Chapter 19 Collision Course
The night air was thick with tension as Kylen and I approached the rink. Something about tonight felt different. The streets were quiet, too quiet, and I had a sick feeling that Lilibeth had already arrived before us.
Kylen’s hand found mine, tight and steady. “Stay close,” he said. His voice was low, serious, almost dangerous. I nodded, feeling the electricity in his tone. Something was about to explode, and we both knew it.
As we entered, the sight confirmed my fears. The rink was empty of players, but the locker room lights were on. And there, in the center of the ice, stood Lilibeth. Arms crossed, smirking like she owned the place.
“Finally decided to show up together,” she said, her voice sharp. “I wondered if you’d have the courage.”
Kylen stepped in front of me, shielding me instinctively. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. His eyes burned with warning.
“I came to remind him,” Lilibeth said, glancing at me, “why he shouldn’t trust you. Why everyone sees through your act.”
I felt my stomach twist. “This is my fight too,” I said firmly. “And you are not going to scare me.”
She tilted her head, amused. “You think you can stop me? You are nothing compared to me. I know him. I know what he wants. And he doesn’t need you.”
Kylen’s hand gripped my waist. “Enough,” he said, his voice low, dangerous. “You are done.”
Lilibeth’s smirk faltered. For the first time, I saw the shadow of doubt cross her face. She stepped closer, and I braced myself, but I did not move. I would not back down—not now.
“You don’t get it,” she hissed. “He is mine. He always has been. You can’t just walk in and take him.”
Kylen’s eyes darkened. “He is mine. And so am I. And you will leave now.”
Lilibeth’s face twisted with anger. “You can’t tell me what to do. You are weak, and you’ll let her control you. I can see it in your eyes. You want her.”
Kylen’s hand tightened around mine, his grip almost painful. “I don’t want her. I choose her. And you will leave before I lose control.”
Her laugh was sharp and cruel. “Control? You? You are already losing him.”
I felt the tension inside me spike, burning through every nerve. “No,” I said, my voice steady but fierce. “You are wrong. He is not yours, never was, and he is not lost. You will not take him from me.”
Kylen stepped even closer, chest brushing against mine, holding me like a shield. “She is done,” he said, voice firm. “We decide who stays in our lives, not her.”
Lilibeth froze. Her smirk faltered. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. For a moment, she realized she could not break what we had. The bond, the strength, the unshakable trust between Kylen and me—it was bigger than her games.
Then she made a sudden move. She lunged forward, trying to get between us. My heart stopped. Kylen reacted instantly, stepping to block her, his arms firm against hers.
“Stop!” he shouted, anger and danger laced in every syllable.
She shoved him back slightly, eyes blazing. “You think you can tell me what to do?” she hissed.
“I am not telling you,” Kylen growled. “I am showing you. Stay away from her, or I will make sure you regret it.”
I stepped forward, grabbing her wrist. “Enough, Lilibeth,” I said, voice sharp. “You are done. Leave, now, or you’ll see what it means to cross me.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. No one had ever spoken to her like that. Her smirk flickered, replaced with fury. “You!” she hissed.
Kylen pulled me behind him. “I said, enough,” he said.
For a heartbeat, time stopped. Then, Lilibeth’s shoulders slumped slightly. She realized she could not win here. She could not break what we had built in just a few weeks of chaos and fear.
“You’re lucky,” she spat finally. “This isn’t over.”
Kylen’s eyes never left hers. “It is over, if you walk away now.”
She glared at us, then turned sharply and stormed toward the exit. I exhaled slowly, relief flooding me. My legs felt weak, my heart pounding in a way I had not felt since the night we finally kissed at the rink.
Kylen turned to me then, pulling me into his arms fully. “Are you okay?” he asked, voice low, rough, full of concern.
“I am now,” I whispered, pressing myself against him. “Because you are here. Because we are here. Together.”
His lips found mine, slow and deep this time, not a kiss of desperation but a promise. A promise that no one would come between us again.
I clung to him, feeling the solid strength of him beneath my hands, the steady warmth of his chest, the certainty in his arms. For the first time in weeks, I felt truly safe. Truly loved.
“I will never let anyone do this to us again,” he whispered against my hair.
“I know,” I replied, my voice trembling. “And I will never let anyone take you from me either.”
We stayed like that for a long moment, holding each other as the tension in the air slowly dissolved. Lilibeth had tried to ignite a storm, but she had underestimated what it meant to be truly united. Kylen and I were not just together. We were a force. Stronger than her manipulation, stronger than the rumors, stronger than any obstacle she could throw at us.
And in that moment, I realized that love was not just about feelings. It was about courage, about standing up, about choosing each other when the world tried to tear us apart.
Kylen pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against mine. His eyes were soft now, filled with warmth and trust. “We can face anything,” he said softly.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Anything.”
And as we walked out of the rink, side by side, hand in hand, I knew this was only the beginning of the fight, but it was also the moment that defined us. Kylen and I were unshakable. No lies, no games, no chaos could break what we had.
Together, we were unstoppable.
And finally, finally, I knew that nothing—not even Lilibeth—could come between us ever again.