Warm and fuzzy.
Smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.
Going out of his way so he can be where I need him.
I’m falling for this man. I’m falling for him so hard, and I don’t know what to do.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Brody says, and it feels like the wind gets knocked out of my chest.
I standalong the curve of the rink, watching the woman before me finish her program. It’s beautiful. Incredibly smooth for someone who’s not professionally trained, and when she hits her final mark, I join the crowd in applauding her.
The music cuts off and she gives the crowd a curtsy. She waves as she skates away, hopping over the small ledge to the rubber mats and stopping when she sees me.
“That was great,” I say. “Your camel spin is beautiful.”
“Holy shit. You’re Hannah Everett. I thought there was a misprint with the entries when I saw your name.” She looks me up and down. “You’re my favorite skater. I have your World Championship program memorized.”
I smile. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Okay. Wow. I’m going to be riding this high for a long time. Good luck out there. I’m sure you’re going to do great,” she says.
“Wish I could shake these nerves.” The announcer calls my name, and I double-check my laces to make sure they’re tight. “Thanks for the luck. I’m going to need it.”
The world around me quiets when I step out. It always does, and I stand in the center, leaving everything behind me. I take solace in the crowd, finding Tierney in the front row grinning at me. Toward the top of the stands, with his hat pulled low, is Brody. He’s sitting forward, elbows on his knees, hands covering his mouth, and my heart jumpstarts when he gives me a nod. Next to him is Liv, her fingers crossed and palms clasped in front of her.
All of my favorite people are here to watch me, and I’m the luckiest girl in the world.
The first chord of the song plays over the speaker, and my body moves on instinct, taking off like it has done thousands of times before. A shaky triple Axel. A more confident triple Lutz. The more I travel across the ice, the more I relax. The more I feel reconnected to the sport that used to own my heart, whole in a way I’ve never been.
It’s a different program than what I’ve done before. Less flashy and less risky, I stick to elements I perfected by the time I was eighteen, but the crowd enjoys it. There’s applause with my butterfly spin, one of the best I’ve ever done. There’s a sigh of relief when I nail my jump combination, and two minutes and thirty seconds goes by far too quick.
By the time I finish, every part of my body aches. My muscles are sore, my brain is foggy from performing in front of a crowd for the first time in months, but when I lift my arm above my head and hold my final pose, I’m ecstatic.
The arena explodes in applause again and I wave, skating off the ice and wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead, a gentle reminder my conditioning needs work if I’m going to consider making a comeback. When my score comes in, the judges give me something I’m damn proud of.
“Hannah!” Tierney rushes to me. “Holyfuck. That was stunning.”
“My 3A was shit, wasn’t it?”
“You made up for it with your 3Lz. Forget that. What was it like being back out there?”
“Exhilarating. And humbling.” I laugh. “Also… exciting? Like I kind of want to do it again?”
“I’m so happy for you, Han. I recorded the whole thing so you can send it to Brody,” she says.
“I don’t need to do that.” I gesture to where Brody and Liv are lingering by the stairs. “He surprised me.”
“Fucking hell. Of course he did, because he’s a man, not a fuckboy.” Tierney grins. “Go talk to them.”
“I’ll be right back,” I promise.
“You better not be. That man deserves more than two minutes of your time.” She pins me with a look. “Hesurprised you, Han.”
“Yeah, I know. And my brain is mush because of it.” I find my bag and switch my skates for my slides. “I really like him, T.”
I maneuver through the crowd to where the two of them are standing. Liv squeals when she sees me, jumping up and down and giving me a hug.
“Hannah! That was so good!” she muses. “Your airtime iswild. You’re just like,floating!”
