a's

orning in a row. My stomach was a knot of leftover anger and zero sleep. Mom's text from the

n with the human glacier who thought "pri

d by the boards, doing these long, powerful crossovers that looked more like dancing than any enfor

early,"

e on m

skates and slowly drifted backward, hands

over and Patel realizes this is

ed onto the ice without looking at him again. The surface was still virgin in places, glassy and mean, exactly how I liked it before the Zamboni and the rest of the world r

xactly elev

breath. It made my skin feel too tight. I moved into a flying camel, picking up speed, letting t

s my path-his, obvious

r blade. The world tilted hard. My arms windmill

ds locked around my waist and under my ribcage

nison as he absorbed the momentum and set me down on my feet, slow, controlled, way too smooth

skater

fro

y ridge of his gloves through the thin fabric of my dress, the exact press of his fingers at my waist like they already knew the shape of

voice came out ro

lf. Instead I stayed exactly where I was, spine to his chest, staring at

u do that?"

hed on my waist.

wh

swallowed. My voice sounded strange, too t

ond against the back of my head, like he'd lost a private fight with himsel

ri

that voice did somethi

eyes were that pale winter gray, wide and wrecked under the rink lights. The scar through his eyebrow

ore," I said. It wasn

nce, then loosened like he was forcing himself to let go. But he didn't step

at you're talking

. "The way you timed it. The way you took m

on

d came

e, not another enemy. I needed a pairs partner for the Eastern Showcase or my scholarship chances

that catch still

with?" I pushed,

the armor, the boy underneath the enforcer, the one who moved like music still lived

nan!

ip. We sprang apart so fast I nearly lost my edge. Cold rushed

ing toward the boards, face already

ell is this

ne step back, then another, putting careful distance

breath, so low only I could

my mout

slammed across the ice

d bring your skates-the whit

d toward me. His e

person who could have known the truth