Breaking the Ice

Chapter Three - Something different

Anna's POV

The next day at school, I tried my best to focus. The rhythmic sound of the teacher’s voice faded in and out as I scribbled down half-hearted notes. I wasn’t listening, couldn’t focus—my mind kept wandering back to the night before, to the hockey game and the kiss I had witnessed between Carter and Jessica. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the scene again—over and over—like a loop I couldn’t escape from.

I tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on the lesson, but then, as if on cue, another thought popped into my head—Marcus McKay. His piercing blue eyes, staring at me with an intensity I hadn’t quite been able to place, flashed in my mind. The way we had locked gazes for that fleeting moment during the game and then again when I saw him with his brothers in the hallway. I hadn’t been able to figure him out. There was something about him, something mysterious and almost dangerous. And that offer of help—why had he done that? Why had he made it so…personal? It was almost as if he knew exactly what I was feeling.

I shook my head, trying to clear the swirling thoughts. "Focus," I told myself. "You’re in school, not at the hockey game, and definitely not having some weird moment with Marcus McKay."

But the more I tried to push the thoughts of Marcus away, the more they seemed to haunt me. I barely knew the guy, yet his presence seemed to linger, like a shadow I couldn’t quite escape. I flexed my fingers and flinched as I looked down at my bandaged right hand, the tips of my fingers suddenly tingling at the memory of being held by Marcus freaking McKay.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. I grabbed my books, trying to ignore the knot still tight in my chest. Maybe a break would help clear my mind. I was meeting Courtney, after school at our usual spot—the coffee shop a few blocks from school.

The cool air hit me as I stepped out of the school building, the hustle of students rushing to their cars or waiting for buses creating a buzz around me. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a text from Courtney: “Coffee shop, 3:45. Be there. We need to talk.”

I smiled at my best friend’s no-nonsense attitude. Courtney always knew how to cut through the noise, always ready with advice when I needed it most. And today, I definitely needed advice.

When I arrived at the coffee shop, the familiar scent of roasted beans and baked goods wrapped around me like a warm hug. I spotted Courtney at our usual corner table, her curly hair falling messily over her shoulders as she tapped away on her phone.

"Hey," I greeted her, slipping into the chair across from her.

Courtney looked up, her hazel eyes already scanning my face with an expression that said she was ready to dive straight into whatever was bothering her.

"Hey," Courtney said, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "You look like you need to talk."

I sighed and rubbed my temples, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. "I don't even know where to start," I admitted.

Courtney raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. "Well, you could start with the part where you punched Carter in the face and made him look like he kissed a porcupine for the rest of the game. We won by the way. Carter played like s**t and then stormed off after the final buzzer."

I winced, but didn’t try to deny it. "I was going to talk, but.... it’s… everything, Court. Carter, Jessica… I thought I fooled myself long enough to think they were done, you know? But then seeing them together last night, it just hit me harder than I thought it would."

Courtney’s expression softened, but she didn’t sugarcoat things. "You know what you need, right?" she asked.

I looked up, a little confused. "What?"

"A distraction." Courtney grinned. "You need to get your mind off Carter and Jessica. It’s time for something new. And I know just the thing." She paused for dramatic effect, then added, "The McKay brothers."

I froze. "The McKay brothers?" I repeated, my heart suddenly doing an odd fluttering thing. “Why them? Did you hear something?”

Courtney grinned with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Oh come on, Anna, they're the Gods of my college campus. All my cousins attended that game because of Lakeview High's McYummy brothers. And Marcus would be your perfect distraction. The one with the brooding blue eyes. A girl could just drown in that arctic abyss."

I bit my lip, feeling my cheeks flush. "I have never really thought about the McKay brothers much," I said quickly.

Courtney smirked. "Sure. Whatever you say. But honestly, Marcus is… complicated. And from what I hear, his youngest brother, Peter? Total heartbreaker. Damian, the middle one, is the quieter of the three. But you know what they say about the quiet ones," Courtney wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, making me choke on my sip of my cold coffee chiller.

I felt my pulse quicken at the mention of the McKay brothers. I knew better than to tell my best friend about my brief encounter with the brothers after what happened with Carter.

“I don’t know,” I muttered, my mind still racing. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for more drama.”

Courtney gave me a pointed look. "It’s not about drama. It’s about doing something that gets you out of your head. You’re so wrapped up in Carter and Jessica, and it’s like you can’t breathe. Marcus is something different. Let yourself get distracted for a change."

I stared into my coffee cup, thinking. Courtney did have a point. Maybe it was time to let go of all the complicated feelings about Carter and Jessica. Maybe it was time for something new—something that didn’t come with the emotional baggage.

And then, just as if the universe was conspiring, the door to the coffee shop swung open. A familiar voice called out.

"Hey, ladies. Mind if we join you?"

My eyes flicked up, and there they were—Marcus McKay, his piercing blue eyes instantly locking onto mine, and beside him, his younger brother, Peter. Peter flashed a grin, his presence as magnetic as ever.

"Ummm, I don't.." I stammered, my heart doing that weird fluttering thing again. I exchanged a look with Courtney, who grinned in response.

This was happening. Two of the aforementioned McKay brothers were here, and for the first time since the game and seeing Cater and Jessica together, I felt like the walls were closing in again.

As Marcus and Peter took their seats across from us, my mind briefly flashed to the image of Carter and Jessica. But it was quickly replaced by the feeling of Marcus’s gaze on me, his eyes intense and unreadable.

This was going to be interesting.