Page 103 of Hate You Most

Dakota moved loosely beside her as they worked on a routine for her. Viktoriya let out a quiet breath that turned into laughter as she spun, the movement less precise than she liked but it felt more like her than she could explain.

“This is so wrong,” she said under her breath.

Dakota glanced at her, a grin breaking through. “You love it.”

Viktoriya didn’t answer immediately. Because she did. She loved it with her entire chest. She loved skating and dancing and Dakota and the music and her friends and the movement.

Around them, the other girls broke off into smaller groups and tried different styles with different songs. They were completely unserious. Laughter echoed across the rink as spins and jumps were attempted purely for the fun of it rather than the score.

“Okay, wait—no, we have to do one together,” Brooke called out, skating over toward them both breathlessly. “Like an actual routine, all of us. But, you know, not boring.”

“Define boring,” Dakota said dryly.

“No rules,” she replied instantly.

Dakota glanced at Viktoriya. “That sounds like your actual nightmare.”

“Yeah,” Viktoriya laughed and pushed off before she could question it further. “Pick a song, then.”

She handed the phone that was connected to the speakers to Dakota.

She had a wide smile on her lips. “Oh, you're all going to regret this.”

"Probably."

The track that blasted out of the speakers was faster, louder, impossible to ignore, and instead of hesitating, Viktoriya just moved.

Dakota followed immediately, and then the rest of the girls. Together as a group they built something on the spot that had no rules and no structure beyond what felt right in the moment.

Viktoriya laughed fully this time—unrestrained—the sound unfamiliar enough that it almost startled her as it left her lips.

“Yeah,” Dakota said quietly beside her. “You’ve definitely missed this.”

“Shut up,” she smiled.

The song they ended with a full choreographed routine for as a group was ‘Just A Girl’ by No Doubt, and Viktoriya was sure it healed something deep inside her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

April 25th, 2023.

— Detroit Edge Ice Rink, Detroit Michigan.

The arena was smaller than anything Viktoriya had ever competed at. Even in Russia, she had always skated at larger arenas with private coaches the moment her parents realized she had a natural talent that could be exploited for gain.

She laced her skates just inside the entrance, her fingers flexing slightly at her sides. For once there was no pressure for her to perform. There were no cameras, nothing was being filmed, replayed or judged. She had used a fake name when registering for the competition, they all had. It was freeing. The familiar tightening she'd get in her chest just before stepping onto the ice was almost unnoticeable.

“You’re thinking too much again.” Dakota’s voice came from beside her, close enough that she didn’t have to turn to know exactly what expression was on her face. That same faintly amused look that always seemed to appear when she was caught drifting too far into her own mind.

“I’m not,” Viktoriya replied automatically.

Dakota let out a quiet breath that might have been a laugh. “You are,” she said. “It’s a local competition, not the Olympics.”

Viktoriya glanced at her, lifting one eyebrow slightly. “I’m aware.”

“Are you?” Dakota tilted her head. “Because you look like you’re about to go out there and defend a world title, or like you're stepping into a warzone or something.”

“Habit,” she admitted.