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Fuck. The memory of her moving under my touch, the way she tasted—goddamn, it was like it just happened, but it didn’t. Four months later and I still can’t get her out of my head.
After I walked away from her that night, I left with the promise that she owed me. But I promised myself I wouldn’t show that same weakness again. I wouldn’t give in to the temptation I felt for Aria Reed. I thought at the time that she would feel the same way, but I wasn’t going to bring the subject up to her. Aria and I aren’t friends and we certainly don’t talk to each other if we don’t have to.
I never approached her again after that night and she never spoke another word to me. If anything, the distance between us grew even further. The coldness got colder. She stayed out of my way and I stayed out of hers. Competitions were the worst. It was impossible not to watch her, especially as she skated around the ice with another man's hands touching her where I touched her.
Shaking the thoughts of her from my mind, I start to skate harder around the rink, warming my legs up. My muscles burn as I spin and begin to skate backward. I do an entire lap like that before breaking out into some Lutz jumps. There are more skaters on the ice than I prefer, so I opt out of any axels. The last thing I need is to run into someone when I’m trying to land a jump.
It’s bad enough not having Delaney here. I don’t know what I would do if I wasn't able to skate either.
Luca Kincaid, one of our coaches, stands over by the door, but he doesn’t come out onto the ice. His eyes lock with mine and he waves me over. Bobbing and weaving through other skaters, I head over to where he is. Pointing my toes inward, I shift my weight onto my outside edges and come to a halt, shaving some of the ice as I stop in front of him.
I pluck my AirPods from my ears and the music stops. “What’s up?”
“We’re going to be having a team meeting after the free skate. The coaching staff has a few things we’d like to go over with everyone.”
I resist the urge to frown and keep my face free of any emotion instead. The unplanned meeting has me a little concerned, but I don’t let it show and I keep my voice even. “Is everything okay?”
Luca nods. “I think we may have found a partner for you. Someone of your caliber.”
Delaney had to inform them when her doctors insisted that she take a leave of absence. It brought my lack of a partner to the coaching staff’s attention, so they had all been trying to help in any way they were able to. Not only is it difficult to find someone because most skaters are already bonded, but it is especially hard to find someone who has a similar skill level.
I didn’t expect them to succeed.
“Really? When did this happen?” I ask him as I step off the ice. “No one said anything to me.”
“It literally just happened half an hour ago. It’s nothing concrete, but there’s another skater who has also lost a partner.” He pauses for a moment, looking out at the rink before he looks at me again. “I think Loren mentioned something to her, but it hasn’t been confirmed. Get your skates off and come with me. We can go talk before the meeting starts.”
Luca calls out to everyone else on the ice to let them know about the meeting before he disappears into the warm room. There’s only five minutes until the free skate is over. I find my things on the bench and take a seat before removing my skates. I grab the towel from my bag and dry off the blades and put the skate protectors back on. Grabbing my bag beside me, I put my skates inside and secure the zipper before sliding my feet into my sneakers.
Everyone else is still on the ice but there's only about two minutes left and I want to go talk to Luca and the other coaches before everyone else gets there. I'm not going to get blindsided and caught off guard. I want to know who the skater is. The thought of them setting something up for me without my input makes me a little unsettled. It has to be a good fit. It has to be someone who I have chemistry with.
When two skaters aren't in sync, it is very apparent. The way they move together isn't fluid, it isn't like a melody of its own. It just doesn't look good. That's when accidents happen. The performances that create an emotional pull are the ones that score very well. If you're skating with someone that you don't have that chemistry with, you won't be able to create that emotion you can feel in the air. That's when you lose, and I didn't get into this sport to lose. I didn't get this far to compete at such a high level to have it all go to shit.
Anything less than excellence wouldn't be acceptable.
When I walk into the warm room, I see Luca sitting with Coach Davis and Coach Sinclair. Eva Davis and Alanna Sinclair are two of our other professional coaches. The three of them work together with all of the skaters who compete for our country. Luca was the one Delaney and I worked with the most and he was the one I had more of a friendship with. He tends to look out for me and provide a bit of guidance when I need it in life.
"Hey, Leo," Luca says when he sees me in the room. The three of them are seated in the sitting area where there's a sectional couch and two armchairs. Luca sits in one of the chairs, Eva to his left on the chaise lounge and Alanna on the arm of the couch. "Come sit."
I follow his instructions and sit down on the couch across from them. I look at Eva and Alanna. "Coach Kincaid told me that you guys found another skater?"
Alanna nods, her blonde bob shifting with the movement. "We actually have another pair that has been recently separated. The one skater has some private medical issues that he doesn't wish to have disclosed to everyone. Unfortunately, he's been required to take an indefinite leave of absence."
It must have been something that just happened because I hadn't heard anyone talking about something happening to their partner. Since it’s just an open skate and not a practice, there are a few skaters who didn’t come, so it's hard for me to judge who it is. And it doesn't seem like they're going to make an announcement just yet.
"Who is the skater looking for a new partner then?"
Luca looks a little concerned and there's a crease on his forehead as he purses his lips. The door behind me opens and Luca looks past me. I look at Eva and Alanna who are both grinning.
"Well, this is perfect timing," Eva says, smiling brightly as she claps her hands together. I slowly turn around, immediately feeling the tension and anticipation hanging heavily in the air. My eyes meet her gray irises and dread instantly fills the pit of my stomach.
The muscle in my jaw tics and she stops just inside the door. Her eyes widen slightly and those perfect lips part. I remember how they tasted. How soft they felt as they melt against my own lips.
"Leo," Luca says softly, breaking through my thoughts and grabbing my attention. I turn back around to look at him, my jaw clenched so tightly it feels like my molars are going to crack. "You know Aria Reed."
I stare at him and don't speak a single word. I know exactly where this is going and I don't like it one bit.
"Meet your new partner."
