“That’s not what you said yesterday.”
“That was before coffee. And before international travel destroyed my will to live.”
I laughed and accelerated into another pass while the rink slowlyfilled around us. More skaters drifted onto the ice carrying coffee cups and half-zipped jackets, voices echoing beneath the hum of the arena lights overhead.
“Careful, Foster,” Ava Morales called from across the rink. “You’re going to peak two weeks early.”
“Relax. I’m multidimensional.”
Harper Knox glided past me with her habitual precision. “That sounded made-up even to you.”
I grinned. “Confidence intimidates people.”
“Overconfidence embarrasses them.”
Harper kept skating before I could answer, which usually meant she considered the conversation finished.
Ethan snorted loud enough for half the rink to hear. “God, she destroys you every time.”
“She wishes.”
Ethan coughed. “Focus, Foster, focus. Because you actually want the podium this time, Mr. Second Olympics.”
I grimaced. “Wow. Straight for the throat.”
“Always.”
I reset near center ice and rolled my shoulders once before pushing into a jump sequence. The takeoff felt clean, the landing too.
“Do you have to be perfect every damn time?” Ethan called.
My edge slipped on the exit, and I had to throw in an ugly correction to save it.
I laughed. “You missed the part where I nearly sat down on the ice.”
“Didn’t count. You stayed upright. And by the way, I hate you deeply for that.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Maybe by Thursday.”
Ava called me a show-off. Harper questioned my intelligence. Ethan constantly declared he hated me.
It feltsogood to be home.
I pushed into another run before Ethan could keeptalking, letting movement settle the restless energy still bouncing through my system. Timing locked into place quickly after that. My body responded the way I expected it to when I stopped overthinking and trusted it to work.
Halfway through a turn, I became aware of someone watching from the boards, and I glanced.
Blond. Tall. European team jacket. No idea who he was.
I smiled anyway before pushing into the next sequence.
A moment later I found him again. He was skating with a partner. I watched them circle through synchronized footwork near the boards.
The woman wore her dark hair pulled tight, quick energy radiating from every movement. Even standing still, she looked ready to launch herself into motion.
Her partner was the exact opposite.
