Frozen Hearts

Chapter 4

[Flashback]

The door opened and Iris's mom looked at him with an inviting smile. He returned it, trying his best not to let his anxiousness leak through his expression. He'd never been more nervous in his life and he didn't understand why, it was just Iris. Barry and Iris had been skating partners since their very first event at ten and had been inseparable for seven years. Maybe, he thought, it had to do with the new way he'd been looking at her. It started off suddenly. A strand of hair would come lose during practise and as he tucked it away behind her ear it would no longer just be a friendly gesture. This time he'd notice the softness of her skin and the depth of her eyes. Everything around him would stop as he'd slowly realise just how pretty she was. That year when they were competing, the minute he saw her in her costume he ran short of air.  His eyes grazed over her and he started noticing little changes in her body that made him tense.
"When did Iris get so hot?" he'd wondered, praying that his attraction for her didn't distract him on the ice. His prayers were answered. Her beauty didn't distract him, if anything it made their on stage...well, ice, chemistry that much more undeniable which left him questioning whether she felt it too, and made his revelation that night, that much more heartbreaking.

Upstairs, in her room, Iris was a pile of nerves. She'd finished getting ready exactly twenty minutes before Barry got there but she couldn't bring herself to move. She stared at her reflection, her uncertainty visible in her lightly made up eyes.
"Why did you say yes?" she asked herself, questioning her acceptance to Barry's invitation to junior prom. He was so sweet when he asked her...

They had just took first place at regionals and were celebrating at Jitters when he pulled her aside and asked her to meet him up on the roof. She did as he requested and found him with his hands in his jeans pockets staring out at the city.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and playfully squeezed. It was an action that she only allowed to last for a few seconds because she new that extended contact might make Barry aware of her draw to him and that's a line she wasn't ready to cross just yet. She let go and he turned around to face her. He looked at her for a meaningful second then said,
"Yeah, it really is," but he said it in a tone that made her question whether he was talking about the city or her.
*Probably the city*, she decided, chalking up her confusion to wishful thinking.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked trying to change the subject while wrapping her arms around herself to keep out the evening chill. Noticing her cold Barry shrugged off his black blazer and placed it over her. She thanked him for the gesture, praying that the lighting was dim enough to conceal her blush.
"Better?" he asked and she noded with a smile.

"Much, thank you."

"You're welcome, and to answer your previous question I...actually called you up here for two reasons." he said extracting one of his hands from his pocket and opening it to reveal a small, circular, golden cardboard box.

"The first was to give you this," he added then he opened the box and from it, took a white gold and diamond snowflake pin. Iris's eyes opened wide in surprise and Barry smiled as he noticed how not even the precious stones on the intricate piece could out shine her eyes.

"Barry, its beautiful," she gasped out passing her finger softly across its shiny surface.

"But, what's the occasion?" she asked, searching his eyes for a response.

"It's a congratulations gift, a present to celebrate our going to nationals," he answered as he took the pin from the box and pinned it onto her dress. She looked at it lovingly before directing her teary gaze back to him.

"Thank you," she said, genuinely moved by his thoughtfulness, and stood on the tips of her toes to hug him.

"I feel terrible, I didn't get you a gift," she said into his hair and he rubbed her back kindly before letting go.

"It's OK, I already have that figured out," he answered and she looked at him confused.

"It would... be the greatest gift ever if you gave me the privilege of being my date for junior prom," he said practically tripping over his words out of nervousness. Iris stared at him stunned, making Barry even more worried.

"Or maybe not, I don't know. Do you have another date, or..."
Iris cut off his rambling by jumping into his arms screaming,

"Yes! Yes! A million times yes!"

He hugged her back, relief kicking in with a side of disbelief.

"Really?" he asked and she let go of him so that she could look into his eyes when she said,

"There's no one I'd rather go with."

.....

[Iris]

She stroked the pendant gently with her finger as memories of that night and the aftermath of junior prom pounded through her head. She'd driven home in a mad fury, determined to let go of everything that still connected her to Barry Allen, but when she grabbed that pendant the memories came flooding back and the heartache made her weak. She slumped to the floor and cried. She hadn't held that pendant since that night and hadn't cried about him in almost as much time, but seeing him opened up the wounds she so desperately tried to hide. Each dissapointment she rembered made her hurt more until eventually she was numb with pain and that's exactly when the anger began to build. She was angry at all he put her through. Angry that he came back, but most of all angry that he still had an effect on her.

"Snap out of it West!" she scolded herself, making an internal decision that from that day forward she wouldn't give him that much power over her. From that day on she wouldn't feel butterflies at the mere mention of his name, nor hurt at the sight of his face. She wouldn't allow herself to be spell bound by those sea green eyes nor...
A knock at the door interrupted her train of thought and she wiped her face as she made her way down to see who it was.

"Who is it?" she asked on her way to the door.

"Iris, it's me," came his voice from the otherside stopping her in her tracks. Her emotions started to build up again but this time she stopped the avalanche before it hit the land bellow.
You've got the power. Not him. she thought to herself then she straightened her back, drained all emotion from her face and strutted to the door, flinging it open violently.

"What do you want?"

************************************

Ah ha!
And so the cliffhangers return
😂😂😂
!!!!!