Heart of Ice

Chapter Fifty

Song: I'll Never Love Again- Lady Gaga

Lesson number three: Only love can thaw a heart of ice.

My eyes flutter open. The absence of his warm, comforting arms leaves a cold chill trickling down my spine, but he's not gone; I can hear him shuffling somewhere in the room. I sit up on my elbows, glancing around the room until I spot him by my dresser, shirtless, angel wings tattoo on full display. His back muscles flex as he stretches his arms into a t-shirt, and I subconsciously lick my lips until he starts to pull it over his head. Breathlessly, I ask, "How long have you had that tattoo?"

Hunter freezes. He lowers his shirt and looks to the side, but not enough to look at me. "You're awfully calm about it. How long have you known?"

"Why are you avoiding the question?"

"I'm not. Just answer me first."

I hesitate at first. "Since my birthday. I saw it when you got out of the pool," The memory flashes through my mind, and I remember the way it took my breath away, seeing it for the first time. "Wasn't so calm then."

He shakes his head. "Why didn't you say something then?"

"You really hated me, more than you do now," Even though pretty much everyone tells me this isn't true, I want to test the waters. I'll believe it more if he is the one who says it. "It wasn't the right time."

Hunter finally glances over his shoulder to look at me, his eyes sad. "I don't hate you, Alaska."

I let my eyes linger on his for a few seconds, and then I stand and walk to him, brushing my fingers along the intricacies of the wings spanning his back. He shivers under my touch. "Your turn."

Hunter is quiet as I finish tracing the first wing. When my fingers move to the second, he sighs. "I've had it since you were 15."

My heart thumps faster against my chest. "What's the meaning?"

"It should be pretty obvious."

I swallow hard. "I need to hear you say it."

Hunter pauses. Then, he faces me, his eyes soft as he stares down at me. "It's for you," He whispers, brushing his fingers along my cheek. The ghost of a smile appears on his lips. "My angel."

Well, that does it for me. Tears spring to my eyes as I slam myself into his chest, my arms wrapping tightly around his torso. He holds me just as tight as my tears soak his bare chest. "Why did you hide it from me all these years?"

"Like you said, it wasn't the right time," He caresses my hair. "I needed to keep you safe first. That meant keeping you at a distance."

"And what about now?"

"That's what I still need to do," Hunter squeezes me once. "Which leads me to goodbye."

I pull away from him, looking up at his eyes, and my heart constricts at the sight of the sadness lying deep within them. "What?"

"You know about the tattoo I had done for you now," The corner of his mouth twitches, but I don't miss the way his eyes glass over. "I'm glad you figured it out before something happened."

I shake my head, my skin growing ice cold despite being in his arms still. "What are you talking about?"

He presses a lingering kiss against my forehead before letting go of me. "You'll find out soon enough."

He starts to walk away. I'm still in shock, still reeling in the dread that's building in my stomach, and I'm too late when I turn around. "Hunter, wait--"