Page 15 of Jesse and the Ice Princess
Her cheeks heated as she imagined the entire Gulf City hockey team sitting in their locker room discussing her as the forbidden fruit. "That's not embarrassing at all, thanks Dad."
Her sarcasm wasn't lost on him. "I just know you have goals, Charlie. I wouldn't have any of my boys messing those up. You're too good for them."
"Too good?" she scoffed, rising to her feet. "What does that even mean?" That's what the kids at school said—that she thought she was too good for them. She wasn't.
"I wish people would stop telling me how good I am." It didn't matter, anyway. She wasn't allowed to date. Another one of her mom/coach's rules. Dating only interfered with training. Wouldn't want to let the teenager actually be a teenager.
"Char—"
"I just want to be like them." She set her stick against the wall and yanked at the laces on her skates, toeing them off.
"Like who?"
She whirled around to face him, angry tears building in her eyes. "Everyone else."
"Why would you want that?"
"Because I have chased one dream my entire life. And now it's all I know. Tell me, Dad, does success mean anything if I don't enjoy it? This is all going to end one day in the not too distant future. And then what will I be left with? I want more than memories of training sessions with my mom and afternoon runs alone."
"Charlie, what are you saying?"
She put her hands on her head and turned toward the stairs. "I honestly don't know."
She ran up the steps, away from her dad and the questions in his eyes. Her mom stood in the living room surveying their mess.
Charlotte turned away from her and ran up to her room. Collapsing onto her bed, she wiped at the tears on her face and reached for her phone. It rang twice before a familiar voice answered.
"I'm sorry," Hadley said.
"No, I'm sorry. I think you were right."
"No, I wasn't. It doesn't matter who I like. You're my best friend."
After spilling her guts to her dad, Charlotte took comfort in speaking to the one person who'd ever tried to get her to break out of her ice skating world. "You're allowed to like Jesse Carrigan. I might not like him, but that doesn't mean you can't."
"I love you, Charlie."
Charlotte smiled. "Love you too, Hads." She twisted to lay on her back on the pink bedspread and stare at the tiled ceiling. "So, about Friday..."
Hadley screamed. "You want to do it?"
"Yeah, I'll have my dad's keys when I come to your house."
"You and me, Charlie. Screw anyone else."
She grinned. "Thanks, Hads. I needed a laugh."
"Anytime, babe. Night!"
She hung up and put her phone on the white wooden bedside table. Lowering herself to the floor, she began her nighttime routine of stretches and strength exercises.
She might have her little rebellion Friday night, but she'd wake up the next morning at four and head to training like the good little robot she was.
5
Jesse
Will and Eli shared a room in the Carrigan household. Not because they had to—their five-bedroom house was large enough for the entire brood. No, they insisted on having bunk beds and couldn't do that from separate rooms.
