“Ready for this?” Matilda asked, turning to look at me as she dropped her hand from the costumes hanging on the rail.
“Always.” Her eyes sparkled as I pressed a small kiss to her lips and took her hand.
A few minutes later, we’d made our way to the live lounge where the other contestants, including those who had been voted out, were waiting.
Matilda and I, Asha and Alice, and Noah and Sophia were standing on one side of the lounge in front of the cameras, overlooking the rink. The other skaters and celebrities were strategically positioned on the sofa opposite, facing a giant screen showing the performances.
The studio buzzed with anticipation. The rink lights still blazed brightly overhead, illuminating the audience below. It wasn’t a huge studio—there must have been a maximum of two hundred guests—but it felt so much more alive than it ever had before.
Matilda’s hand found mine, her grip gentle yet reassuring. When I turned to her, she wore a broad, infectious smile that illuminated her face, adding to the excitement that crackled in theair.
She nodded her head toward the crowd.
The spot that was usually reserved for my mother—next to Jack and Lily—was filled. My heart squeezed as I watched her for a moment. She looked so beautiful, smiling out at the ice, and I was transported back to when I was a kid, and how she’d always been at my side for the big moments.
Emotion clawed at my throat, a tidal wave of love and gratitude crashing overme.
“Did you do this?” I whispered, and Matilda smiled.
I pressed a delicate kiss on her lips in a silent “Thank you.”
The lights over the rink dimmed at that moment, casting the audience into darkness as the intro music echoed around the room.
“We’re rolling in ten, nine, eight…”
Luca tightened the bow onmy skates one final time. On his knees in front of me, he paused, his palms resting in the delicate crease behind my knees. I glanced down just as he smiled—one of those rare smiles that knocked me off balance. My hand found the side of his face, caressing it affectionately, and he stood, towering over me.
“The win is ours, sweetheart,” he said, pressing his hand to my lower back, guiding me to where we waited until our names were called.
We skated to the center of the rink, our movements smooth and assured. Facing the audience, we opened our arms wide in a gesture like a goodbye. We twisted gracefully, sitting on the ice in our starting position, hearts beating in sync. As we waited for our music to start, everything felt right.
The melodic beats filled the studio, and the crowd’s cheers swelled.
This isit.
We began, moving in perfect harmony.
Luca lifted me effortlessly. The studio lights illuminated hisface, and I smiled, feeling joyful and confident. As he lowered me, our bodies pressed together like puzzle pieces.
I rolled smoothly, and he stood, guiding me up into the next combination. He mirrored my moves with sharp, controlled strokes. My skirt fluttered with each turn, the crystals on my dress catching the light like stars. His eyes locked on me, filled with admiration and something deeper.
We lost ourselves in the performance, the world fading into a sparkling expanse of white. As the final crescendo approached, our spins synchronized, creating a display of grace and unity. Luca’s blades whispered against the ice as I trailed behind him, matching his rhythm, feeling the crisp air brush against my cheeks with every turn and jump.
He veered toward the center, and I mirrored his trajectory. Our skates traced a delicate arc as we glided into our final position. Luca skidded to a halt seconds before me. I stopped just after him, sending up a spray of ice shards before twisting into a free fall. He caught me, dipping me into a dramatic lovers’ embrace. The world paused, our breaths mingled, and our eyes met, sparkling withjoy.
And, just as they did the first time, our lips connected.
The crowd erupted in claps and cheers.
Luca pressed his forehead against mine as we took deep breaths.
“We did it, Stevens.”
Once we’d madeit off the ice, we headed to our seats in the live lounge for interviews. We were the last to perform, so now the audience and viewers had thirty minutes to cast their votes.
The hosts had reeled off their standard finalists’ questions,asking us about how we felt to have made it to the final, our plans after the show, and whatnot. Luca and I answered noncommittally, skirting around the fact that I wanted to quit the show and he was no longer auditioning forDirty Dancing.
“So.” The host turned, speaking directly to the camera. “After weeks of training, weeks of fierce competition, and over a million votes tonight, three couples remain.” She turned to us. “If the finalists could take to the ice. We will join you down there for the results after a short break.”
