AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How do you know?”
“Because that’s not who Belle is. I apologized to her, and I’m not sure I’m totally forgiven yet, but she’d never purposefully try to hurt me on the ice. She technically had her chance that morning, and she didn’t take it. She’s coming here to help me.”
“Do you know that for sure? What if she’s coming here to sabotage you? Or, even, just for herself? Get back into competitive skating?”
“She’s not.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I just do.”
“This was already risky, Chandler. Now, it’s even riskier.”
“It’s not, I promise. I just want you to give her a shot.”
“I agreed on her coming here. I just wish I would’ve known the whole story before I did.”
“Now you know what it’s like not to be in the loop on things. How does it feel?”
Catalina rolled her eyes and said, “Get on the ice. Let’s make use of the day, at least.”
Chandler finished her coffee and stood. She changed into her gear and went back out to the rink, where she sat on the one bench in the large space and put on her skates. Her sister was already on the ice, skating around, and today was one of those rare days when Chandler thought about how Catalina had had a brief career in skating before she hadn’t anymore; what it must mean to her to still be around the ice, and so close, but knowing she’d never be the person their mother had thought she’d be.
They skated for a few hours, pausing for lunch, which was also bland and healthy, and then went back out to the rink, where they worked on how to make adjustments to a female partner who wouldn’t be able to lift as high or throw as hard as the male partners Chandler had skated with in the past. It seemed like Catalina had put some time and thought into this, which made Chandler feel better.
“Let’s get ready for dinner. She should be here soon,” Catalina told her at the end of the very long day.
Chandler had hoped to get in a nap and a shower before Belle showed up, but a shower would be all she’d get because they’d gone late. She made her way downstairs, dressed up a little more than she normally did for dinner on a regular night, and her sister tilted her head to take her in when she arrived in the formal living room.
“Why are you all dressed up?”
“I don’t know. I thought I should be.”
“Because she’s a Queen or something?”
“No, but she is our guest.”
“She’s our employee, Chandler. We’re paying her. And we’re paying her even more than Walker, which is insane to me because he was actually going to be your partner in the Olympics, not just your warm-up partner.”
“Don’t say that to her when she gets here.”
“What?”
“The warm-up thing. And don’t make a big deal about paying her more than Walker.”
“She doesn’t know?”
“She knows he got room and board and a stipend because we asked him to move here and that she’s getting paid on top of room and board, but I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. She won’t stay. She has pride, Cat. She doesn’t want to be treated like she needs charity. Trust me, I know. I tried to offer her more.”
“More? What the hell did you do to this girl as a bitchy teen that you need to pay her so much? Did you beat her up or something?”
“God no,” she replied. “And don’t bring any of that up, either.”
“What am I allowed to talk to her about, exactly?”
“Skating. That’s all.”
“So, I can’t ask her about her non-skating hobbies?”
