Worth The Wait

𝟐𝟖|𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓

𝐋𝐔𝐂IE 𝐁𝐀𝐒I𝐋𝐋E

It's one of those days when everything feels like it's pressing in, heavy and unrelenting. The rink is quieter than usual, the sound of blades slicing through the ice echoing more than it should. I pull on my skates, the laces tight against my ankles, but even that doesn't offer the grounding I crave.

I've been trying to keep my focus on the routine, on the upcoming competition. I'e been trying to ignore the rumours swirling around me and River. I had to delete my socials because everytime I opened an app all I saw was fans talking about me and river. Watching our footage saying he's in love me. My whole life has been leading up to this moment—this Olympic dream I've been chasing since I was a kid. But today? Today's different.

When I step out onto the ice, I see River gliding across, a fluid motion, the ice almost bending beneath him. It's beautiful to watch him skate, but there's something else swirling in my chest. My thoughts keep drifting, my mind caught between the pressure of the Games and the unsettling feeling I can't shake and the whole media frenzy hasn't helped either.

That's when I see him.

Callum.

I freeze mid-step. His figure is outlined in the doorway. The last person I wanted to see today. The person who holds too much power over my past, over the things I've tried so hard to bury. His presence in this space, in this moment, feels like a bomb about to explode.

River must see it too, because he immediately slows his pace, a frown tugging at his mouth. I turn away, trying to hide the shock that's rattling me.

Callum's gaze sweeps over the rink, scanning the space before landing on me. He smirks.

"I see you two are still at it," he calls, loud enough to make sure everyone hears. He lets out a short laugh, one that feels so hollow and wrong in the stillness. "Must be getting real cozy, huh?"

River's jaw clenches. I can feel the shift in the air—something tense and charged. I've never liked confrontation, but right now, I can feel the heat from both of them starting to build. I swallow hard, trying to hold my ground.

Callum steps closer, taking his time as he eyes River, then flicks his gaze back to me. "So, you're really fucking him now?" he spits out, the crude words catching in my throat.

I flinch, but before I can react, Callum's attention is fully on me, his eyes sharp with something I can't quite place—resentment, amusement? Maybe both. "And here I thought you were smarter than this. You're with him? The guy who ruined your first Olympics for you?" His words slice through the air like a blade. I flinch. "Wow, Lucie. Really? You're still hanging on to that? The one who cost you years of your life?"

I feel the sting of his words, the familiar, venomous bite. It hits like it always does, right at the core of my insecurities. The wounds he's been picking at for years never fully healed.

"You've got it all wrong," I say, my voice coming out shakier than I'd like, but I refuse to back down. "It wasn't River. It wasn't his fault. It was—"

"Really?" Callum interrupts, his voice low, mocking. "That's what you're going with? You know, I never thought you'd actually fall for this. The great Lucie Basille—Olympic dreamer—falling for the guy who messed it all up for her. Talk about a downgrade."

I freeze. His words twist inside me like a knife, but I can't let him see that. Not now. Not when River's standing right there, looking at me like he wants to protect me.

River's voice cuts through the tension, low and controlled, but there's an edge to it I've never heard before. "Callum," he says, taking a slow step forward. "You don't get to talk about Lucie like that."