A shifting of her hand on the railing was the only indication Leah gave that the comment about insecurity bothered her. There was truth in what Micah was saying, but like hell was Leah going to own up to it. People like Micah (and Leah, for that matter) fed off other people’s insecurities.
“And that sounds a little like jealousy right there,” she said. “Jealousy that I got here first, helped make something amazing about this place, and you weren’t able to put your grubby paws on it. Until now.”
The offered hand remained where it was, both a taunt and a sincere offer to get the woman back on her feet. It really was the most Leah was willing to do, especially if it meant she got another chance to see the prideful brunette humiliate herself again.
Surprised brows lifted when Micah actually accepted the offer. Leah braced herself, on the off chance that Micah was only taking her hand so that she could pull her down on the ice, too. Maybe I shouldn’t have offered, after all… Would Micah do that? They were both playing a very dangerous game here.
Exhaling a breath when the other woman was standing, Leah gladly reclaimed her hand. That brief moment was the first true show of trust she’d given Micah since they first met all those years ago. Micah’s scowl stayed in place as she reacclimated herself to the ice, but Leah’s expression was neutral. It was odd to think that there might be a heart beating somewhere in the cruel other woman. How easy it would’ve been for her to knock Leah off her feet and potentially cause everlasting damage to her baby.
Micah’s grating voice filled the quiet again, breaking Leah’s thought process. And the moment of sympathy and thoughtfulness was gone. Her face hardened. Good. She didn’t want to have any genuine compassion for Micah anyway. Stupid bitch. And stupid pregnancy brain.
“Mm. We’ll see if that’s true, or if it’s just another excuse,” she replied to the woman’s drunken logic. She turned around to skate backwards, both a gloating motion as well as a means of keeping her attention on Micah’s attempts at skating.