“What?”
Knox leans his head back against the seat and shoves his fingertips into the band of his jogging pants. An absent-minded gesture that makes me react so strongly, I have to keep from gasping.
“It’s really true what people say about butterflies in the stomach. They exist. And the tiniest little things the right person does can get them going. Like you, when you saydating-wise. It’s nuts.”
I lock my fingers with his, which, at the moment, are still in his pants, and run my thumb across his skin. “So, we’ll see each other later?Dating-wise?”
“Of course. You’re my girlfriend.”
I have to smile like a teenager in love for the first time.
“Say that again.”
“Girlfriend.”
“Again.”
He grins. “Girlfriend.”
“These butterflies,” I say. “They’re so manic.”
Knox tugs at my earlobe and laughs. And all of a sudden, I’m thankful for myetherealears because he likes them.
“Later,” he says.
“Yeah. Later.”
I slide out of the car, my bag over my shoulder, and don’t think I’ve ever felt this happy. Suddenly everything seems brighter. Suddenly everything seemsmore real. Maybe this is the way life’s supposed to be. The way everyone shouldexperiencelife. Full of joy and ease.
In the changing room, I run into Gwen. She looks up as I enter and frowns. “What’s with your face?”
“What should be up with it?” I plop down onto the bench next to her and undo my boots. Snow falls to the ground.
“It’s doing this weird thing.” Gwen waves her hands around as if trying to push air in my direction. “It’s glowing from the inside out.”
I undo the buttons of my jeans and pull my hoodie over my head. It smells of Knox. I press it to my nose for a second because I want to hold onto the scent a little longer before putting it in my locker and pulling on my skating dress.
“No idea. The party at Buttermilk Mountain yesterday was nice. I rode a snowboard for the first time ever.”
I’d like to tell her the real reasons for feeling the way I do, but Harper is sitting behind us and listening in while tying her skates. I don’t want to hurt her.
Gwen pulls her legwarmers straight and casts me a doubtful glance. “When you were leaving, you were totally over it and were bitching about having to take care of the tourists.”
“Yeah, but I managed to sleep and I’m good.”
“Well, well.” She stands up and steps from one foot to the other, just like always. “After training you want to go to the warm-up for the X Games? It’s fun, there’s always something going on and the beer’s good. Levi and Aaron are going, too.”
“Of course.” I don’t tell her that I’d hoped she’d ask me so that I could watch Knox snowboard. I pull on my boot covers and put my hair into a bun. “What’s with your Lutz?”
“What do you mean?”
“Yesterday you landed a double. Didn’t you want to do a triple?”
Gwen waves it off while holding open the door to the rink for me. Harper is right behind us. “Yeah. But not until Skate America. If I’d done it yesterday, Dad would’ve freaked.”
“If he could see you pull it off, maybe not. Maybe he would’ve let you incorporate it into your program.”
Gwen rolls her eyes. “Maybe, maybe. Such an awful word. Not ayesand not ano. Who can do anything with that? I don’t like ambiguity, so I do things my way.”
