Page 37 of Perfectly Faked

Eugene gives her a look that says he’s not buying it. “You need to stop practicing immediately. Instead, you’re getting anassignment. I don’t want to see you again until you’ve completed it.”

“What kind of assignment?” Victoria asks, frowning.

“You need to learn to becomerealpartners—on and off the ice.” He shuffles the papers on his clipboard. “I want you to go out together. Get to know each other... on apersonallevel. Good skaters care about their partners.”

She shakes her head, her face pale. “I don’t think that’s necessary. We already know each other...quitewell.”

Eugene holds up his hand again. “No excuses, Victoria. You want to win? You need to learn to understand each other. The judges and audience can feel the emotion between skaters. Theconnectionbetween you two is vital. I want to see that change before the next practice.”

Her eyes widen. “That’s not even possible.”

“Then you can kiss Nationals goodbye,” Eugene replies, lifting his shoulders. “Your call.”

Victoria squeezes her eyes shut, then finally says, “Fine. But only once.” Then she puts on her skate guards and storms out of the rink.

Eugene sighs as he leans against the wall. “That woman.”

“Stubborn as a mule,” I mutter.

He chuckles. “Sounds like you know.”

“We have a history together,” I admit, sitting on the bench and resting my elbows on my knees. “It’s the reason she’s reluctant to agree to your assignment. She finds me infuriating.”

Eugene lifts an eyebrow skeptically. “You think she doesn’t like you? Are youblind?”

“You saw her kick me in the stomach, right? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a love tap.”

Eugene chuckles. “She’ll come around. Victoria has always been closed off. It’s a tough industry—you get cut down, judged, and publicly humiliated. She’s experienced all three. Whensomeone offers her something genuine, no strings attached, she doesn’t know what to do. Vulnerability is not her forte.”

I blink and look up at him. “Victoria...vulnerable? Those words don’t even belong in the same sentence.”

His mouth curves a little. “I think the disappointment has chipped away her confidence in herself,” he says, staring thoughtfully at the ice. “She’s had so much failure, she needs someone to show her that she can’t fail with them. And that no matter how much she pushes them away, they’re not going to leave.”

“What are you asking me to do?”

“She puts on a good front,” he says. “But she needs someone in her corner.”

I frown. “But I’m the one person she doesn’t want near her.”

“That’s not what I saw out there,” he says, nodding toward center ice. “She might try to get out of this. Don’t let her.”

If anyone should be allowed to walk away, it’s me. I’m the kid who came out of the foster care system. I know what it feels like to have people give up on you when you need them the most. Tina turned to drinking after my biological father died when I was a baby, but that doesn’t excuse it. I’ve never been able to understand why she didn’t fight harder to keep me, to hold on to the only family she had left. How can you say you love someone and not fight for them when it matters most?

Eugene turns back to me. “Don’t tell her I said this, but she needs more than skating in her life. She needs a friend.”

“A friend?” I sputter. After I told her I could never be friends with her?Not a chance.The feelings I have for her could never be platonic. “She’ll laugh me off the rink, Eugene.”

“I know,” he says quietly.

I stand, dragging my hand through my hair, trying to convince him this is not a good idea. “You know she’s going to hate this, right?”

“I know,” he repeats, nodding. “Which is why you’re the perfect person. Hockey players are used to taking hard hits, correct?”

I sigh, because I already know I’m going to say yes. “Doesn’t mean we like it.”

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