“Brittney, apologize,” Asher said.
I looked up, my eyes wide. She stopped walking, turning to look around. Her own expression matching mine—disbelieving.
“Youknowshe stood over here and picked apart everything she would have done differently in our routines,” she snapped.
Asher stiffened beside me, and for all I hated the constant animosity between us, I hatedthis partof the routine even more—the way she made me feel small and inferior. The way she’d already decided that I thought I was inherently better, that she was less than.
“We alldo that…all of the time,” Nicola said, arms crossed and arched an eyebrow.
“She thinks she’s perfect! One of these days, she won’t be,” Brittney snapped. “One of these days, the ice willbreak her.”
“Brittney!” Louis scolded.
I wrung my pale hands together in front of me—anxiety and panic building in me. Tears burned in my eyes and I didn’t feel confident anymore. I hated that I let her words make me feel like this—like shit every single time, and I was tired of it.
Tired of feeling diminished.
Tired of my own boyfriend not standing up for me.
Tired of the constant hostility from someone I’ve only ever been nice to.
She stepped up to me, anger radiating off of her. She was fuming and livid.
I never understood why we always ended up here.
“One of these days, Asher won’t be there to back you up. You’ll realize that you're no better than anyone else,” she said.
We all watched as she stormed off.
I felt terrible and angry.
“Don’t listen to her.” Nicola said, placing her hand on my arm. “She might’ve gotten a good score, but she knows her program needs more work. Don’t let her words affect you.”
But why did I have to constantly take the high road? I gave her a small smile that I didn’t feel and I knew wasn’t convincing. Louis gave me a quick hug and wished us luck before theyheaded off. Asher moved to stand in front of me, tilting my chin up so that I was looking at him. That anger sparked again at the look of concern in his eyes, and I wondered why he could look that way, but not say a damn thing in my defense.
“Breathe with me.”
I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath—if only to focus myself before we hit the ice. Going out there angry wouldn’t do us any favors. He pulled me against his chest, his arms wrapping around my back holding me. I circled mine around his waist to help my body let go of the tension strumming through it. Asher pressed his lips to the top of my head, and then I felt him rest his chin there and we stood like that for a moment.
“Ignore her and her words. We’re going to go out there and crush this. We’re ready,” he said.
He kissed the top of my head again, and I took another deep breath.
Fuck Brittney and her bullshit.
Asher was right,we didhave this, and we would rock it. I pulled back and gave him the perfect ‘let’s do this’ smile. He grinned back, and we listened as we were invited out onto the ice.
“Next up, performing their latest routine—Aimee Bryant and Asher Leland!”
The crowds in the stands erupted, and we pushed our way out onto the middle of the ice.
CHAPTER 2
aimee
1 Year Later
It should have been me.
