Page 26 of Snowflakes and Ice Skates

There it was again, ladies and gents. The runner. When conflict was near, Vince disappeared without a trace. That was his super power.

“Honey, you might want to put that away soon. It’s melting.”

I looked up at Dad and he slowly backed away.

“Never mind. The whole tub is yours. Do with it what you may.”

He laughed and joined Mom as they walked out.

Alone. Again.

I took another spoonful and groaned. I was pitiful. Not even my parents wanted to be around me.

I got up and put the ice cream away and wiped off my face with a wet towel. When I turned around, Vince was standing in the kitchen watching me.

“Harlow?”

Must retract the anger. I inhaled slowly. “Yes?”

He took a step closer. “I didn’t come over to see Steven.”

I nodded. What did he want me to do with that information?

“I came to talk to you.”

“Okay.”

He cringed, slightly. “I don’t like how I left things earlier.”

Neither did I but he was the one in control. He was the one that drove away.

“I know I upset you, and I’m so sorry.” He paused and took another step closer, as if he was testing my limits. “I do care about you. I’m attracted to you. I want to keep spending time together. I want to get to know you. Who you are now.”

That all sounded good to me. It’s what I wanted, but I didn’t want to get hurt again. One bad day with him hurt more than any break up I’d been through. It was always him. It always had been. He was who I measured other guys to. He was it. I’d known that since I was little. He was finally catching up.

But I wasn’t willing to keep us a secret. I wanted us to happen, more than anything. But he had the power to destroy me.

Funny how I was willing to risk that, but he wasn’t willing to mess up his relationship with my family.

My heart must not be worth much to him.

“Then why didn’t you say that?”

He looked confused. “I just did.”

“No. When Steven was here. When my parents were around. Why did you let Steven assume you were here for him? Why did you walk away?”

He looked at the ground.

I wasn’t worth it to him.

“I’m not going to do the secret thing. If I’m not important enough to you to try, no matter the potential consequences, then I don’t want to do this.”

He looked at me like I was speaking a different language. Maybe he didn’t understand being turned down.

“Harlow—" He took another step, but I held up my hand.

“Please don’t. If you’re not willing to tell my family, then I don’t want to start.”