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I touched down and spun out without missing a beat.
We’d done it. We’d pulled off every part of the routine without a hitch.
Only once, but that meant we could do it again.
When we came out of our ending position, Niko was applauding us enthusiastically from the stands. “Fantastic. You’re going to blow them all away tomorrow!”
Jasper beamed back at him with a joy I didn’t think I’d seen from him on the ice since he’d performed his old routine on my request. When I threw my arms around him in a hug, he squeezed me back and then tipped my head back so he could steal a quick kiss.
But even with plenty of joy thrumming through my chest, my nerves kept prickling away too. We’d pulled off the entire routine once—and now we had to perform it in front of my first set of judges tomorrow. We might not even make it all the way to the actual competition.
I’d better keep my own head in the game, or I could screw this up not just for myself but for the two men who were starting to mean more to me than I’d have ever imagined was possible.
TWENTY-FOUR
Niko
I couldn’t help leaning backagainst the boards as Jasper and Lou unlaced their skates, my gaze lingering on both of them in turn. My heart had been thumping a little faster than usual ever since Lou had staged her surprise intervention on the ice.
The two of them exchanged a few teasing remarks, looking more at ease with each other than I’d ever seen before. The brightening of Jasper’s face sparked something inside me too.
I’d been afraid to insist on talking about that night in Munich in case the subject stirred up even more uncomfortable feelings that would bog Jasper down. But it seemed like the opposite had happened, as if he’d cast off a burden he’d been carrying.
And somehow, Lou had known or at least suspected that would be the case. I knew she’d wanted to help us today, not upset us.
I studied her for a moment as she smoothed a few loose strands back into her ponytail. Why had she decided we needed to clear the air today?
There was something more going on withherthan she’d said. She smiled at Jasper, but a shadow crossed her face when she was concentrating on her own tasks. For the past few days, I’d increasingly had the sense of a dark cloud hanging over her, and it’d only gotten thicker.
Was she simply nervous about the upcoming competition, or was something more going on?
Jasper gave a spine-cracking stretch that made the muscles in his torso flex in all kinds of ways I could appreciate and aimed another relaxed grin at his partner. “Better not to get too wound up before a performance. You should take it easy tonight. I think a nap is on my agenda.”
Lou laughed, but the good humor didn’t quite reach her dark brown eyes. “If evenyou’retelling me it’s good to chill out, I guess I’d better listen.”
“You shouldalwayslisten to me, Punk,” he said in a teasing tone, and lifted his gaze toward me. He hesitated for a moment, and then the corners of his mouth lifted with another small but genuine smile. “Thanks for everything today, Niko.”
My heart just about flipped right over, but I kept my rush of exhilaration under wraps. “That’s what I’m here for. Go get your rest. You two are going to stun them all tomorrow.”
Jasper lifted his hand in a wave to both of us and loped up the aisle to the exit, his gym bag swaying against his back.
When Lou moved to grab her bag too, I stepped forward. “Hey, before you take off, I have a few more pointers. Since it’s your first competition and all.”
Lou perked up as if she lived for nothing more than for me to tell her how she could skate better. Which honestly, having seen her in action, maybe she did.
“Sure. What were you thinking? Have I been messing up that tuck position again?”
“No, no, nothing like that.” I sat down on the edge of the bench across from her. “Jasper’s right about relaxing before a competition. You also want to make sure you’re well hydrated before you go on, and you’re best off having a solid meal a couple of hours before our performance but nothing too heavy.”
I could see Lou making mental notes to herself with each point. “Okay, got it.”
“And…” The perfect way to get at the questions I wanted to ask popped into my head. “You should also keep in mind your facial expressions, especially performing in front of the judges.”
She cocked her head. “There’s something wrong with my face?”
I couldn’t hold back a chuckle at her mock-offended tone. “You’ve just looked a little tense sometimes. Your face should give the impression that everything your body is doing is perfectly easy, no strain at all. It’s an… illusion it’s always good to convey.”
“That makes sense.”
