Page 91 of Perfectly Faked

THIRTY-FIVE

victoria

When I see Leo sitting in the arena seats watching me, he gives me a smile that tells me everything I need to know. That he loves watching me skate, and that something is wrong, even though he tries to hide it behind that smile. As soon as practice is over, I unlace my skates, toss them into my bag, and race up to where Leo is waiting.

He doesn’t seem in a hurry to go anywhere. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you with Tina?”

“Tina’s asleep. And I wanted to watch you skate.”

“You’ve seen me skate dozens of times,” I say, teasing him. “You were even my skating partner.”

“Your temporary one,” he adds. “And let’s face it, your worst one. But you...” His voice trails off.

“Me what?” I say, sinking onto his lap despite the arena’s small, hard chairs.

“You’re incredible,” he finishes. “I couldn’t bring out that part of you on the ice. The gracefulness, those jumps and lifts. It’s breathtaking.”

“But you bring out so much more off the ice.” I rest my head against his chest, sinking into his warmth. “Honestly, I’m not sure I can leave this behind. I want to stay with you. And I can help with Tina.”

I tilt my head up to look at him and notice something behind his eyes. “Vic, you need to go with Peter to Seattle.”

My smile falls. “I don’t want to go with Peter if you’re struggling to keep up here. It’s not just about my career. This is about both of us.”

Leo rubs a hand across his face. “Who said I’m struggling? I asked your dad for a leave of absence, and he’s considering it before he turns it over to Rafael Marco.”

I frown. “Considering it? Why didn’t he just approve it?”

He shakes his head. “Who knows? But you can’t stay because ofthis.”

“So what are you going to do if it doesn’t get approved?”

Leo shrugs. “Figure it out, like I always have.”

I stand, crossing my arms. “Wait, so you’re willing to riskyourcareer, but I’m not supposed to riskmine? How is that fair, Leo? I thought we were in this together.”

“We are,” he says with a sigh. “But after seeing you out there, I’d be furious if you let this opportunity go. This isn’t like hockey, Victoria. It took you months to find a partner, and Peter is leaving this week and needs a decision. You need to go with him... regardless of whether I have my life sorted out.” Behind his words is a fire, one that matches my own.

I take a step closer, uncrossing my arms. “Listen, I get why you think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But do you know what matters more?Us.”

He rises and takes my hands, his eyes pleading. “Vic, I’m not saying our relationship doesn’t matter—I’m saying I won’t be the thing that holds you back. Remember that goal of winning Nationals you’ve spent your whole life working toward? Youfinally have it within your grasp.” His voice grows softer. “And when the time is right, I’ll find my way to you.”

The old me wouldn’t have hesitated at the idea of moving thousands of miles away, wouldn’t have thought twice about starting over in a new city. But I’m not that girl anymore. That’s the thing about love—it makes you question everything you thought you wanted, forces you to ask,What dream do you want to spend your life building?

“But what if it’s never right?” I ask, my voice breaking.

“We found each other this time,” he says. “And we’ll find our way back again.” Then he steps forward and gives me a kiss so tender, a wave of heat rushes through my body. This is the kind of kiss you give to someone when you’re leaving, when you don’t know how things will turn out—the kind with questions and no answers.

I pull back, not wanting to let go. “Leo, I’m not choosing my career over you.”

“Then I’m doing it for you.” He hesitates, his gaze dropping for a moment before meeting mine again. “I think it’s best... if we say goodbye now.”

I shake my head. I’m not leaving him here to deal with this mess alone. “What if I refuse to go?” I say stubbornly.

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

“So you just want me to leave?” I argue.

He drags his eyes to mine as he says the words slowly, “I only want the best for you, Vic.” Then he steps back, his eyes soft and sad. “You’ll thank me later. When you’ve got that medal around your neck.” And then, without another word, he turns and walks away.

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