Page 70 of Revolve
“How would you know that? Maybe it’s exactly the kind of motivation I need.”
“Fine, it’s your turn. I’ll watch your ass and see how you feel.”
He balks, a hand on his chest. “Save the dirty talk for the bedroom, Romanova.” He pauses. “Or my car.”
My cheeks burn. “Can you stop stalling and lift me now?”
He smiles, and I notice his Adam’s apple bob before he schools his expression into utmost confidence. Dylan’s eyes are focused on me, and he waits for each of my signals for the moves. He’s slower and more deliberate today, but I don’t say anything.
Today’s skate brings flashes of the old Sierra from before it all when this sport was an outlet, something fun. So, when Dylan and I connect again, the words are out of my mouth before I know it. “Lift me.”
“Are you su—”
“Now.”
I twist away from him, and he must read my mind, because he locks his hands with mine and lifts me clean over his head. No shaking, no hesitation, just pure strength and trust. He spins, and euphoria floods through me as I regain my footing.
“We did it!” I shout, clutching his hoodie. He holds me in his arms, lifting me off the ice. “Let’s do it again!”
He barks out a laugh, and it only adds to how good I feel right now. Dylan leans in the tiniest bit when the sound of skates scraping the ice makes us turn to the gate.
My smile falls. Julia and Justin step onto the ice, and their coachstarts shouting orders. I can’t help but notice how pale Julia looks, and the jittery movements in both their stances. It’s hard to ignore, especially when Justin looks sodifferent.
I turn back to Dylan, who holds my gaze with a level of scrutiny I don’t understand.
“What?” I ask.
He starts to say something, but I don’t hear it because the next sound that drowns out the echo of the arena is Julia’s high-pitched scream. A kind that I know all too well.
Their coach rushes onto the ice. I don’t even notice when the warmth of Dylan’s hand disappears, because my entire body has gone cold. There’s cursing, and an agonizing gasp from their vicinity. She tripped over Justin’s skate and cut her hand open. My heart bumps against my spine, and when I skate forward, everyone is crowding her. Pins prickle against my throat, and crimson paints the white ice, some of it on her coach’s fingers.
Justin is standing far away, and I notice that seconds before my vision tunnels.No.
“Close your eyes,” Dylan shouts. He’s helping their coach hold Julia up, and I can’t seem to look away. “Sierra.”
I startle, gaze flickering to Dylan’s stern expression. “I—I can’t—”
“Close your fucking eyes, Sierra!”
They lift her now, and my throat almost closes up. I hate that Justin gets to see this reaction from me. He stares at me like I’m some wounded animal. Then Dylan’s in front of me.
“You don’t need to see that. Don’t look.” He’s pleading with me now, brown eyes desperate as he cups my face. “Please, baby, you have to close your eyes.”
His warm breath falls on my lips, and I close my eyes as tears gather, soaking into my lashes.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” Dylan’s lips press against myforehead. “But I need you to keep your eyes closed and turn around, okay? Just until we can get her help, then I’ll take you home.”
I nod, and just like that he’s gone. The scuffle of shoes and skates makes me squeeze my eyes shut harder, and I skate away, not opening them until I know I’ve hit the rubber mats that lead to the locker room. As soon as I change out of my skates, I’m out the double doors.
TWENTY-FIVE
DYLAN
MY PARTNER HASa bad habit of running off, and at this point, I’m one chase away from investing in handcuffs.
Inside Iona House, I knock on Sierra’s dorm door, after some girl—who happened to remember me very well—let me into the building. When I helped take Julia to the medical room, my mind was stuck on Sierra. It was like it all had flashed before her eyes. I went to find her in the changerooms, but she was gone. Coach Kilner was the one to tell me he saw her leave.
He also decided that was a good time to tell me I’ve been approved to come to some of the hockey practices. I’ve barely registered that; I couldn’t even think about anything other than Sierra’s face. It fucked with something in my chest.
