Page 32 of Jesse and the Ice Princess
"I don't want her to fall for anything."
He laughed again. "You keep telling yourself that, Jess."
"I feel like we've had this conversation before."
"And we'll keep having it until you admit it."
"Admit what?" He shouldn't have asked. He knew Roman and his out-there ideas.
His grin widened. "That she is the one girl you can't have, and it's killing you."
"You're obnoxious."
"Yes. Yes, I am." He turned back to the ice where Charlotte glided through a spin, moving so fast they couldn't make out her features.
She came out of it only to launch herself into another.
Each time she jumped, he held his breath until she landed. She danced across the ice, her body moving like it was made for this.
But he'd also seen her with a puck on her stick. Was she made for that too?
The music slowed again, and Charlotte ended at center ice, her head bowed.
As soon as the music cut off, Roman let out a cheer. Jesse joined in before realizing they weren't supposed to be there.
Charlotte looked to the balcony, but she probably couldn't see them. Mrs. Morrison on the other hand, could view them from her spot in the announcer’s box nearby.
"Jesse Carrigan, Roman Sullivan," her harsh voice boomed. "Your coach's office. Now!"
Jesse and Roman stared at each other, matching looks of apprehension on their faces.
"Coach is going to murder us." Roman rubbed the back of his neck. "And then bury us in a deep grave where no one will ever know what happened to us."
Jesse couldn't say he didn't agree.
They descended the stairs like it was a long march to the gallows.
By the time they got to Coach's office, he was waiting for them, and he wasn't alone.
"Damo." Jesse looked from Coach to Damien. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "I wanted to see Charlotte practice."
It gave Jesse some small satisfaction that he didn't call her Charlie. But why had he come to see her? He wanted to say something else, but the sound of Coach closing the door had him jumping in his skin.
Coach Morrison rounded his desk and sat, leaving the three boys standing. He studied them for a long moment before speaking. "What is the first rule of being a Gulf City Hurricane?"
"Don't date the coach's daughter," they said in unison.
"Then why have three of my players shown up at the rink in the wee hours of the morning to watch figure skating practice?"
Roman held his hands up in surrender. "Hey, man, I'm an innocent bystander in this. Jesse dragged me from my perfectly good bed."
Coach sighed. "You can go, Roman. I need to talk to these two."
Jesse tossed Roman his keys. "Meet me at the car."
Roman wasted no time in leaving.
