Arranged Marriage: The Lost Bet

Chapter Eighteen

**Ice Skating**

Lucas couldn't believe he was ice skating. He never imagined he would find himself on the ice, and he wished Brandon could see him now.

He had come to dislike everything associated with cold and ice. The last thing he wanted to do was skate.

"It's Family Fun Day!" Arianna exclaimed.

"It'll be so much fun, Lucas!" she insisted.

"It's not that cold, I promise," she said reassuringly.

"Stop being a sissy and get out on the ice!" she teased.

"Check it off your bucket list," Arianna urged.

But Lucas was certain that ice skating was not on his "things to do before I die" list.

Whoever designed these skates must have had issues or very small feet. After struggling for twenty minutes, he finally managed to cram his feet into a size fourteen.

"Come on, Lucas! Even Gabby is skating, and she's only two!" she laughed.

Grumbling, he stood up from the bench but immediately lost his balance. He crashed to the ground, groaning in pain.

He heard laughter and closed his eyes. One, two, three, four, five—he counted to calm himself.

"Lucas, are you alright?" Arianna asked between her giggles.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, he shot her a frustrated glare. "I just fell on my ass on solid ice. Does it look like I'm alright?" Anger bubbled up, and he sighed when she stepped back. Running his hands over his face, he looked up at her, his expression softening. "I'm sorry, baby. I just hate the cold, and my feet hurt in these skates."

Arianna paused, taken aback. She hadn't seen this side of him in so long that she almost forgot how it felt when they first met. "Okay, I'm sorry, honey. We can go somewhere else," she murmured, lifting Gabby into her arms. She hated that his anger had affected her, but she tried to understand that it stemmed from his dislike of the cold.

"Marriage is work," her dad once told her. "There will be good times and bad, but nothing is ever meant to be easy, Arianna."

She tried to hold onto his words, but her mind drifted back to those early months with Lucas. His cold demeanor and harsh words had hurt her deeply. Even though he had changed, she couldn't shake the worry that he might revert to his old self.

Noticing the worried expression on her face, Lucas carefully stood up, holding onto the bench for support. "I'm sorry, baby. Let's just have fun, okay? Remember, it's Family Fun Day!"

Arianna relaxed and managed a smile. For now, she decided to set aside thoughts of his past and embrace his gentle side. "Of course, honey! Let's go skate!" she exclaimed, feeling giddy. She had loved skating since she was little, but living in California meant there were few opportunities for ice skating. Ohio had its perks, but it couldn't compare to California.
♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

Shannon rubbed her hands together for warmth as she watched the happy little family laughing and gliding around the makeshift rink. Her mouth watered as she took in Lucas—handsome as ever, with that effortless charm that had drawn her to him in the first place. But when he leaned down to kiss Arianna, the "bitch," Shannon's anger surged within her.

Picking up her phone, she snapped a few pictures of the couple, capturing their joy, and sent them off to Alex.

"Soon, my love. Very soon," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the laughter around her. "You will be mine."