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Just not on the ice. And definitely not in front of Jasper. Who knew how the grouch would react if I started outright flirting with his coach?
Niko stepped away and set his hands on his hips. “Now let’s see another Biellman spin in that signature Lou style. Don’t look nervous! You’ve got this.”
At his comments, a different sort of longing welled on—one that’d gripped me since I was five years old. One that Coach Balakin had never satisfied.
I let myself voice it before I could second-guess the impulse. “Do youreallythink I’m good enough to compete? Like, the real competitions, sectionals and all that?”
Niko’s eyes widened. “Are you joking? You should have been out there already. I don’t want any injuries this year, because it’s a crime that the world hasn’t already seen what you can do.”
His voice was so emphatic that I felt both immensely relieved and ridiculous for having asked. “Okay. Good. I just—I wanted to be sure.”
Something in Niko’s expression softened. He squeezed my shoulder, sending another spike of warmth through my chest. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that. It’d be cruel to send someone out with expectations they can’t meet. But you’ve got it, Lou. I could see you not just competing but blowing everyone else out of the water.”
Jasper’s skates clicked against the ice where he was just stepping back onto the rink. He gave me a wary glance. “Whoever was coaching you before must have been an idiot if they never bothered to tell you you’re good.”
Bitterness tainted his voice, but I could tell he meant it. And if he meant it enough that he’d bothered to say it no matter how much my presence annoyed him…
I guessed I had to believe it too.
Niko glanced between the two of us, and a glint of mischief lit in his eyes. “You know what, I have a better idea than more spins. Lou, come over here.”
He motioned me over to stand just a couple of feet from Jasper. The guy dwarfed me, standing a full foot taller and broader through his whole frame as well.
We both watched Niko, Jasper looking as puzzled as I felt.
“What are you doing?” he grumbled. “Sizing us up for a photoshoot?”
Niko squinted at both of us and rubbed his hands together with one of those eager smiles. “I’m thinking a little more ambitious than that. Let’s mix things up a bit and do some basic exercises in synchronization. Jasper, take Lou’s hand.”
“What?” Jasper protested.
Niko raised his eyebrows. “Maybe you’ll have an easier time getting out of your head if you have someone other than yourself to focus on.”
Jasper stared at him for a few seconds. My gut knotted.
He really disliked me that much that he wouldn’t even give it a try. Not that I was so keen on running through the basics hand-in-hand with the grouch beside me, but I’d still be willing to—
“Fine,” Jasper bit out, and snatched my hand without any further warning.
His solid fingers engulfed my much slimmer ones. Something about the feel of them, despite how reluctant he was acting, sent a jolt of electricity up my arm.
Niko waved toward the other end of the rink. “All right, you two. Skate forward, but keep your arms up. Hands together. I want you to match the strokes of your skates. And… go!”
Niko sounded more like a coach than ever before. There was also a thrum of excitement in his smooth voice that was new.
As Jasper and I pushed off, I stole a glance over my shoulder. Niko looked like he was trying hard not to bounce off the walls with excitement. Something about that expression made my pulse stutter, like I was about to go over the big drop in a roller coaster.
“Hey, eyes forward.” Jasper tapped the back of my hand with his thumb. “Whatever he wants us to do, I want to do it right.”
Of course he did. If there was anything I knew about this man’s career, it was that he was a perfectionist.
It sounded simple enough—just skate to the end of the rink. But Jasper’s height meant we had to position ourselves carefully to keep our clasped hands raised without straining my shoulder, and keeping pace between my shorter legs and his longer ones required careful precision.
It took several strokes wildly off and then several more slightly out of sync, but I felt us catching on to each other’s rhythm. By the time we reached the far boards, our feet were gliding forward in unison.
It was kind of thrilling, seeing it happen. Was this what Niko had been picturing?
“Spin in sync, a full 360 and then back to face me, and skate on over here a little faster,” Niko called.
