Page 60 of Broken Hearts
“How exactly is that going to prove I like you?”
“Don’t tell me you’re scared?”
Is she serious? “Maybe you weren’t paying attention at the game the other night, but I’m pretty fast.”
“Oh, I was paying attention.” She runs a hand up my chest seductively and then circles around me. “You in?”
“Absolutely, angel.” Few things I wouldn’t agree to right now.
We go to the goal line and I yawn, egging her on. In reality, blood is pumping through my veins. I love competing and if it means winning more time with her? Sign me up.
“Are you sure you don’t want to warm up?”
“I’ll be fine.” I roll my head side to side and lean forward slightly. “Say when, angel.”
She huffs a laugh, adjusts her headband and focuses forward. “When.”
I let her push off first. I have no intention of letting her beat me, but she’s a damn sight as she speeds off from me. She glances over her shoulder, brown ponytail blowing around her face, to see why I haven’t moved yet. That’s my cue.
She’s fast, but I’m faster. I reach her in a flash, then slow down so we’re skating side by side. Her tongue peeks out and she pumps her arms faster. I pull ahead as we reach the goal line at the opposite end and stop, ice spraying from my skates.
“Again,” she says before she’s even stopped.
“You think that was beginners’ luck?”
“Backward this time.” She turns, arches a brow, silently daring me.
“I have a better idea.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“I’m listening.” She stands tall. Goddamn, she’s beautiful all determined and competitive.
“I’ll skate your routine.”
She laughs. When I don’t join her, she says, “You’re serious?”
“Completely.”
“You don’t know my routine.”
“If you’re so sure of that, then it should be an easy bet for you to take.”
She cocks her head to the side and narrows her gaze.
“If I can skate your entire short program, then you have to give us a real chance. Deal?”
I can see her contemplating it and the second she gives in. “Okay.”
I grin.
“But, if you fall on any of the jumps, then it’s an automatic disqualification.”
“I won’t fall.”
“So sure of yourself. This should be entertaining.” She skates away from me, steps off the ice, and leans against the wall. “Want music?”
“Yeah, turn it up.” That way she can’t hear the swear words I’ll likely be muttering as I do jumps and leaps I haven’t attempted in years. Now that this is happening, my nerves kick in. I’ve watched her skate a lot. Little glances while we’re practicing and a couple of times we’ve gone early together and she’s let me be her personal cheering section.
I’m perfectly capable of skating her routine. Not well, mind you, but I’m ninety-five percent sure I can stay on my feet. You don’t grow up with parents who teach figure skating and not think to yourself,hey I’m gonna try that shit. Or, I didn’t anyway. Sometimes out of boredom and sometimes trying to impress girls. It didn’t work then, at least on the impressing girls part, but I’m hoping to change that today.
