Page 27 of Wonderstruck

I dropped my gaze to the skates in my lap, fingers brushing over the laces.“And now,” I said, lifting my eyes back to hers, “I want to try again.”

Aspen’s lips curled into a soft smile.

“I want to be happy again.”

It felt like the weight that had been slowly building up on my shoulders hadvanished, as though the world had gotten warmer and whatever had solidified, weighing me down, was finally melting.

I glanced back up at Aspen, my voice quieter now. “And I suppose this iswhere you come in.”

She tilted her head slightly, folding her arms around her torso with anencouraging smile. “I’m listening.”

“For my first time back on the ice… I need it to be just me. I need the quiet so Ican figure out if skating is even a possibility for me anymore.” I glanced toward the rink, the cold surface reflecting the fluorescent lights like a frozen mirror. “I’m scared I’ve forgotten everything. And I’m scared it’ll remind me of everything I don’t have anymore, and I’ll just… break down and—”

Aspen’s steady gaze stopped my spiral in its tracks, her eyes sayingbreathebetter than words ever could.

I inhaled deeply, letting my heart settle before I continued. “But I need to try.Just in case… just in case I still love it as much as I did before.”

The adrenaline from the moment, from letting everything off my chest, hit me like awave. I felt the ache in my lash line, my bottom lip trembled, and that heavy, familiar weight settled back onto my shoulders. Before I could fall apart completely, Aspen moved. She wrapped her armsaround me and pulled me close, her embrace warm and steady, her sweet amber scent like the cosy heat of a log fire.

For a split second, I could have sworn it felt like a distant echo of Mom.

I slowly pulled away from her hug, my hands falling into my lap as our eyesmet. “Last night, I came across a post that said you were looking for new skaters to train. I know I’m not exactly looking for that, but…” I hesitated, playing with the frayed threads of my mittens. “I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask if I could use the rink, maybe just once or twice?”

The flicker of guilt in her eyes wasn’t exactly encouraging.

Before I could stop myself, my inner rambler took over. “Or, wait—was thisjust super weird of me to ask? Oh my God. It was weird, wasn’t it? I don’t know what I was thinking. Like, yeah, haven’t seen you in eight years, but sure, here’s my rink, have at it!” I winced and gestured vaguely toward the exit. “I’m just gonna—”

“No,” she cut me off with a giggle, her warm hand wrapping gently aroundmine and settling me back onto the bench. “It’s not that.”

Hereyes softened as she spoke.“Without you officially signing up for the classes, or going through all the contracts and health and safety stuff, if anything were to happen to you out there, I could lose everything. And I couldn’t carry on my career trying to live up to even half the coach your mom was.”

The sincerity in her voice calmed me, even though the hope inside me felt likeit was sliding away like loose snow in an avalanche.

She offered me a tiny smile. “But Iamrunning beginner classes. The average age is no higher than six.”

Six-year-olds. More judgmental than most adults.Superbe.1

I swallowed, trying to summon some humour. “Six-year-olds? Amazing, I can’twait to be out-skated by a kindergartner named Bella.”

Aspen laughs rattled off the glass. “Hey, those kids are fierce, but it’s a safe space. If you join theclass, I can arrange for you to stay longer after everyone leaves, so you’ll still have your privacy. And I’ll throw in a discount. I remember how frugal student life was so if there’s any way I can help, I’m in.”

I smirked, tilting my head. “I think a hundred per cent off sounds pretty reasonable, youknow… for old times’ sake?”

Aspen grinned, nudging me. “How about forty?” I nodded, my hands rubbing my arms as hers reached behind her. “I'll send you all the class info andthe schedule,” she said gently. “If you’re ever not feeling up to it, or it gets to be too much, we’ll figure something else out. Ipromise.”

Her words settled the last of mynerves, and I nodded, my smile blooming in gratitude. “That sounds amazing. Thank you so much.”

“No, thankyoufor coming.” Her playful eye roll tugged at my heart. “I missedhaving you around, Ror. And, side note, all that French you taught me? Yeah, totally left my brain the second I landed in Paris for the Olympics this summer.”

I laughed, and for the first time in forever, it didn’t feel forced. Like I wasn’tdoing it for the facade I showed the world. “Guess I’ll have to give you some refreshers. But only if you’re nice to me when I fall on my ass in front of Bella and her squad of six-year-old prodigies.”

Aspen grinned, looping an arm around my shoulders as we stood. “Deal.”

1.Great.

chapter eight

why do i want to find him, just to hide from him?

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