Her lips clamped together even harder, and she glared at me so long I didn’t think she would ever speak. When she finally moved, she grabbed her coat from her chair and leaned toward me. Her creamy complexion burned bright red.
“I did not fly halfway around the world to be disrespected and spoken to like this.”
She shoved back her chair and blew out the door. As the adrenaline pumping through my veins subsided, I began to tremble. First my hands, then my legs, then everything inside me.
What the hell had I been thinking?
It hadn’t been my place to speak for Josh and tell off his mother, no matter how awful she was. I covered my face with my hands and tried to take deep breaths, but I couldn’t stop shaking. A hand touched my shoulder, and I jumped.
“What’s wrong?” Josh asked.
I peeled my hands away as he sat beside me.
“Did you see your mom leave?” I asked quietly.
His jaw tightened. “What did she say to you?”
“She didn’t say anything.” I shielded my face again. “I did.”
He brushed my hair back and tucked it behind my ear. “Tell me what happened.”
“I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. I had no business going off like that.”
Loud laughter erupted from the next table, and Josh took my hand. “Let’s go outside and talk.”
I shrugged on my jacket and breathed a little easier when we emerged in the cool, crisp night. We started toward the Village, Josh’s arm snugly around my shoulders.
“Whatever you said, I’m sure it was justified,” he said.
I kept my focus on the sidewalk, not wanting to look at him. Just thinking of repeating the words put a sour taste in my throat.
“I… I basically told her she was the worst mother ever, you didn’t want her here, and she should go away.”
His pace slowed, and I stopped us completely. “I’m so sorry. I was so out of line, speaking for you like that. I was just so fed up with her crap. But that doesn’t give me the right to tell her those things, especially—“
Josh covered my mouth with his, cutting off my speech and all my thoughts. He softened the kiss, lingering gently on my lips, and then slowly pulled away.
“I had to get you to stop talking,” he said.
“I like your method.”
“What you said to my mom… it’s nothing I haven’t thought before and wanted to say myself.”
“But I should’ve let you—“
He placed his finger against my lips. “It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize.”
My shoulders relaxed, and I lightly exhaled. “I was afraid you’d be upset that I put myself in the middle of your relationship. What you want her to know and how you handle it should be up to you.”
“Honestly, I’m glad you said something. I’ve always held onto this little shred of hope that things would somehow change between us, but that’s seemed less likely the older and wiser I get. Maybe hearing what you said will make her think, though.”
“I don’t know if she’ll take any of it to heart. She looked more mad than sad, and what I said was damn harsh. I would’ve been in tears if someone had said those things to me.”
“That’s because you have a huge heart, and you open it up to other people.” He nudged me closer to him. “I’ve pretty much given up all hope of my mom showing any real emotion.”
“She knows how to show hatred. I saw that clearly when we were talking.” I shook my head. “And I’d been doing such a good job of keeping my big mouth in check.”
“I happen to be very fond of this mouth.” He lined my bottom lip with his thumb and followed with a kiss. The warmth he breathed into me erased the last bit of uneasiness I felt.
“I don’t want you to spend any more time being upset about this,” Josh said. “This is our happy place, and nothing should take away from it.”
I smiled and cozied into the curve of his arm. “I love you, Future Husband.”
“Back at ya, Future Wife.”
We started walking again and took our time strolling through Olympic Park, where all the event venues were conveniently clustered. We passed under the cauldron, where the flame would be ignited at the Opening Ceremony, and I shivered with anticipation. I got the same feeling as we passed the beautiful blue-toned Iceberg Skating Palace, still lit up from the earlier events.
Once inside the Village, we headed for our Team USA building. Josh walked me to my room, and the moment I opened the door, Liza jumped off her bed.
“Did you get the call?” she asked.
“What call?” I checked my phone but had no messages.
“It should be coming any minute now.” She grinned and clasped her hands together, looking like she was about to burst. “You’re in. The fed is letting you do the free skate on Saturday.”
“What?” Josh and I exclaimed at the same time.
“They’re doing this because Roxanne screwed up?” I asked.
“They’re doing it because I gave them an ultimatum. Either they give you the free skate or I drop out of mine.”
“You blackmailed them?” Josh’s eyes doubled in size.
“You’re such a boss.” I laughed.
“I prefer to think of it as a strategic captain’s move. Russia has gold locked up, but we’re fighting with Canada and France for silver and bronze. After Roxanne’s meltdown tonight, we can’t take any chances with them losing points for us again. So, get your game faces on because the team needs you.”
“I can’t believe—” I put my hands on my head and then hugged Liza, squeezing her with everything in me. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“You rock, Cap.” Josh embraced us for a group hug.
“It should’ve been this way all along. I just righted a wrong.”
Josh took a step back. “Our practice in the morning just got really important. We should get to sleep.”
He and I shared a joyous goodnight kiss, and I closed the door and turned to a beaming Liza.
“You know what this means?” she said. “The Sochi Pact is on!”
I bounced up and down and threw my arms around her again.
Chapter Thirteen
ALL MY SKATING LIFE I’D LONGED to be surrounded by the Olympic rings, but as I stood backstage at the Iceberg Skating Palace, I was trying my best to avoid looking at them. They were everywhere, and they were just reminding me what a huge moment this was in my career. Josh and I needed to skate well to give the team a boost and keep our chances alive for a spot on the podium.
I brought my eyes up from the concrete floor, and they landed on Em’s credential badge, which of course sported the colorful rings. I reached out and flipped it backward, and she gave me a questioning look.
“Don’t ask,” I said.
Em and Sergei had worried that Josh and I would be tired after the long Opening Ceremony the previous night, but I had so much energy I could do triple run-throughs right now. I was still flying high from walking into the packed stadium in the Parade of Nations and feeling the ultimate confirmation that I belonged there. I’d worn the same patriotic uniform as all the other American athletes, and I’d watched with the same amount of awe as the flame had been lit. I’d finally made it here, and now I was about to take the next important step — competing for the first time on Olympic ice.
Our team leader Marni motioned us forward, and Josh held out his hand to me. I gladly put mine in his and let him lock our fingers together. We walked toward the ice and stalled a few yards short of the boards. Josh took my other hand, and I looked up into his eyes, taking a minute to reinforce our connection before we had to step onto the ice.
“This is it,” I said. “The skate we’ve always dreamed about.”
The audience applauded the Italian team finishing their program, and Josh bent his head closer to mine, sealing the bubble around us. I became totally unaware of the noise and completely engrossed in the passion in Josh’s gaze.
“You and I
were meant to be here. In this place. In this competition. In this moment,” he said. “This is our time.”
I nodded and stayed lost in his eyes, growing only more excited to get on the ice and express all my feelings for him through our skating. He swallowed me in a hug, and I ran my hands over the strong muscles that lifted me high and held me up. His love for me did the same, and it had proved to be even stronger.
Em touched my elbow, so I broke away from Josh and handed her my jacket. He and I dashed through the ice door, and cheers rang out from the USA box at the end of the rink. I sped across the ice and peeked at the Olympic rings painted in the center. This was the biggest moment of my career, and I had to own it. I hadn’t worked my butt off to be afraid of being in the spotlight. As Josh had said, this was our time, and we had a kick-ass program to show the world.
I changed direction and skated right over the rings, spreading my arms wide in the calming technique I’d done for years. I met up with Josh and joined our hands, and we glided over to Em and Sergei for their final seconds of coaching.
They both smiled at us, and I felt their strong waves of pride and positivity. Sergei asked us to put our clasped hands on the boards, and he covered them with his.
“Be one body, breathing together. One heart, beating together. Embrace the power of your love for each other, and you will do amazing things.”
Josh and I turned to face one another, and as soon as the announcer introduced us, I shut out everything around us again. We skated to the middle of the rings and claimed our opening spot, standing back to back. I closed my eyes and took deliberate breaths, waiting for the moment I needed to come to life.
As we’d practiced so many times the past nine months, we began our movement on the same piano note and quickly became one with the ice. Our speed made my pulse shoot up as we flew backward into the triple twist. Josh sprang me into the air with snap, and I allowed my muscle memory to take over, spinning three times and landing softly in Josh’s solid grip.
We sped past the corner of the rink, and a twinge of fear crept into my stomach. The triple Salchow was next. Before I let myself start doubting my ability again, I internally smacked myself around and thought about how I’d dominated the jump since nationals. You are all over this. This Salchow answers to YOU.
We pushed off from the ice, and my mind went blank. My body took charge and powered through three revolutions. With a smooth edge, my right blade hit the ice on the landing, and I saw Josh mirroring me beside me. Perfect jumps. Perfect unison.
Time to let go.
Josh had spent years choreographing the program, and every second had special detail, from the position of our fingers to the slight lean of our bodies toward or away from each other. I was going to make all those details shine. I felt in complete control and more confident than I had ever been on the ice.
Josh assisted me upward once again on the throw triple flip, and I rocketed through the air and rode out the landing on a sweet curve. He skated toward me with the same sureness that I felt, and we conquered our next few elements with so much precision it was as if we’d been skating together our entire lives.
The happiness and love in Josh’s eyes made my heart race from more than just adrenaline. Our skates could hardly keep up with the intense vibe between us, and when the music slowed I let out a long breath. Josh pressed me up over his head for our favorite lift, and I let go of his hand so just my stomach rested on his palm. We turned over the ice in circles, and I searched the building for every set of Olympic rings I could find. I wanted to hold onto this memory and this feeling of total bliss forever.
Josh brought my feet back down to earth, but my heart was still in the clouds. We twirled into our combination spin, and I had to refrain from giggling with joy in the midst of changing positions. We were skating at the Olympics, and we’d given the best performance of our lives. None of my daydreams had prepared me for the overpowering feelings I was experiencing. I felt like I had traveled far over the rainbow and was spinning in a magical place beyond my imagination.
We whirled to a stop, and Josh hugged my back to his chest. We stood in almost the exact spot we had begun the program, directly over the rings. I looked down and scratched my toe pick over the green paint, leaving a small mark physically but a large one to me symbolically.
The partisan Russian crowd gave us a bigger ovation than I’d expected. Josh turned me around but kept me in his arms, and he kissed my lips and then my forehead. I held onto his shoulders, so overcome with emotion, and I whispered in his ear, “No words.”
When our eyes connected again, our smiles spoke for us. We acknowledged the audience with heartfelt bows and skated to the ice door, where Em and Sergei were practically leaping over the boards with excitement.
“Wow,” Sergei said as he embraced me.
“It was stunning. Absolutely stunning,” Em said.
We walked toward the kiss and cry, and Liza met us halfway, tackling us with hugs. “Oh my God. That was the best I’ve ever seen you skate!”
“Guess it’s good we saved it for now.” I laughed.
Our teammates welcomed us with high-fives and hugs, except Roxanne, who clapped softly while wearing a forced smile. They all stood behind us as we sat on the bench with Em and Sergei, waiting for the score. We wouldn’t know until later how the event standings would shake out, but a big number would put pressure on the French and Canadian pairs skating next.
The announcer read the score, and raucous cheers burst out behind us. We’d earned our personal best score ever! Liza choked me with a screeching hug, and Josh and I looped our arms around each other as we led the group backstage. I wanted a minute alone with him, but we got pulled toward the line of media who needed sound bites.
After we answered questions from journalists from around the world, we learned our performance had tightened the standings, and we were in a virtual tie with Canada and France. We changed out of our costumes and finally found some private space near the locker rooms, away from the competition bustle still going strong.
Josh slipped his hands inside the collar of my jacket, and his fingertips tickled the nape of my neck. I pressed up on the toes of my flats and sealed our lips together in a blissful kiss.
“So, this really happened tonight?” I said.
He smiled. “The Daruma didn’t let us down.”
“I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about that thing anymore.”
“We did more than reach our goal. We killed it and skated the perfect program.”
“Is that how you envisioned it when you drew it up?”
“It was so much better,” he said, his thumbs lightly skimming my jaw. “On paper I couldn’t feel your incredible energy.”
I linked my hands behind his back to draw him closer. “I’ve never felt that confident in a competitive program before. I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was just feeling. It was both calming and exhilarating if that makes any sense.”
His smile grew wider. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“And now tomorrow we might become Olympic medalists. Olympic medalists.”
“I’m still trying to process that possibility.”
“I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but I think this moment calls for it more than any other. What is this life?”
****
I CLUTCHED MY MINIATURE American flag in my fist and crossed my legs to stop them from jiggling. Watching my friends compete was more nerve-wracking than getting out there and skating myself. Josh and I sat side by side in the crowded USA box, where we’d just cheered on our teammates in the men’s free skate. The next event was the ladies’ free skate followed by the free dance. We’d built a small lead over Canada and France and could solidify our position on the podium in the ladies’ event, so Liza’s performance was going to be pivotal.
Roxanne and Evan came out from backstage, searching our crammed benches for a spot to sit. I scooted over to make room, and Roxanne looked at me like I had a contag
ious disease. She reluctantly took a seat beside me and stared straight ahead at the ice. She hadn’t said a word to me since we’d been in Sochi.
“You know, we all have the same goal here,” I said. “We’re all on the same team.”
She gave me major side eye. “Your ice princess friend better come through.”
Oh, no ma’am. You are not going to talk trash about Liza.
“Like you did when you fell on your ass twice?” I said.
Her head whipped in my direction. “You were probably jumping up and down when that happened.”
“Actually, I was defending you to my even more annoying future mother-in-law.”
“Yeah, she’s so annoying to you. I know she’s the one who talked the fed into subbing you in.”
I couldn’t tell her Liza had been our lobbyist or she’d call her something much worse than “ice princess.”
“I’m a firm believer in karma,” I said. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
My ex-boyfriend Kyle sat in front of us, and I tapped him on the shoulder and asked if we could switch seats. He shrugged and stood, and I took Josh’s hand and brought him down to the lower bench with me. I was already wound up enough without listening to Roxanne make rude comments during Liza’s skate.
Sergei stood at the boards with Liza, giving her the encouraging smile I knew so well. She looked gorgeous in her slate blue dress, her raven hair pinned up in a twist. The dress was low on the sparkle factor, which was perfect for the soft and ethereal feel of her program.
The announcer called her name, and I cheered louder than anyone in the building, smacking my hands together and yelling, “Go, Liza!” Josh whistled between his fingers and then leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs. I suspected he felt just as nervous as I did — probably more because he’d choreographed Liza’s long program. Having his work displayed by the best skater in the world on the sport’s biggest stage was going to take his career to an entirely new level.
Taking the Ice (Ice Series Book 3) Page 12
