Ari had spent hours trying to protect herself from heartbreak. But maybe she’d been holding herself back from something good, too. Hope was a delicate, dangerous thing. Falling in love meant giving someone the key to the most vulnerable, sensitive parts of who she was. It was diving in while knowing she could hurt him, and she could get hurt too. On paper, the risk was worth it for the right person. However, she wouldn’t know who the right person was until she got to the other side. But as Ari looked at Drew, standing on the ice with a nervous smile and a twinkle in his eye, she decided that he was worth taking the chance.
“Ari, I know there are a dozen reasons why it might not work out, but I would risk them all for the chance to get to know you better. I want to be the one cheering you on from the bleachers, walking with you through the snow, and sneaking out of parties to get to talk to you.”
“But Drew…” she said, slightly overcome with emotion. He just nodded his head and looked her in the eye.
“I know, I know. But if we’re an old, messed-up, well-loved secondhand car, I want to see this thing through until the engine breaks down,” he said with a smile. She laughed as she remembered what she’d said the other night.
“Until the radio stops working, and we’re just humming to pass the time?” she joked.
“Until the wheels fall off,” he said, reaching for her hand. “So,can we please break up? I don’t want to be your fake boyfriend anymore, and I don’t want to be just your friend. I’m falling for you,” he said plainly.
“I think I am, too,” she whispered, the knowledge only hitting her as she said it out loud.
“So, who cares about all the reasons it might not work out,” he said.
“Because it might,” she replied.
“It might.”
He leaned forward, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her in. Drew’s half-frozen fingers traced a delicate line across her face, putting a sparkle in her eyes. Crystal snowflakes floated down from the night sky and moonlight shimmered against the ice. Time paused as they stood there in each other’s arms. This, she realized, was the closest she’d ever come to magic.
45Ari
DAY TEN OF THE 2026 OLYMPICS
Ari had been the first person on her team to wake up every morning since New Year’s Day. She’d gotten out of bed at the first chords of her alarm and left the dorm to take a walk while listening to her audiobooks, studying her team’s last game, and equipping herself with the knowledge she needed to help them play better than ever. But when Ari woke up on the morning of the quarterfinal, she was surprised to see that everyone else in her room was already up and ready. She immediately panicked and grabbed her phone, thinking she’d somehow slept through her alarm. But when she looked at her screen, it was 5:59 a.m. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her teammates.
“Why are you awake so early?” she asked as Sienna zipped up her fleece.
“It’s game day,” Yasmeen said as she laced up her shoes.
“But the game isn’t until four p.m.,” Ari said, sleepy and confused.
“You wake up early every morning, walk alone, and get ready for all our matches by yourself. So today, we’re joining you,” said Yasmeen as she shrugged on her coat.
Ari paused, smiled, and got dressed before the four of them left their room and walked out into the corridor. When she opened the door, the entire team was waiting in the hallway. All twenty-two of her teammates were wearing thermals and winter coats as they clutched hot flasks of tea and got ready to go outside.
“Let’s go, Captain,” said Izzy, handing Ari a flask with her favorite golden matcha as they all walked down the stairs of GB House. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but the first glimmers of early-morning light would appear on the horizon in an hour. Ari had gotten so used to going outside alone that she’d equated the first hours of the day with silence. All she’d heard was the sound of the snow beneath her feet and the facilities management staff gritting the pathways to melt ice. But as she and her girls walked through the snow that morning, the Village sounded more alive than ever before. The path was filled with laughter, conversation, and the sound of her team’s excited feet stepping out onto an untouched layer of snow. They spent the walk sipping from their flasks, talking about the game ahead of them, and catching up on everything they’d missed in each other’s lives since arriving in the Village, including the truth behind Ari’s new relationship.
“I’m really happy for you,” Yasmeen said. “And Drew seems like a nice guy, but…”
“Dating Thandie Dlamini’sbrother? Not my best decision,” Ari said, rubbing her temple.
“You know what this means, right?” Sierra said, flashing her a wicked smile.
“That Thandie is going to try and destroy us just to get back at me? Yes,” said Ari.
That morning marked the day of the ice hockey quarterfinals. Against the odds, they’d made it further than any other GB women’s ice hockey team by making it to the quarterfinals. And their prize for making it this far was playing a group of women they’d never won a game against in their lives, Team USA.
“Well, I hope Drew’s worth it,” Sienna said with a warm smile. Ari just nodded. No matter what happened next, he was.
Coach McLaughlin always sequestered them on the day of a major game, so Ari decided to use her phone to get the behind-the-scenes photos essential to capturing the day of the quarterfinal. She and her friends spent the morning getting ready and taking dozens of photos of each step in the process. From grabbing breakfast and packing their kit bags to trudging through the snow as they made their way to the stadium. Upon arriving at the training rink, Ari was in the middle of taking a picture of Yasmeen and Sienna dancing down the halls when she saw a familiar face waiting for them outside the corridor that led to the locker rooms.
“Thandie?” Ari said, looking over at the woman who stood in front of them.
She was dressed in the comfiest version of the Team USA uniform that morning. Sleek, white tracksuit bottoms and a stylish blue sweatshirt with her name embroidered on the sleeves. It was strange to see Thandie like this, fresh faced in the morning light. She seemed younger than usual, her face soft and open.
“Can we talk… alone?” Thandie asked, looking over at Ari’s teammates.
