Chapter 23 Watching Him Choose Her
I told myself I wouldn’t go back to the rink.
I told myself I needed space.
Dignity.
Control.
I lasted one day.
By the second day, the silence was eating me alive.
Not just his silence.
But the space he left behind.
The absence of him in every little thing.
The way my phone felt useless without his name lighting it up. The way my chest tightened every time I thought about the last thing he said.
We shouldn’t see each other for a while.
It echoed like a punishment.
So I went back.
Of course I did.
The rink was louder today.
Crowded.
The tournament was getting closer, and everything felt more intense. More chaotic. More… watched.
Students filled the stands. Some pretending to study. Most pretending not to stare.
But they were.
At the ice.
At the players.
At him.
Kylen.
He was already skating when I walked in.
Focused. Fast. Untouchable.
Like nothing had happened.
Like I hadn’t happened.
My chest tightened.
“Lenora…”
I turned.
Tessa again.
Always there. Always worried.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said softly.
“I know,” I replied.
“But you came anyway.”
“Yeah.”
Because staying away hurt more.
I sat down slowly, my eyes never leaving the ice.
Watching him.
Trying to find something familiar in the way he moved.
But he felt… distant.
Even from here.
Practice ended.
And this time, I didn’t move.
I stayed seated.
Stayed still.
Watched.
The players started coming off the ice one by one.
Laughing. Talking. Shoving each other.
Normal.
Everything looked normal.
Until—
She walked in.
Lilibeth.
Like she belonged there.
Like she had every right.
Like nothing had ever changed.
My stomach dropped instantly.
She didn’t look around.
Didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t even pretend.
She walked straight to him.
And Kylen…
Didn’t walk away.
My fingers tightened against the edge of the bench.
No.
No, no, no.
She said something.
I couldn’t hear it.
But I saw it.
The way she leaned in.
Too close.
Too familiar.
Kylen ran a hand through his hair.
Tense.
Frustrated.
But he didn’t leave.
That hurt more than anything.
“Don’t,” Tessa whispered beside me.
But I was already watching.
Already breaking.
Lilibeth smiled.
Soft.
Careful.
Nothing like before.
Not sharp.
Not cruel.
This was different.
Calculated.
Gentle.
She reached out.
And touched his arm.
Something inside me snapped.
Kylen froze for a second.
Just a second.
Then—
He didn’t pull away.
My chest caved in.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Tessa said quickly.
But it did.
It meant everything.
Because I knew him.
Or at least… I thought I did.
And Kylen didn’t let people touch him like that.
Not unless…
“Lenora,” Tessa said again, softer this time.
“Maybe you should go.”
But I couldn’t move.
Because I needed to see how far this would go.
Even if it destroyed me.
They kept talking.
Too long.
Too close.
Too comfortable.
Then Kylen laughed.
A quiet one.
But real.
That was the worst part.
Because he hadn’t laughed with me like that in days.
I stood up.
Slowly.
My legs felt weak, but I forced them to move.
“I need to leave,” I said.
Tessa nodded quickly. “I’ll come with—”
“No,” I cut in gently.
“I need to do this alone.”
I turned.
Started walking.
But I didn’t get far.
“Lenora.”
His voice.
I froze.
Slowly…
I turned back.
Kylen was looking at me.
And Lilibeth…
Was standing right beside him.
Her hand still lightly resting on his arm.
My heart shattered quietly.
“Hey,” he said.
Like this was normal.
Like nothing was wrong.
Like we hadn’t just—
“What is this?” I asked.
My voice came out steady.
Too steady.
Silence.
Lilibeth smiled slightly.
“I was just checking on him,” she said sweetly.
I ignored her.
My eyes stayed on him.
“Kylen,” I said.
“Look at me.”
He did.
But not fully.
Not the way he used to.
“What is this?” I asked again.
He hesitated.
And that hesitation…
Was my answer.
“We’re just talking,” he said.
Just talking.
I let out a soft laugh.
Not amused.
Just… broken.
“Right,” I whispered.
Lilibeth tilted her head slightly.
Watching me.
Studying me.
Enjoying this.
“You said you needed space,” I continued.
My voice starting to crack now.
“But clearly… that doesn’t apply to her.”
Kylen’s jaw tightened.
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like?” I asked.
Silence.
Again.
Always silence.
Lilibeth stepped slightly closer to him.
Not enough to be obvious.
But enough.
“I think you should go,” she said softly.
That did it.
I looked at her slowly.
Then back at him.
“Do you want me to go?” I asked.
This was it.
His moment.
Say no.
Say stay.
Say something.
Anything.
But instead—
“…Maybe it’s better.”
My heart stopped.
For a second, I thought I misheard him.
“You’re serious,” I said quietly.
He didn’t answer.
That was worse.
I nodded slowly.
Taking a step back.
Then another.
“Okay,” I whispered.
Tears blurred my vision now.
But I refused to let them fall.
Not here.
Not in front of her.
“Good luck with your tournament,” I said.
Then I looked at Lilibeth.
Really looked.
And for the first time…
I didn’t see just a rival.
I saw someone who had just won.
I turned.
And walked away.
This time…
I didn’t stop.
Because staying would’ve destroyed me completely.
Behind me, I didn’t hear him call my name.
Didn’t hear footsteps.
Didn’t hear anything.
And that silence?
It said everything.