“We’ll have to try again,” I said softly. “And I’m sure we’ll get it next time.”
She turned to look at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of determination and exhaustion. “But when, Reece? Championships are in January, and we’re nowhere near ready. We couldn’t place first evenonceall season.”
It was always the second place; always the first losers.
I checked the time once more, slowly getting frustratedwith myself. I had to be at Manhattanville College’s hockey arena in less than two hours. Actually, I had to have been there already. The game was starting in less than two hours.
“It’s not like we don’t rank at all,mi princesa. Perhaps we just need to add one more stunt… that might fix the problem. Second place is awful, but it’salmostfirst place, there’s just something missing in our routine, obviously.”
Brooke stared at me for a moment. “You really think adding another stunt will make the difference?”
I nodded, trying to sound more confident than I felt when I spoke. “Absolutely. We just need that extra wow factor to push us over the edge. We’re so close, Brookie. I know we can do this.”
She let out a deep sigh. “I guess we can try it. We have nothing to lose at this point.”
My eyes fell back on the clock, and in that moment I just knew I was going to miss my game… again.
I was letting them down again.
God, I was the worst captain the St. Trewery ice hockey team hadeverseen.
Brooke seemed to notice my distraction and followed my gaze, and as her eyes settled on the clock, they widened in realization.
“Reece, your game!” She jumped to her feet. “You’re going to miss it if you don’t leave like right now.”
I nodded but it was mostly to myself. “It’s okay. Even if I left now, Coach would be so furious with me for being late again that he’d bench me. It’d be hours wasted on a bench that I could be spending with you, working on getting you that win.”
“But this is hockey, Reece,” she said, her voice tinged with concern. “Your team needs you. And hockey is important to you.”
I stood up, brushing the ice off my pants as I took a deep breath. “It’s alright, I promise.”
34
BROOKLYN
Ilaced up my skates, each pull of the laces echoing the tightening knot in my stomach. Looking up, I watched the Zamboni glide over the ice a couple more times. We got to the arena late, past official closing hours, but Dad was paying the owner quite a bit of money to allow us to be here whenever we wanted before opening and after closing hours.
Practice was important for us, and due to college and ice hockey, we had to sacrifice our resting time. We had a late competition yesterday, so we slept in this morning and chose to be at the arena in the evening.
The ice rink was bathed in a soft, ethereal light, casting shadows across the already pristine surface. It wasn’t going to get any smoother than that.
It was our sanctuary, the place where magic was meant to happen, where our dreams were meant to come true. But tonight, the atmosphere was thick with tension.
By the time December came around, Reece and I still hadn’tonceranked first. Always second.
His hockey team won so many games, I couldn’t even count them anymore. And I was sohappy for him, they deserved a great season, but I was also gettingsofrustrated with always being second.
We were two months away from the championship.
Reece was leaning against the boards, his eyes fixed on his phone. I bet his mind was miles away—Chicago most likely. He was missing a game tonight to be here with me. I couldn’t have been more grateful. Anyone else would’ve told me to fuck off and attend their game, but not Reece.
I told him he should go, but he refused and I certainly couldn’t force him onto that plane. As much as I tried to reason with him, he insisted that practice with me was more important.
I felt really bad that he was missing his game.
Yet, despite himchoosingto do this with—forme, his annoyance was palpable.
He was lost in the world of hockey stats and schedules. It became obvious that his attention drifted further from figure skating and ranking higher with each passing competition. Even when we were on the ice for practice, he wasn’t concentrating as much anymore.
