This was it. Our first figure skating performance together after almost five years. My first official performance of the season. The anticipation coiled right in my stomach.
Reece held a bottle of water out for me and offered me a reassuring smile, his blue eyes reflecting the overhead lights.
“You’ve got this,” he said as I took the bottle from him. He sounded so steady and calm, like he had no care in the world, and like he wasn’t nervous at all. “We’ve practiced countless times. Just focus on the routine and let the music guide you.”
I nodded as I tried to absorb some of his confidence like a sponge. I wasn’t sure how he of all people could be so calm right now. It was his first time back on the ice as a figure skater in ages, yet the butterflies inmystomach fluttered with persistent unease.
My eyes wandered over to my father who stood right nextto Ilya. They were both deep in conversation, which was probably the only reason why Ilya hadn’t been standing right in front of me, telling me all sorts of things. He was usually the one who tried to calm my nerves, but I guess that he only did it because Erik sure as fuck wouldn’t have.
“Hey.” Reece brought a finger underneath my chin and lifted my gaze to his. “You’ll make it to nationals. You’re the best figure skater I know.”
“You have to say this because you’re my fiancé.”
Reece shook his head. “I wouldn’t lie to you,mi princesa.”
The soft glow of the arena lights enveloped me as I stood at the edge of the rink, the floor beneath my blades whispering promises of grace and precision.
The cool air kissed my cheeks as we stepped onto the ice, and I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. Before getting into position, Reece pressed a reassuring kiss onto my forehead and told me that I’d do amazing. While I believed him wholeheartedly, it didn’t manage to erase all of my doubts.
As soon as the music started, the crowd’s murmurs blended into a distant hum. My head snapped into focus and suddenly, it was silent. Not a single doubt clouded my mind.
With each glide and turn, I lost myself more and more to the rhythm, letting muscle memory take over. I landed my jumps and didn’t mess up a single spin.
The first lift came seamlessly, Reece’s strength lifting me effortlessly into the air. My body extended, trusting him not to drop me more than I’d ever trusted Erik. Adrenaline fueledmy movements as we transitioned into our next sequence after he set me down gently.
Oh, but soft movements were going to get much rougher as our routine progressed.
My heart was beating in synchrony with the melody playing in the background. The cold air filled my lungs with every breath, cooling me while my skin was burning.
Reece and I’s movements were synchronized as if we were one entity. Our connection intensified with every glide, each movement a silent conversation between us.
Reece’s hand found mine, our fingers intertwining as he pulled me in just before I pushed him off me only for him to chase me again.
Ilya was right, Reece and I’s performance had to be heartbreaking.
Each jump was executed with precision and poise. I could feel the air rush past me as I spun, my eyes only able to capture a blur of motion instead of whole objects.
My fiancé’s steady presence guided me through each rotation, his support unwavering as we pushed the boundaries of what we knew we could achieve together.
As we neared the end of our routine, we came together in a final embrace. Our bodies pressed close as we glided across the ice in perfect harmony.
The audience erupted into applause; their cheers echoed through the arena as we came to a graceful stop at the center of the rink.
Breathless and exhilarated, I looked up at Reece only to find him smiling down at me. He looked so proud, even if his pride wasn’t written all over his face. He couldn’t hide his emotions from me.
Reece picked me up and spun us around twice before his lips crashed down on mine, kissing me in front of the entireaudience. It wasn’t an overly scandalous kiss, but it came to me as a surprise anyway. Usually, when we kissed, it was more intimate and not in front of a crowd.
Moments later, we were off the ice and Dad was throwing a blanket over my shoulders. “You did amazing,” he told me and handed me my water bottle as he patiently waited for me to catch my breath.
“Thank you.” I smiled up at him, but my smile vanished when I saw Reece from the corner of my eye. He stood there with Ilya instead of talking to his parents or even Colin. “Where is everyone else?”
I knew Emory was somewhere in the audience with my siblings as they preferred watching all pairs and not just me, so I wasn’t worried when I couldn’t see them. But back when Reece was still my actual partner, either Colin or Lilyalwaysshowed up to be there for him after we were out there. Now, he was all alone.
Lucky for me, Dad immediately knew what I was asking without having to elaborate.
“Colin’s at practice, but Lily’s with Emory. She just didn’t want to be back here with both Kayden and Kim,” he told me. I didn’t even have to ask about Kieren because he barely showed upanywhereunless Jamie agreed to go as well. “But she’s probably already on her way back here.”
I nodded and was about to jump off the bench to walk over to my fiancé when I noticed Lily making her way past a couple of figure skating pairs without interrupting any possibly important talks. She smiled at me when she noticed me looking, but she went straight over to Reece instead of stopping to talk to me first.
