Ashley's pov
I wasn't the kind of girl who stared off into space thinking about life or whatever, but here I was, in the back corner of the library, surrounded by dusty shelves, looking exactly like a main character in a sad coming-of-age movie.
Val was late again. Not for school, she was never late for that, but late replying. That wasn't her. Not to me, at least.
She always answered within ten minutes—even when she was mid-spin on the ice, she'd send a voice note like "Ash, I swear I'm gonna fall flat on my face today. Kill me now." But today? Silence.
So I texted again.
ME: hey. u good?
ME: update me before i turn into ur stalker and come find u on the ice
ME: val 😐
Still nothing.
I sighed and let my phone fall onto my chest as I laid flat across the bench seat. I stared up at the cracked ceiling, where one flickering light blinked like it was trying to send a morse code message.
Val never talked about what was actually going on at home. She joked. She waved it off. She acted like her life was totally normal. But I knew better. I knew the way her smile dimmed when she talked about her dad. I knew she flinched at the word "family dinners" like they were war meetings. I knew Emma, her little sister, meant more to her than skating ever could—but skating was the only thing her dad actually gave a damn about.
And her mum? Always conveniently missing. Never around when things cracked.
Sometimes I wished Val would just scream. Cry. Break down. Anything. But she didn't. She just... spun through it.
My phone buzzed again, but it wasn't her this time.
AVINAV: library?
ME: yeah
AVINAV: bleachers in 5? need your opinion on something. urgent.
Urgent? That word coming from Avinav was a red flag the size of a football pitch.
---
The bleachers were mostly empty by the time I made it out. Afternoon practice hadn't started, and the air still smelled of old gym floor polish and cold metal.
Avinav was already there, slouched like a boy who lived off energy drinks and stress. He looked up when he saw me and offered a lazy smile.
"You're early," I said.
"You're bossy," he replied, scooting over.
We sat in silence for a few seconds before I asked, "So? What's the urgent crisis?"
He ran a hand through his hair. "It's about Theo."
I rolled my eyes. "Obviously. It's always about Theo."
"No, this one's serious. Like... arranged marriage serious."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
He nodded, clearly annoyed. "His dad's basically pressuring him to get engaged. To Nicol."
I made a gagging sound. "Nicol? That Nicol? The one who once made a girl cry for wearing the same earrings as her?"
"Yup. That Nicol."
"That's illegal. Or immoral. Or—what's the word? Unholy."
"I said the same thing," he muttered.
"Wait—why? Like why now?"
Avinav leaned back against the cold bleacher rail. "Because the company Theo's meant to inherit? Technically belongs to his mum. His dad's the CEO, but it's not his. He wants Theo to look like he's got his life sorted. Stable. Partnered up. All that family legacy bull."
"And Nicol's family is old money," I muttered. "They'd merge companies."
"Exactly. His dad thinks it's the safest play."
"So Theo just said yes?"
"He said nothing. That's the problem. He's acting like it doesn't matter. Like he has all the time in the world."
I scoffed. "Because he's Theo. He thinks if he ignores a fire long enough, it'll put itself out."
Avinav gave me a long look. "I think he's scared."
I blinked. "What?"
"Yeah. Not of Nicol. Of having to commit to anyone. He's not built for relationships."
"Well, neither is Val and she still shows up for her sister every day."
That came out sharper than I meant it to.
Avinav turned to me. "You okay?"
I shrugged. "Not really. I hate watching my best friend carry her whole damn family and still pretend like everything's fine."
He didn't say anything. Just nodded, like he understood.
We sat there a while longer, not talking, not needing to.
And for once, even the silence felt... kind of nice.