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But she skated faster and faster.
My mother…murdered.
Midas…saying he loves me.
Her muscles bunched.
The ice is so cold all the time…and I want to be warm.
She leapt into the air. Spun once. Twice. Three times. A fourth—
She slammed into the ice.
Her hands pushed against the cold surface. But she didn’t get up. For a moment, Alina just stayed down on that ice. What would happen if I just stayed down?
“Alina?” Dmitri’s voice. Worried. So unlike him.
Her lips pressed together. She rose on knees that wobbled. “I’m not hurt.” A lie. I hurt all the time. But it’s on the inside. Midas said he loves me, and I think I love him, and I don’t care what his father did.
No, she did care. Of course, she cared. She just wasn’t letting it stop her from loving Midas.
“Enough for today.” Dmitri clapped briskly. “Go shower. Rest.”
She should skate longer, but she didn’t argue. Alina glided to him. He opened the small half-door for her.
“Why did you try the jump?” His eyes swept over her.
“Because I fall all the time. And I wanted to see what it would be like to fly.” That probably made no sense to him. It didn’t even fully make sense to her.
But Dmitri nodded.
She unlaced her skates. Swung them over her shoulder and headed for the locker room. She pushed open the door.
Then just sat down on a bench. Alina put the skates beside her. She brought her trembling hands up and stared at her palms. Still icy.
But she wasn’t cold whenever Midas touched her. Not him.
Midas, when are you coming back?
A shadow moved. She saw it from the corner of her eye, and Alina leapt to her feet. Not in fear, but in joy. “Midas?” He’d gotten into the building again—
“No.” Low. “Not Midas.”
Terror spiked in her veins. Her heart thundered. She spun away. Her hand hit the skates. She leapt over the small bench.
But he caught her. One hand flew out and wrapped around her neck. He heaved her back against him. The bench fell in their struggle. She opened her mouth to scream.
A gloved hand slapped over her lips.
***
“You’re not allowed entry.” The two guards blocked the main entrance at the rink.
Midas narrowed his eyes. “I am not in a good mood.” Far from it. “A snowstorm canceled my original flight. I had to drive my ass for hours until I could get to another airport where I could take a freaking nightmare plane ride here. The snow blasted us every moment.”
“You’re not allowed entry.” A patiently repeated response.
Did he look like he was in the mood for patience? “I’m here to see Alina.”
