Whispers Under the Christmas Sky

Chapter 6: Ice and Fire

I trudged toward my favorite spot on the outskirts of town, a quiet clearing with a single wooden bench beneath an old oak tree. It had always been my sanctuary—a quiet place where I could escape the chaos of life. Tonight, though, the silence was deafening, and the frost in the air seemed to seep straight into my soul.

The path was uneven, the snow crunching softly beneath my boots. The air was sharp and cold, biting at my cheeks, but I hardly noticed. My mind swirled with images from the night—the collapse of the crane, the chaos, and the laughter turning to screams. It felt as if the joy I had worked so hard to cultivate was crumbling in my hands.

When I reached the bench, I sank onto it heavily, staring out at the frozen lake before my. The moonlight danced on its icy surface, casting a soft glow over the snow-covered ground. I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them as tears pricked the corners of my eyes. Everything felt fragile, like one more blow would shatter it all. My thoughts wouldn’t settle.

I didn't understand why I was being so emotional about it. I had so much experience with events not going as planned, I had faced way worse than this, yet for some reason, I was feeling gravely emotional about this whole Wintervale event.

Or maybe it was just Ethan's presence, his softness that hadn't changed that was spiking up old, well-buried emotions.

The crunch of footsteps behind me made me tense. I didn’t turn, hoping whoever it was would leave her alone. But the steps grew louder until a familiar voice broke the silence.

“I thought I might find you here,” Ethan said softly, stopping a few steps away.

I didn’t respond at first, keeping my gaze on the lake. And when I finally spoke, my voice came out hoarse. “Did you follow me?”

“No,” he said, stepping closer. “You’ve always come here when you needed to think. Some things haven’t changed.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Everything else has.”

Ethan moved to sit beside me.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, my voice sharper than I intended.

Ethan didn’t leave. Instead, he sat down beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him. He didn’t say anything right away, just let the quiet hang between us.

“You don’t have to do this alone, you know,” he finally said, his voice soft but steady.

I stared at the lake, willing my emotions to stay buried. “This was my idea, Ethan. My responsibility. If I hadn’t pushed for—”

“Claire, stop.” His tone was firm but not unkind. “You can’t control everything. What happened wasn’t your fault.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I hated how easily Ethan could see through me, how his words cut through the walls I tried so hard to keep up.

“It sure feels like it,” I whispered. “I just wanted to do something good for this town. Something that mattered.”

“And you did,” he said, his voice unwavering. “You still are.”

I didn’t answer right away, letting his words sink in. The tension in my chest eased just a little, enough for me to take a deep breath.

“Thank you,” I said quietly, finally glancing at him.

He smiled, just a small one, but it was enough to chase away some of the darkness in my mind.

“We should get back. People might need us.”

Ethan hesitated, then stood, offering me his hand. “Alright. Let’s go.”

I ignored his hand, standing on my own, and started walking back toward the town. Ethan followed silently, his presence a steady comfort even if I wouldn’t admit it.

When we reached the square, I saw my parents waiting near the remains of the crane. My mother rushed, pulling my into a tight hug.

“Oh, Claire, we were so worried!” Mom said, her voice trembling.

“I’m fine, Mom,” I assured her, though my voice wavered.

My father was right behind her, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “We’re just glad you’re okay.”

Lila stood a few steps away, her face mirroring their concernp, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. “You scared everyone,” she said softly.

“I’m okay,” I repeated, offering them a small, reassuring smile. “I just needed some air.”

“Thank you for bringing her home.” My mother glanced at Ethan, then back at me, throwing me a suspicious look but I dismissed it. “Let’s get you home. You’ve had a long day.”

Ethan just nodded, his expression unreadable. “Always. I’ll see you in the morning. Rest, Claire.”

The next morning, Ethan and I met the mayor at the town hall. I didn’t get much sleep, but there was no way I could wait any longer to figure out what had gone wrong.

Ethan looked like he hadn’t slept as well, his shirt slightly rumpled and his jaw shadowed with stubble. Despite his disheveled appearance, his eyes were sharp and focused. As it turned out, Ethan had already been working on it.

“I had some of my guys look into it last night,” he told the mayor as we sat across from her desk. “The crane wasn’t just faulty—it was tampered with.”

I felt my stomach drop. “Tampered with? Are you sure?”

Ethan nodded, his jaw tight. “There were clear signs of deliberate damage. Someone wanted this to happen.”

The mayor’s face went pale. “Victor?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

I clenched my fists. Victor had already tried to sabotage me once; this felt like something he’d do. But without proof, there was nothing we could pin on him.

“What do we do?” I asked, glancing between Ethan and the mayor.

Ethan’s gaze met mine, steady and determined. “We don’t let him win. We keep going with the events as planned. If we make this public, it’ll only cause panic.”

Mayor Gladys nodded in agreement.

“The ice-skating competition will hopefully do the trick. It’s simple, family-friendly, and will keep the focus on the community.”

The mayor smiled. "Yes, everything has to go as planned."

By the afternoon, the square had been transformed into a glittering ice rink, surrounded by strings of lights and festive decorations.

Families gathered, their laughter and chatter filling the air, while the scent of hot cocoa wafted from nearby stalls.

I stood at the edge of the rink, watching as children skated and slipped, their giggles carrying over the music playing softly in the background. I felt a flicker of hope.

“Not bad,” Ethan said, appearing at my side with two steaming cups of cocoa.

I took one, smiling up at him. “Better than I expected.”

Everyone was enjoying their time, dancing randomly againt the ice, waiting for the competition to start. People wanting to participate, had their names signed up a week ago, and are warming up for the big prize.

“Enjoying yourself?”

I looked up at Ethan's random question.

“Dance with me,” he said, his voice quiet but confident.

I blinked. “What?”

“On the ice,” he clarified, his hand still extended. His usual smirk softened into something almost shy. “One dance.”

I looked at the ice, then back at him. “Ethan, I haven’t skated in years. I’ll fall.”

“Then I’ll catch you,” he shrugged.

Something in his tone made it impossible to refuse. Before I could overthink it, I set my cocoa down on a nearby table and took his hand.

Ethan led me to the rink’s edge and helped me step onto the ice. My legs wobbled immediately, and I gripped his arm tighter, earning a low chuckle.

“Relax, Claire,” he said, guiding me toward the center. “You’ve got this.”

“You’re awfully confident for someone who hasn’t seen me skate since I was seventeen,” I muttered, but a small smile tugged at my lips.

The music shifted to a slower tune, and Ethan turned to face me, placing one hand on my waist while holding my other hand in his. “Just follow my lead.”

I hesitated, but his steady gaze and warm touch eased some of my nerves. Slowly, we began to glide across the ice. At first, my movements were stiff and unsteady, but Ethan guided me with such ease that I found myself loosening up as I rememebred my time on the ice years ago.

The square around us seemed to fade away. It was just the two of us, moving in tandem to the rhythm of the music.

“Not bad,” Ethan said, his tone teasing.

“I’m barely skating,” I shot back, laughing despite myself.

“You’re skating with me,” he corrected, his voice dropping slightly.

I glanced up at him, my breath catching. There was something in his eyes—something I hadn’t seen in years. Affection. Warmth. A quiet intensity that made my heart race.

The enviroment was well underway when I noticed her. Delilah. The woman I hadn’t seen in years but could never forget. The one Ethan had been seeing behind my back all those years ago and I suddenly felt sick from the hot cocoa he just offered me.

She stepped onto the ice, graceful and poised, her figure drawing the attention of everyone around her.

She skated toward us, her movements flawless. When she reached the edge of the rink, her eyes locked on Ethan.

“Ethan,” she said, her voice smooth and sweet. “It’s been a long time.”

I stiffened, the old wound reopening with startling ease.

Ethan’s expression hardened. “Delilah.”

“I heard about the accident,” she continued, her gaze flicking to me. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” he voice sounded innocent and breezy. It made me sick.

My grip on the cocoa tightened. "Hello, Delilah."

Delilah ignored me entirely, looping her arm through Ethan’s. “You didn’t tell me you’d be here. What a pleasant surprise.”

“Why wouldn't I, Delilah,” Ethan said, his tone colder than I expected.

"You said you had an important business trip." Delilah spoke as Ethan pryed his arm from her hold, his gaze fixed on me, while mine poked at Delilah.

"Yeah well, it got posponed." Ethan replied with no emotion yet I flared with unnecessary jealousy.

"I'll leave you two to catch up." I said, my tone icy.

Ethan grabbed my arm. "Claire, don't."

I shot him a cold gaze before turning around to leave.

The emotions I’d buried for so long were rising, unstoppable. I turned around to leave before I cut her throat open. They can't see that she still affected me. Her presence around Ethan still clawed harshly at my heart.

And I didn't understand why I was still feeling emotional about this?!

“Claire,” Ethan called, his voice sharp but I ignored him. I could still hear his footsteps behind me.

Ethan grabbed my arm, harshly turning me around, his eyes shooting daggers into mine.

"Why are you running away?" He grumbled. I tried freeing my arm from him angrily but my strenght was no match to his.

"What do you want, Ethan? You probably shouldn't be keeping Delilha waiting long." I sneered.

Ethan’s patience snapped. “For the love of God, Claire, I never dated Delilah! She tried to get between us, and you let her!”

"Who are you lying to exactly?! I saw you Ethan, several times!" I retorted back angrily, the memory still fresh like it happened yesterday.

"And you saw wrong! There was absolutely nothing between Delilah and I! It has always been you and no one else."

"I'm not falling for this, Ethan." I muttered under my breath, attempting to leave once again. This time, my departure was disrupted with Ethan pulling me against his chest, his lips holding deeply onto mine.

For a moment, everything else disappeared—the crowd, the music, even the cold. It was just him, holding me in a way I didn’t know I missed so much. It wasn’t gentle; it was raw and desperate, leaving her breathless and confused.

"I'm done with your stupid brain." His voice was firm and his eyes dedicated.

“It was never her,” he said, his voice low and steady. “It’s always been you. I’ve only ever wanted you.”

And then he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding and my thoughts in chaos.