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"Like what?"
Under his gaze, a blush creeps up my neck and spreads across my face. He's looking at me like there's no one else around us. "You just seem lighter…"
"Lighter," he muses out loud with a thoughtful look on his face as he nods his head. "I've just realized I haven’t treated you the best and if we're going to be a pair, I want you to feel respected. I want you to feel like you matter because you do. You are a vital part of this team and if we can't have some kind of cohesiveness, it's never going to work."
I'm floored by his response. There was a time where I didn't think I would see the day that Leo didn't hate me. I never imagined he would want things to work. This has always felt like a temporary solution. Almost as if I were replaceable. The moment he found a new partner, he wouldn't want to skate with me anymore.
"I've been thinking about what you said about changing the routine," he says, breaking through my thoughts. We're still on the ice, standing in front of one another. "I think we should do it."
What the hell is going on today? I feel like I've stepped into the twilight zone.
"Really?" I ask him, trying to keep the surprise and excitement from my voice. There isn't a part of me that is jealous of Leo and Delaney, but I want our performance to be ours. I don't want it to be theirs.
Leo nods. "We can go over it tomorrow and work through it, if that's okay with you?"
"I would really like that," I admit, feeling the warmth of happiness seeping through my veins. Today didn't start out the best, but Leo's kindness has really turned it around. "They were just some minor things I thought we could change or add."
He stares at me for a moment, his expression becoming unreadable. "We can change the whole damn thing if that's what you want."
My eyebrows pull together as the sincerity of his words settles inside my bones. I'm confused. I don't know where this is coming from or why he suddenly cares. It's a stark contrast to the coldness he usually shows me. I'm used to the whiplash and the hot and cold behavior from him. Perhaps this is just another degree to the varying temperatures of Leo Wells. My lips part and a breath leaves me, but I don't speak a single word.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Ari," he says with another smile and a nod before he exits the rink.
I'm left speechless with my skates cemented to the ice as I stare after him. Leo disappears into the locker room and I break free from my stupor. Another skater moves past me, dodging to the side so she doesn't hit me. I give her an apologetic look, even though she doesn't see it. Glancing around once more, I head off the ice and into the locker room to take the rest of the day off like Leo suggested.
He's different today and it has me questioning everything, but I like it.
Today, I like him… We'll see about tomorrow.
***
Brynn gives me a look as she sets her martini glass down on the bar in front of us.
“Girl, what did I tell you about sleeping with him?”
A soft laugh spills from my lips and I shake my head at her, holding my hands up in defense. “We were in a different country sharing a bedroom. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same thing?”
Her face remains set in stone before she cracks. A smile erupts across her lips and she laughs with me. “Okay, you’re right. I suppose what happens in Germany stays in Germany, right?”
"My thoughts exactly," I tell her, nodding in agreement. I take a sip of my own mixed drink before setting it down. "Since we've been home I've been keeping my distance and things are back to normal… for the most part."
Her brow furrows. "What do you mean for the most part?"
"He was weirdly nice today. Don't get me wrong, Leo can be nice, but this was different. He was kind of sweet."
Brynn's eyes widen and she presses her palm against her chest, showing off her manicured nails. "Not Leo Wells."
"Yes Leo Wells," I tell her, half laughing. "I know, it sounds like I'm crazy or something."
"Or maybe you're finally breaking through that cold exterior," she says with a slow smile and she raises an eyebrow. "Perhaps he has a sweet spot for you, Ari."
"Okay, now that is a little far-fetched," I argue as I glance around the bar. I wasn't planning on going out tonight but when Brynn asked me to get dinner and drinks after work, I couldn't turn her down. My day did a complete one-eighty after skating practice. I've been trying to ignore the gnawing feeling inside me that is focused solely on that damn jump. What if I can't do it again? What if something happened inside my body and my mind that I cannot physically do it anymore?
"Aria," Brynn says louder as she snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Are you in there?"
Snapping my head, I blink twice and focus on her face. "Sorry, I was just thinking about this bullshit from practice today."
"Did something happen?"
