, broody, hockey guy. Sound familiar?"
Nate.
I stared at her reflection in the mirror, my heart stumbling in my chest. "He's here?"
"Yep. Out front, looking a little out of place. Says he wants to talk to you."
My stomach twisted, a mix of panic and something I couldn't quite name. I hadn't expected him to come here. I hadn't even responded to his text.
It wasn't because I was trying to be cruel or play games. I just... didn't know what to say. When I'd seen his name pop up on my phone, a part of me had wanted to reply, to keep things light and pretend like nothing was wrong. But the other part of me, the part I was starting to listen to more had reminded me that this thing between us wasn't simple.
How could it be?
I didn't want to tell him I didn't think this could work. That felt like a cop-out, and the truth was, I wasn't sure what I thought. All I knew was that this morning had felt perfect, like we were living in our own little bubble. But bubbles pop.
And now he was here, in my world, the last place I expected him to show up.
"So... you want me to tell him to get lost, or what?" Stasi raised a brow when I didn't say anything.
"No" I said quickly, my voice firmer than I felt. "I'll talk to him."
Her smirk deepened, but there was a hint of something softer in her expression too. "Alright. I'll send him back."
As she left, I turned back to the mirror, my reflection staring back at me with wide eyes. My fingers tightened around the tube of lipstick, and I forced myself to exhale.
I had no idea what I was going to say to him, but one thing was clear: I couldn't avoid this any longer.
I quickly pulled on my black silk robe, tying it snugly around my waist to cover the glittering, barely-there outfit beneath. My stage set had ended over an hour ago, but I still felt exposed. Vulnerable. The robe wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
My knee bounced nervously as I perched on the edge of the couch in the small backstage lounge. The room was quiet except for the faint thump of bass from the club's speakers. I ran a hand through my hair and took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves twisting in my stomach.
Why was he here?
When the door creaked open, I looked up, and there he was.
Nate stepped inside, his frame filling the doorway, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. He looked... rough. Not in the disheveled, careless way most guys did after a long night, but in a way that tugged at something deep inside me. His hair was messy, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion and framed by faint circles, and his shoulders seemed weighed down with something I couldn't quite place.
And yet, even like this, he was the most attractive man I'd ever seen.
For a second, we just stared at each other. His eyes swept over me, lingering on the silk robe, before meeting mine again. There was something in his gaze, nervousness maybe, that matched the flutter in my chest.
"Hey" he said finally, his voice softer than I expected.
"Hey" I replied, standing. My fingers fiddled with the hem of my robe, a subconscious attempt to steady myself.
He closed the door behind him but didn't move any closer, like he was giving me space. "I, uh... I wasn't sure if you'd even talk to me."
His honesty caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn't know how to respond. The tension between us felt heavy, like neither of us knew what to do with it.
"I didn't expect to see you here," I admitted, my voice quieter than I intended. "Especially after last night."
He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers tugging at the strands in a way that made him look even more uncertain. "I just... I needed to see you. You left without saying anything, and I—" He broke off, exhaling sharply. "I don't know. I couldn't stop thinking about it."
The way his voice softened at the end made my chest tighten. He looked so out of place in this world, in my world, yet here he was, standing in front of me, trying.
"Nate" I started, but he interrupted.
"Just... let me say this," he said, stepping closer. "I know I messed up last night. I got too caught up in everything, and I didn't realize you were gone until it was too late. But I need you to know that wasn't me choosing them over you or anything like that. I just..." He paused, shaking his head like he was frustrated with himself. "I don't want you to think I don't care, because I do. A lot."
His words hung in the air, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. The rawness in his voice, the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered and it was too much. Too overwhelming.
I swallowed hard, trying to sort through the whirlwind of emotions swirling in my chest. "I don't know what to say" I admitted.
"Then don't say anything," he said, his voice softening even further. "Just... tell me I didn't lose you last night."
His words hit me like a weight, and I found myself torn between the walls I'd built around myself and the undeniable pull I felt toward him.
I sighed, pushing back the lump forming in my throat. The tears prickling at the corners of my eyes weren't welcome, not here, not now. I couldn't cry in front of him not when I barely understood the storm of emotions swirling inside me.
"Nate" I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't even know how I feel right now."
He opened his mouth to respond, but I held up a hand, stopping him.
"I like you," I said quickly, rushing to get the words out before I lost my nerve. "I like spending time with you. I like our conversations, the way you make me laugh, the way you... make me feel seen." My chest tightened as I tried to sort through my tangled thoughts. "But... we're from two completely different worlds."
"What do you mean?" He frowned, his eyes darkening with confusion.
I took a step back, needing the distance to gather my courage. "I mean that I didn't grow up with the kind of life you had. I grew up poor, Nate. I've had to make choices most people couldn't even imagine just to survive. And you..." I hesitated, glancing at him before looking away. "You didn't have a perfect life—I get that. But you've been given opportunities I couldn't even dream of. We see the world differently because we've lived it differently."
The room felt unbearably quiet, the faint bass of the club now distant and muffled. I let out a shaky breath, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my robe.
"And it's not just that," I added. "I'm not sure if I'm even ready for a relationship. I've never been in a real one before. I wouldn't even know how to be a good girlfriend."
I looked up at him then, my heart aching at the way his expression softened. He wasn't angry or defensive, just listening, really listening, in a way that made me feel both exposed and safe all at once.
Nate took a step toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. "Billie" he said, his voice steady but laced with emotion, "I hear everything you're saying, and I get it. I really do. But none of that changes how I feel about you."
I opened my mouth to respond, but he pressed on.
"You think I haven't thought about the differences between us? About how our lives don't exactly fit together on paper?" He shook his head. "I have. I've thought about it a lot. But none of that matters to me. What matters is you. The way you challenge me. The way you don't put up with my crap. The way you light up a room without even trying."
"I don't care if you're not sure how to be a 'good girlfriend.' I don't care if you don't have it all figured out, because neither do I. All I know is that I don't want to let you go. I can't let you go." He stepped closer, and this time, I didn't move away.
His words hit me like a tidal wave, crashing over the walls I'd spent so long building around myself. I didn't know what to say, and for a long moment, I just stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Nate..." I started, but my voice faltered.
He reached out then, his hand brushing against mine. "You don't have to decide anything right now," he said softly. "Just... don't shut me out. Please."
I stood there, staring at him, my mind racing in a thousand directions. My heart was screaming one thing—yes, yes, a million times yes but my brain fought back, cautioning me against diving headfirst into something I wasn't sure I could handle. I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, the ground crumbling beneath my feet.
How did I even get here? The last month and a half had been a whirlwind. Meeting Nate, our late-night conversations, the stolen kisses, the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the room. None of it made sense, not on paper, not in real life, but somehow, it felt impossible to ignore.
I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to steady myself, but my thoughts were spiraling. I wasn't the kind of woman who got swept up by fairy tales, and yet here he was, standing in front of me, looking like he'd drop to his knees if it meant keeping me in his life.
No man had ever made me feel like this. I didn't know how to explain it, but Nate made me feel like I was something rare, something valuable. Like I was worth more than I'd ever dared to believe. He treated me like I was the most precious thing in the world, and for once, I wanted to believe it was true.
My heart pounded as I looked up at him. His eyes were filled with so much hope, so much desperation, that it nearly broke me. I couldn't find the words to say yes, not yet, but I could feel the walls I'd put up starting to crack.
Before I could second-guess myself, I took a step forward. My hand reached up, brushing lightly against his jaw, and I saw the way his breath hitched, his entire body going still under my touch. I didn't let myself think. I leaned in, closing the space between us, and pressed my lips softly against his.
His reaction was immediate. His hands came to my waist, pulling me closer as he kissed me back, pouring everything he couldn't say into that moment. It wasn't just a kiss. It was an answer, a promise, and maybe even a little bit of a surrender.
When I finally pulled back, I opened my eyes to see him staring at me, a mix of relief and something deeper, something that felt like hope etched across his face.
"Okay" I whispered, my voice unsteady but certain. "Let's figure this out."
And for the first time in a long time, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, this could work.