by Olivia West
Wendy took over the microphone. “Before we announce the results, we just want to say huge congratulations to all that took part. You are so talented and all deserve to go to the championships.”
“In third place are Brad and Lillie.”
The crowd cheered as two baby-faced skaters stood onto the podium and took their medals. They’re so young, Hannah thought, they must only be fifteen or sixteen.
The rink went eerily quiet as partners grasped each other’s hands and squeezed their eyes shut, as though they were saying a last-minute prayer.
“In second place are…”
The moment felt like it lasted for all eternity.
“… Hannah and Andrew!”
Some of the crowd gave a standing ovation and loud applause followed.
“Second place! We did it!” Andrew rejoiced as he turned to her and pulled her in for a warm hug, proceeding to drag her to the podium and proudly wear the medals.
Hannah was so happy, because it meant they made it to the U.S. Championships. But she knew what was coming next.
“And in first place, which is extremely well deserved… Francis and Lucy!”
“Oh crap,” Hannah and Andrew said under their breath in unison. The U.S. Championships was going to be so much fun. Not.
And through the corner of her eye, smirking vindictively at her like the cat that got the metaphorical cream, was none other than Francis.
Chapter 13
A week flew by and it was time for the U.S. Championships.
Everything that Hannah had ever dreamed of was here, and everything was so different to how she had pictured this moment to be. Her accident, the frightening prospect of never being able to skate again, her partner of over a decade leaving her… it was so much to take in.
And yet, her life was so much better now. She had finally got rid of Francis who always put her down, she got some real-life experience working in a law firm, and her friendship with Anya was stronger than ever (they both regretted shouting at each other on the day of Hannah getting fired to the extent that they constantly bought each other flowers and chocolates to remind the other how much they adored them).
Plus, she had Andrew. Sweet, wonderfully supportive Andrew, who never made her feel worthless and always strived to do his very best for her. They have been sneaking intimate moments with each other while Erica wasn’t looking; a squeeze of a hand on the resting benches, a quick peck on the cheek when one helped the other up from a nasty fall during training, and other silly things like that. She felt like a giddy teenager when she was with him, and he felt very much the same way.
Quite frankly, Erica was amazed at how well Andrew was doing. For an amateur, it was incredible how unnaturally quickly he picked up each move, and was always fairly cheerful when he got something wrong. Though, she supposed that was down to love.
Yes, Erica knew all about Hannah and Andrew. It came as no surprise to her when she caught a glimpse of them huddling on the benches after closing time at the rink, and staring into each other’s eyes like they were scared to look away. It was easy to tell that they were in love, and she never questioned them about it. Usually she took a firm stand against partners on the ice who were partners in real life, because it hindered the strength of the skaters, but Hannah and Andrew’s relationship made them two of the strongest skaters she had seen in all her years of coaching.
For the competition, Hannah was dressed in a bright yellow leotard, with an emblem of the sunshine drawn in sparkles on her left side where a pocket would go. In that same shade of yellow, Andrew was clad in a skating shirt that looked like it should go with a dinner jacket, and had a single yellow rose tucked into his shirt pocket. They knew what they had to do, and they were ready.
The ice rink was packed with hundreds of enthusiastic fans of skaters who were clinging to the edges of their seats every time the commentator announced a new skating act. Flowers and various teddy bears were thrown at the end of a program to signify that the people were supportive of the skaters from their own state, and while the skaters bowed and exited the rink, small children in matching outfits to their home team raced onto the ice and collected the presents. The stage was set.
Francis and Lucy skated before Hannah and Andrew, which sounded like a nightmare but turned out to be a relief, because Lucy made some silly mistakes and almost completely lost her footing on her corkscrew spin, for she was so nervous.
When they had finished their program, you could just about feel the severity of hatred that Francis had for Lucy. His eyes pretty much said it all.
“Lucy better watch out, or he’ll turn her into a frog!” Andrew whispered, making Hannah almost spit out the water she was drinking from laughing so hard.
“Shhh! He’ll hear you… and then he’ll turn you into a frog too!” Hannah replied, making Andrew cover his mouth so no one could see how much he was enjoying this Francis-bashing moment.
“We’re next on.”
“Yeah, it won’t be long. Bigger competitions like these usually have longer breaks in between each program. They just want to be sure on the scores before calling out the next skaters.”
Andrew knitted his eyebrows together. “You’re not nervous?”
Hannah looked up at him. “No.”
“How can you not be? I thought this was all you ever wanted.”
“It is. That’s why I’m not nervous.”
Andrew didn’t have to ask any more questions. He just got it.
A noise snapped them out of their conversation. “And next up we have Hannah Avery and Andrew Mitcheson, skating a program to Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles.” She had chosen such a fun song, and was going to have the time of her life.
The moment was here. And they were both ready.
Andrew squeezed Hannah’s hand one last time before their fates were set. “I love you, Han.”
Any nerves that she did have the second before they took to the ice popped like a bubble in her body, and she was left with pure bliss.
“I love you too, Andrew. Now, let’s win this thing!”
When they took their places on the ice, her mind couldn’t comprehend how large the rink actually was. Some people were lucky enough to train here, and she wished she could do the same in the future. The audience were looking expectantly at the pair, hoping for a show that they were never going to forget.
If they wanted it, that’s what they were going to get.
Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here…
Hannah and Andrew skated so passionately, that the audience were immediately captivated. Andrew performed an overhead-rotational lift with Hannah, switching his hands at the perfect moment to catch Hannah while she was holding a pose, her eyes staring into the distance as if remembering all that she had worked for.
Here comes the sun, do, do, do, do, here comes the sun and I say, it’s alright…
They did side-by-side shotgun spins, at exactly the right distance from each other so that they wouldn’t hit each other with the blade of their skate. Their legs were at a flattering ninety-degree angle, making the spin look so elegant.
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces…
Smiling, they linked hands and gazed into each other’s eyes as they scanned the rink on their skates, preparing for their next lift. They didn’t have to pretend they were happy for the routine – they just were.
Little darling, I feel the ice is slowly melting…
Andrew picked Hannah up and prepared for the twist lift, which sent her spinning horizontally. This was the winning lift, the one that had the crowd gasping with joy as they knew they were looking at the champions…
Until Andrew stumbled when trying to catch Hannah and she partially missed his arms, sending her landing awkwardly on the ice.
A familiar pain shot through Hannah’s veins, and she knew.
Her leg was hurt again.
The music abruptly stoppe
d and the interlude music was switched back on to try to cut out the sound of the people in the crowd panicking. From the sidelines, Erica and Francis winced and Erica rushed onto the ice when she realized what had happened. Andrew crouched down to stroke Hannah’s forehead, telling her that everything was going to be alright, and how sorry he was for letting it happen. He rushed off the ice, and Hannah didn’t mind, as she assumed he was going to alert the paramedic team.
But then they showed up, and Andrew didn’t turn up with them.
What was going on?
“Hold on tight, Miss Avery, we’re going to give you some pain relief for that leg. It doesn’t look too serious, but you’ve irritated the leg that you’ve hurt before, so it will be hurting a lot right now.”
When the pain had subsided ever so slightly, Hannah took some deep breaths and composed herself. Andrew should be back by now, she thought to herself. So where is he?
Resting on the benches at the sidelines, she scanned the room looking for Andrew. Just a few yards away, she spotted him. He seemed to be talking to an attractive young woman, who was in deep conversation with him and couldn’t stop smiling.
And then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Andrew was ditching her, and already making other plans for possible future partners.
No way is this happening again. Hannah speed-walked (well, hobbled as quickly as she could with the temporary crutches that the paramedic team had provided her) over to where Andrew and this mystery woman were standing.
The young woman smiled and held out a hand, expecting a pleasant greeting. “Hi, Hannah, is it?”
“How the hell do you know my name? Who are you?”
Andrew interrupted her. “Han, there’s no need to get defensive–”
“You do realize that you can’t just go around stealing other people’s partners as soon as one of them takes a fall? Because I’m strong, I’ve recovered from this leg injury before and I’ll do it again. You cannot take Andrew away from me.” Tears of anger welled in her eyes, an accusing finger pointing at this woman who she’d never seen before.
“I am so sorry for her behavior right now,” Andrew chirped in. He’s sorry? For his betrayal!
Slightly taken aback but overall very calm and composed, the woman looked up at Andrew. “That is perfectly fine; she has absolutely nothing to say sorry for. I understand what this looks like, Hannah, and I won’t blame you for thinking that I was some young skater wanting to snap Andrew up for myself. With what Andrew has told me about your accident on the ice all those months ago, I would think the same too if I was in your shoes!”
Hannah calmed down a bit and the stinging sensation started to go from her eyes, enabling her to talk. “Then who are you?”
The woman smiled. “I was hoping you’d seen me in the audience so you wouldn’t have got the wrong idea, but never mind. I’m Kaley Hill, the producer of Skating with the Stars.”
Skating with the Stars was pretty much the best show for showcasing professional skaters on television. Most Olympic skaters would sell their souls for a chance to appear on that show.
Realizing the full extent of her actions towards who she was talking to, she felt immediately guilty. “Oh my God, I am so sorry for my outburst earlier! I just thought…”
“I know what you thought; you don’t have to explain yourself to me. Andrew has already told me everything.”
“Wait – you’ve met before?”
Kaley looked bemused at Andrew. “You still haven’t told her?”
It was Andrew’s turn to explain himself. “I work for the television company that produces Skating with the Stars. Kaley is a good friend of mine, we’ve been in the business for a few years together, and once I’d met you I knew there was something about you that I couldn’t let go of.”
It was all starting to make sense to Hannah. “Wait – so is that why you pick up new skating moves so quickly?”
“Yeah… I probably should have told you that I’m good friends with many professional skaters that have been on the show and whenever we hang out we go skating, and they teach me stuff. It’s hilarious; our idea of a fun night out is learning how to perfect a half-Biellmann spin.”
“We don’t need your life story, Andrew,” Kaley laughed. “Let’s cut to the chase. Would you like to become a permanent judge on our show? There’s no actual skating involved – well, there certainly won’t be for you for a good few months – but even when your leg is well rested, you can still be part of the skating world as a professional without having to put too much pressure on your leg. When you’re well enough to skate, you can! But it gives you a chance to be a skater even when you’re not skating. So what do you say? Want to join us on the team?”
Hannah was stunned. Again, it was one of those life-changing moments in her existence, but this one made it feel totally worth breaking her leg.
“Of course I will! And it’s all because of you, Andrew. Thank you. You have brought so much to my life.”
“Hold that thought…”
He ran around the rink and up to the judges’ desk, whispering something to them. All four of the judges wasted no time in nodding their heads, and Hannah could just about see Andrew shaking their hands in grateful thanks.
Then, there was an announcement from the commentators.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may we now present Andrew Mitcheson, who has something very special to say to a very special girl. Would Miss Hannah Avery please take to the rink?”
All of a sudden, a spotlight fell on Andrew who was now standing in the center of the rink. Erica unexpectedly came to Hannah’s side, and held on tight to her, the two of them stepping onto the ice. Erica supported Hannah all the way, making sure she didn’t put any pressure on her leg.
When she came to a stop next to Andrew in the rink, he spoke through a microphone. His eyes went all dewy and he was pursing his lips.
“You are one of the most brilliant skaters I know. But more importantly, you are one of the most brilliant people I know. When I first saw you in that coffee shop, I instantly fell in love. And yes, I was kind of rude to you…”
“Kinda rude!” Hannah exclaimed, not sure where all of this was going, but smiling nonetheless. “You were the world’s rudest flirt!”
Andrew bowed his head and chuckled. “I know! But it was only because I knew we were meant to cross paths, and I got scared. I get defensive when I’m scared, and so come across as kind of an idiot. Anyway, what I wanted to say was that I love you; always have, always will. And I want to share the rest of my life with you, on and off the ice.”
Hannah still didn’t know what was going on, but started to understand when Andrew got down on one knee.
“Hannah Avery, my ice princess, will you consider becoming my ice queen?”
He used his free hand to take a small cubed box out of his pants pocket, flipping it open to reveal a ring that looked like it had been carved out of ice, with the most gorgeous diamond resting in the middle.
She couldn’t believe it! Shaking slightly from the surprise (and also the pain in her leg, but she wasn’t thinking about that), she let a single tear roll down her cheek as she couldn’t stop smiling.
“Yes.”
The audience erupted into a standing ovation. Erica hugged Hannah in congratulations and let her go when Andrew pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly so that she wouldn’t fall. Leaning upwards to kiss her fiancé, she thought back to how she wouldn’t have even known Andrew if it weren’t for her accident, and for the only time in her life, she felt grateful for breaking her leg. After all, all things happened for a reason, didn’t they?
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Chapter 1
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�Where is Kate when I need her? I don’t understand these damn numbers at all.”
Lilia Anderson shot the pencil across the small office in frustration, wishing that her best friend was still desperate for money and could balance these damn books. Well, maybe that was too harsh. She wished her best friend wasn’t all gooey-eyed with her hot millionaire boyfriend, Luke, and would pay some attention to Lilia. “You are so pathetic,” Lilia muttered to herself, laying her head on the books that had been giving her a hard time for over an hour. A month ago, Kate, her best friend and fellow entrepreneur, had gladly done the dirty work for her, but now she was busy trying to run her own storefront business while playing house with one of the hottest guys on the planet and Lilia didn’t have the heart to ask her to help out. She was so damned happy and deservingly so. Besides the asshole of an accountant that Luke had sent over to help was ridiculous and Lilia had gotten rid of him not long after he had arrived. She hated people who looked down on her because of the bar and from the moment he had walked in with his briefcase, she knew he thought less of her.
