Page 77 of The Cutting Edge
"Logan, this is amazing!" she exclaims, gripping my hand tighter. "Five minutes in, and this is seriously already the most romantic date anyone has ever planned for me. Thank you."
"Anything for you," I reply, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Anything.” This moment, right here, feels perfect – just the two of us, discovering something beautiful together.
We continue to spot murals as the train carries us through West Philadelphia, each one funnier, sweeter, and more stunning than the last. Coco leans against me, our bodies pressed together, and I feel like I'm on top of the world.
We talk about everything – how I miss Poppy when I’m on the road, how frustrated she feels that she still hasn't been cleared for practice by the team doctor despite the fact that she’s called the USFS multiple times a day since she was released from the hospital, how much Poppy adores her, how crazy it is to feel like you’ve known someone forever when it’s only been a few weeks, how we both know there’s something life-changing between us.
We’re so deep into each other, we almost miss our stop on the return trip.
As we reach a station, a woman in the seat across from us suddenly recognizes us. "Oh my gosh! You're Logan Rivers from the Slashers right? Can I get your..." She does a double-take when she sees Coco. "Whaaaaat? You're Coco, the Olympic skater! We were at the Flyers game last night -- I saw you two on the kiss cam, right?" she gushes. "You two are such a cute couple!"
Coco blushes and laughs, exchanging a glance with me. "Yes. Thank you," she says, still holding onto my hand.
"That was like the most romantic thing I've ever seen in my life!" the woman cheers as she exits the train. "And now you're taking her on the love letter tour? Serious romance game, buddy. My husband needs to take a few lessons from you." We laugh, but the warmth in my chest reaffirms the truth in her words – we do make a great couple. The fact that I already care so deeply for Coco is a testament to that.
We walk the few blocks back to our hotel, hand in hand. Seeing Coco so enchanted by the LOVE LETTER tour, feeling her hand in mine, and even seeing the fan's reaction – it all solidifies my realization that I've fallen hard for Coco. Really hard. Like, Fosse’s faceplant on the ice hard.
And as I look into her eyes, and gently touch my lips to hers, I can only hope that she feels the same way.
And that she'll forgive me for what I've done.
Chapter thirty-three
Coco
Themorningsunstreamsthrough my window, providing a warm wake-up call. I stretch and smile to myself, still buzzing from last night's incredible Slashers victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. It's hard to believe that we're on the brink of a historic comeback (which apparently the Flyers themselves haven’t accomplished since 2010, which I only know because it’s the first thing every single person in hockey world says when they talk about it.) The irony of potentially reverse-sweeping the Flyers in our home arena this Thursday is not lost on anyone.
It’s also hard to believe I’m referring to an NHL team as “we”, but you know, things change.
I sit up and let out an excited yawn, the anticipation for Game 7 already building inside me. St. Pete will be electrified with energy, and I can't wait to be part of it. After being a figure skater my entire life, I never imagined I would become so invested in hockey. But then again, I never imagined I'd meet someone like Logan.
My phone rings with the special ringtone I picked out just for this very moment. “Ice Ice Baby”blares as I scramble to grab it off the nightstand. USFS.
“Hello!” I shout, just a tad too enthusiastically. Like,game showlevel enthusiasm.
“Hi, is this Coco?”
“Yes!”
“It’s Beverly Reid from U.S. Figure Skating headquarters. You must have some friends in very high places. Good news. The team doctor has reviewed your medical records and your scans, and you’re cleared to train. See you at Nationals."
“What!” I stand up on the bed and let out aWhoop!“That’s great news! Oh my god! When can I officially start training?”
“I’m emailing the official letter to you later this morning, and just to be on the safe side, you’ll want to wait for that. But once you receive it, you can resume training immediately.”
I thank her and hang up the phone. My normal ice time for training is at zero-dark-thirty, but I’m hoping I can do a light session between now and then just to get my bearings so I’m ready to work tomorrow morning.
“I can train!!!” I yell at the top of my lungs.
“Woohoo!” screams Marissa from her room.
I’m so happy to get back on the ice as fast as I can, but I can't help but feel a sense of pride in the role I've played as Logan's "lucky charm." Seeing him touch his chest where my lucky necklace rests under his jersey makes my heart swell. With everything on the line for both of us – my Olympic dreams and his shot at the Cup – it feels like we're in this together, side by side to the end.
Heading to the kitchen, I text Logan with about 800 emojis:
USFS CLEARED ME TO TRAIN!!!!
LOGAN:
