Heart of Ice

Chapter Thirty

Song: Traitor- Olivia Rodrigo

Two years ago

I stood in front of the mirror, my hands shaking as I smoothed out my dress, the silky red material clinging to my body in the perfect places. My hair was pulled up into a curled pony tail, and the diamond hoops I had in sparkle as they caught the light of my room. It was Hunter's 23rd birthday and I was just shy of eighteen. I wanted him to see that I wasn't a little girl anymore, that I was so much more than that— I had grown into a woman, albeit the mental part of that came long before the physical appearance because of everything Demetrius had put me through.

"Damn, Lassie! Your delicious man's eyes might literally fall out of their sockets when he sees you in that dress," Cleo squealed through the phone before I picked it up, shooting her a glare. She was out gallivanting the streets of Italy and I called her in a panic because I wasn't sure if the dress I bought a few days before fit me in the way I hoped it would. Cleo knew her shit when it came to fashion, so I knew she would guide me in the right direction.

"Now is not the time for jokes, Cleo. This is serious. I've never worn something like this before," I plopped down on my bed, my shoulders slouching as I blew out a breath. "And I am not wearing this for Hunter."

"You can't fool me, missy. I might be across the world, but your intentions can be seen from a mile away."

"What intentions?"

"The intention of snatching up a gorgeous hunk, revealing your undying love for each other, and having lots of beautiful babies for Auntie Cleo to spoil."

I rolled my eyes. "Now you sound like uncle Tobias."

Cleo grinned. "What can I say? Intelligence runs in the family."

I knew dad and I would strongly disagree when it came to intelligence and the statements that uncle Tobias and Cleo constantly made. Before I could say any more, I heard commotion downstairs as the front door opened and greetings commenced. My heart rate increased as I knew it meant Hunter was there.

"I have to go. Mom's gonna need my help setting up the food."

"Ciao. Make sure you send me a wedding invitation."

I rolled my eyes yet again as Cleo blew kisses before hanging up. Looking over myself once more in the mirror, I released a deep breath and decided the hell with it; in a dress like that, I needed to have confidence and own the look. What Hunter thought didn't mean a damn thing.

But as soon as I stepped on the bottom step and saw him talking and smiling with Brett, I knew that what he thought did mean something. It meant something because for once, he didn't have someone else hanging on his arm, and I was almost eighteen, which would change everything. Plus, our birthdays were the only two days a year where we weren't at each other's throats. It was the only days where I got that tiny little glimmer of hope that the Hunter I knew and loved was still in there.

Brett gave Hunter a hug before wandering off into the living room, and then his eyes landed on me, observing me slowly from head to toe. Under his gaze, I shifted back and forth on my feet, suddenly feeling like maybe the dress was a bit too much. But then, he took a step toward me, his eyes never leaving mine as the ghost of a smile spread across his lips. "I've never seen the Alaska Rivera in anything besides workout clothes or black... well, everything."

I couldn't fight back a smile. "I thought a little change of scene might be nice," I pulled the small box from behind my back, holding it out to him. "Happy Birthday."

He held it in his hands. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"It's nothing major. Just something to add to your bracelet collection."