Page 92 of Falling

When his eyes connect with mine, he smiles wide. I lift up my hand sheepishly and wave. He waves back before tapping on Kennedy and Scarlett’s shoulders and pointing to me. They both get up and wave their hands as if they’re trying to flag down a taxi. I laugh to myself before the lights start to dim and Eva starts her routine.

She’s phenomenal as I watch from the railing, basically drooling. She glides and spins toI’d Like You for Christmasby Julie London, not missing a step or a beat. It’s hypnotizing watching her gracefully work around the ice, and it just reminds me why I love this sport so much. There’s something so addicting about figure skating. Something so incredibly mesmerizing that you don't want to miss out on a second of it. She finishes with a flourish, and the crowd cheers, and I whoop. I move toward the entrance, knowing that I’m next.

This is it.

They announce my name on the intercom as I glide onto the ice, getting ready in my starting position asVideo Gamesby Lana Del Rey begins.

29

MILES

THAT’S MY GIRL

I meantit when I said that she was mesmerizing.

Watching her in her skating costume, the music blaring from the speakers, and the rink almost full of people just makes that statement even more true. She performs her routine flawlessly, and I swear I’m still holding my breath. Her face is concentrated but effortlessly beautiful. She glides across the ice gracefully, each spin and turn landing smoothly.

I can’t tear my eyes away even if I wanted to. There is something so elegant and satisfying about watching her skate. I watch as she gets lost between the lyrics and the movements. I look around to see everyone else with the same expression: pure hypnosis. Even though playing hockey is similar to the adrenaline and the thrill, this feels so different. When we’re on the ice, we’re fighting, roughing each other up as we try to score a goal.

But this?

This is completely magical. I could watch her like this for hours and I would never get bored. I could spend the rest of my life just sitting in this seat while she moves around the ice.

She looks so peaceful while she skates, her body moving seamlessly with the music. I can tell there are so many intricate patterns and details that she puts into this routine. Like the way she rolls her head back slightly and the way her arms right down to her fingers flow with the music. Even when her eyes close for a few seconds, there are no faults.

She looks up at me for a split second, and I smile at her, but her smile wanders somewhere else in the crowd, and it drops. Her face turns sour as she turns back around, skating in the other direction. My heartbeat quickens, and my stomach twists. I try to find who she is looking at, but I can’t see anyone else other than Kennedy and Scarlett, who are watching her beside me with adoration.

Her routine comes to an end, and we stand up to clap and whoop. Wren gives a shy smile in her finishing position before skating off the ice. I walk down to her as she’s stepping off the ice, itching to see her. People are still clapping by the time I get there.

“You did amazing. Like, so fucking good, Wren,” I say when she steps off. I slip my hand around her waist and kiss her on the cheek. She doesn’t throw me a confused look like she usually does; instead, she slips out of my grasp and pushes away from me, which is worse.

“Thank you,” she replies bluntly as she catches her breath. “I didn’t land my Lutz as well as I did in practice, but it’s fine… I think. Did you see my mom up there?”

Her words come out in a weird, breathy clump. “What? Uh, no. I didn’t know she was here.” I look around the stands as people watch the duet on the ice.

She makes ahumphsound as she sits down on the bench outside the rink. “Well, she’s here, and I know she picked up on my mistake.”

“What mistake, Wren? You were perfect.”

Her head whips toward me, and she lets out a sad laugh. “I wasn’t perfect, Miles. I was far from it. You might not notice that, but my mom definitely will.”

“She wouldn’t,” I say, but I know it’s no use.

“I watched the literal second she lost interest. I saw the disappointment on her face, and she didn’t watch the second half of my set,” she explains.

I rest my hand on the small of her back. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

She shivers and pushes my hand away before straightening. “It’s nothing. It’s fine.”

I know she says it’s fine, but I don’t believe her. I think that the more she tells herself that, the more likely she is to believe it. I know because I’ve done it before. She hasn’t told me to leave yet, and I don’t think I would leave if she told me to. She’s just going to have to get used to the fact that some people always want to be with her even when she’s going through a hard time. So we sit in silence until all the performances are over and everyone surges out of the stadium.

Even when Kennedy and Scarlett come over to say congratulations, she gives them a smile before dropping it and turning to face the empty rink. They don’t make a fuss, and they walk away. They must know if there’s something wrong, but I don’t want to intrude, and I know she won’t open up to me if I bug her.

Heels click behind us, and we both turn around.

“Mom,” Wren says curtly as she stands up. She turns and walks toward her mom, who is rather dressed up for the occasion.

I stand up, brushing myself off as I walk toward her, standing next to Wren. I didn’t know I would be meeting the AD as the guy who’s dating her daughter. If I did, I would have worn something that isn’t jeans and a shirt saying how much I love her daughter.

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