Page 4 of Pivot Point

“Yeah, we did.” Jasper grinned. “We showed this competition what we’re made of, huh?”

All of our hard work and all of that effort had actually paid off. My years of training under Coach Balakin had done a lot of good, even if he’d never admitted how much.

The man might have been forced to lie to me about my skill, he’d still done his best for me, had tried to give me everything he gave his other normal students whose parents didn’t happen to be leaders of a vast criminal organization.

And he’d died for his efforts.

Tears blossomed in the corners of my eyes. I didn’t wipe them away in time for Niko and Jasper not to notice.

“Lou, you alright?” Jasper asked, his voice low. “If you want to go somewhere quiet—”

“No, no.” I brushed a hand across my face, reining in the swell of grief that had momentarily overwhelmed my hammering heart. “It’s just that… I don’t know, I thought this moment would never come. I didn’t think I would ever get to feel this way—not once in my whole life. I just can’t believe we pulled it off!”

My eyes traveled up to the stands; I knew that somewhere, Rafael was watching me with pride glowing in his burgundy eyes. I only wished that he could be down here with me now, and then my heart would truly be full and complete.

For now, though, it was enough to know that he was here, that he had seen my routine. That he had seen me finally win.

The announcer had just finished reading out the names of the winners—mine with the fake last name I’d had Niko register me under—calling us onto the ice. Jasper and I made our way down to the center of the rink again.

Our winnings weren’t much: two fifty-dollar gift cards for local eateries, two more to the sporting goods store in between here and Hobb Creek, and a small metal trophy in the image of an ice skate. You couldn’t expect much more than that from a competition this low-key.

But I didn’t need grand prizes to revel in the moment. I gripped Jasper’s hand as we grinned like fools in the center of the rink, clutching our gift cards and our cheap trophies.

Jasper grabbed my hand as we returned to the stands to a little more fanfare. “We should probably go get changed, huh? Meet you in the front hall after? We should go out to celebrate.”

“You bet.” I squeezed his hand hard before letting go.

We snatched our equipment bags and made our way to the locker rooms, Niko following at our heels. He nodded to us, still smiling as bright as the afternoon sun outside.

“I’ll be right here.”

Jasper pushed the door to the men’s locker room open. “Let’s go somewhere that’s serving breakfast for dinner. I’m dying for some waffles.”

“Of course you are,” I called after him with a snicker, and headed into the women’s locker room, my thoughts spinning in my head in a joyful daze.

This is so surreal.

The dream-like feel of the moment only increased with the various skaters who offered their congratulations as we changed side by side. I smiled and thanked them and complimented their performances even when I couldn’t remember the routine, my hands whipping through the motions.

I just wanted to get back out there and see my men again. My lessons with Coach Balakin had always been solo, so I wasn’t used to this community vibe, as nice as I imagined it could be once I got used to it.

These other women were my peers, not people who I had to gaze at from afar, wishing I could be one of them. Not anymore.

I wriggled out of my skating costume and pulled on my faded black skull tee and pinstriped leggings before slipping my clunky rings that could serve as weapons as well onto my fingers. I only took a moment to glance at myself in the mirror.

Okay, I had to admit I’d earned Jasper’s nickname.

Despite my haste, my partner was already waiting for me in the hallway, Niko beside him. The sight of them together, happy and relaxed, was enough to make my heart sing.

Even in the artificial arena lights, I didn’t think I’d ever found them more striking—or irresistible.

My heart thumped faster, and so did my steps as I closed the gap between us in urgent strides.

Jasper’s eyes gleamed as he took me in. “Lou, we—”

I didn’t give him the chance to finish his sentence. I snatched them both by one arm and dragged them around the nearest corner, away from the locker rooms and the distant murmurs of the exiting audience.

The only thing I wanted was to feel their bodies against mine, to taste victory on their lips.

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