Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 73

Nik's POV:

Something was wrong with Victoria. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach, a gnawing unease that wouldn't let go. For the past few weeks, she'd been acting strange-stranger than usual. Victoria had always been a bit on edge, but this was different. She was jumpy, paranoid, almost like she was afraid of something, but no matter how many times I asked, she wouldn't tell me what was going on.

It started subtly. At first, she just seemed distracted, her mind somewhere else when we were together. She'd zone out in the middle of a conversation, her eyes glazing over like she was a thousand miles away. I'd have to repeat myself several times before she'd snap back to reality, blinking at me like she'd just remembered I was there. Including when I was eating her out. Which, not going to lie, was very humbling.

Then she started avoiding me. We used to spend almost every free moment together, whether it was grabbing some food between classes or just hanging out at her or my place, curled up on the couch watching movies. But lately, she always had an excuse not to hang out. "I've got a paper to write," or "Layla needs me for something." She'd say she was busy, but when I'd press her for details, she'd just brush me off, refusing to meet my eyes.

I tried to be patient, to give her space, but it was getting harder. I'd text her, asking if she wanted to grab lunch or go for a walk, and she'd either ignore it for hours or reply with a vague, "Maybe later." But later never came. She was always busy, always had something else to do.

The paranoia was the worst. Whenever we did hang out, she was constantly looking over her shoulder, like she was expecting someone to jump out at her. She'd flinch at loud noises, her eyes darting around like a frightened animal. She wouldn't let me hold her hand when we were walking outside anymore, always keeping a step ahead or behind me, like she didn't want to be too close. Once, we were at a small café near campus, and she almost knocked over her drink when a guy at the next table sneezed. She laughed it off, but I saw the fear in her eyes.

It was like she was slowly unraveling, and it scared the hell out of me.

Today, I tried again. I sent her a text as I headed to hockey practice, asking if she had time to hang out later. We hadn't spent more than a few minutes together in days, and I was starting to feel like I was losing her.

Me: Hey, you free later? Maybe we can grab dinner or something.

It took her a while to reply, and when she did, her answer was the same as always.

Victoria: Sorry, I can't today.

That was it. No explanation, no promise to make it up later. Just a flat, final can't. I stared at the message, a mixture of frustration and worry churning in my gut. What the hell was going on with her? Why wouldn't she talk to me? I felt like I was being shut out of her life, and it was driving me crazy.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket, trying to push the thoughts away as I headed into the locker room to get ready for practice. The guys were already there, laughing and joking as they suited up, but I couldn't get into it today. My mind was too wrapped up in Victoria, in the way she was pulling away from me, and the fear that something was seriously wrong.

Practice was a blur. My skates felt heavy, my movements sluggish as I tried to focus on the drills, but my heart wasn't in it. Every time I skated past the boards, I caught myself looking at the tribune, half-expecting Victoria to sit there, telling me that she'd changed her mind, that she wanted to see me. But there was nothing.

After what felt like an eternity, practice was finally over. The guys were still joking around as we headed to the showers, but I was barely listening. I stripped off my gear, tossing it away with more force than necessary, the frustration bubbling up inside me.