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CHAPTER TWO
ARIA
Well, shit.
This is not what I was expecting.
Leo doesn't turn back around to look at me. He continues to stare at Luca as he explains everything to Leo. I overheard about Delaney this morning, but I didn't put two and two together at the time. I honestly didn't give it much thought when Eva told me about it and then the thought really left my brain when I got my own dreaded phone call earlier.
Preston had been having some muscle fatigue issues for a while and it was progressively getting worse. He was constantly tired and growing weaker, which was making it harder for him to lift me into the air. It was affecting the way we skated together, but I didn't want to make him feel bad about it. I did what I could to modify our routines and he did everything he could do to make himself stronger.
And then it kind of stopped working. Preston's doctors were running tests and looking into every aspect of his health. They determined it was some kind of autoimmune disorder but they needed to run more tests to determine what it was and what they could do for it. Preston had to make the impossible decision to take a break from skating. He was at risk from his health and it was also proving to be dangerous for both of us.
He didn't tell me the severity of things until earlier today and I'm still trying to process it all. I went from thinking my partner was having some minimal issues to being without a partner completely. Preston reached out to the coaches after he dropped the bomb on me. I didn't really say much to any of them, but Alanna told me earlier that they had some ideas for a new partner for me.
Like I said, I didn't put two and two together at the time.
Leo and I both need a partner… and they want us to skate together.
I literally want to crawl into a hole and die right now. Of all people, why does it have to be him? Hell, at this point, I will take someone who doesn't skate as well. Okay, that's a lie.
This isn't an ideal situation, but it could work. Leo is an exceptional skater. The two of us have been in a silent competition with one another for years. Even though we skate on the same team, we still compete against each other. I want to win and I know Leo has the same drive. He's one of the sorest losers I've ever met. If we can put our differences aside, we might be able to make this work.
"No."
Every ounce of hope I have falls to the ground as soon as the word leaves Leo's lips. He rises to his feet in a haste. He runs a frustrated hand through his hair and I remember exactly how silky his locks felt running between my fingers. My tongue darts out to wet my lips. I nervously shift my weight on my feet as Leo crosses his arms over his chest.
"What are you talking about?" Eva questions him, her eyebrows pulling together.
"Leo, you don't have any other options," Luca chimes in at the same time.
Alanna looks at me with a sympathetic look on her face. I shrug and take a deep breath as I step farther into the room. I don't want this any more than he does. Hell, he left me feeling more rejected than anyone else ever had. I’d never had someone come to my house, give me an orgasm, and then never speak to me again. He didn't even get anything pleasurable out of it, which stung more than anything.
I wasn't good enough for him to collect on the debt I owed.
"Can I talk to Leo in private?" I ask the three coaches. Leo avoids my gaze and stalks over to the window and stares out at the ice. This isn't really what I want to do, but he's not being receptive right now. I don't know if talking to him will make any difference, but I have to try.
There has to be some way that we can come to an agreement. It's either that or we are both stuck without a partner and neither of us will be able to skate in any of the pair skating competitions.
Luca nods and rises to his feet as Alanna and Eva follow him. "We'll give you two a few minutes. We'll start the meeting in the lobby instead."
I thank them silently as they leave the room. Leo doesn't look at them, he doesn't look at me. He just stares out the window. The small smile that was on my face instantly falls and an exasperated sigh escapes me as I walk over to where he is.
"If it makes you feel any better, I don't want to be your partner either."
Leo snorts and I see him roll his eyes as he continues to look out at the ice. "It doesn't make me feel any better because I never would have expected you to want to be my partner."
"Fair enough," I agree with a shrug. He's not wrong. Leo has his reasons for not liking me and I have my reasons for not liking him. They're all petty and ones that developed when we were younger, but it drove a wedge between us that we never seemed to get over. It was pretty stupid. "We seem to both be at the same crossroads right now."
"That's where you're wrong," he says, his words slicing through me like sharpened blades of steel. "You may be at a crossroads, but I already know my answer. I will not skate with you."
I try to ignore the sting that he leaves behind. His words have always been his weapon. "You like to win, don't you?"
He slowly turns his head to look at me and gives me a knowing look. "Get to the point, Reed. I don't feel like playing games."
"You know that we are equally skilled and we are both at the top. What else could happen if you put two of the best skaters together? It's a sure bet that we will win."
There is no guarantee like that, but it is basic math at this point. We skated together many years ago, but not in a competition. It was one fluke moment when we were both in high school.
