I'm doing my routine for my brother, Natasha, and Valery, when my heart starts beating too fast, so I stop myself on the ice quickly and drop to my knees.
"Kat?" I feel like I can't breathe.
"Katerina?" I don't respond, I can't. Valery is the only one with his skates on, so he jumps onto the ice and speed-skates over to me.
"Princess what's going on?"
"I feel like I can't breathe." He sits down and pulls me into his arms.
"You're okay love, you're okay, I'm right here beside you."
"What's happening to me?"
"I think you're having a panic attack princess."
"Oh." He rubs my back a couple of times until my breathing slows down and my heart stops beating so fast.
"You okay Katerina?"
"I think so, I don't even know what caused it."
"I think you're just being overwhelmed by your feelings, going through heartbreak is a big thing, and you're also bound to be stressed out about the olympics."
"I guess, can you help me back up please."
"Of course." He stands up, then gives me his hand. I take it, then he pulls me up, and steadies me on the ice.
"Do you want to keep skating? Or do you want to get off?"
"I'll keep skating, I need to practice."
"Okay, you're sure you're okay princess?"
"Yeah. Thank you."
"Stay safe." I nod and do a couple of laps around the rink to clear my head.
"That was so good Kat!" I hug my best friend and squeal.
"I have never been able to do a quad axle and land it."
"You're English is getting amazing."
"I know, figured I should get a bit better since we're moving soon."
"I'm excited to leave this sick country."
"Don't go around bad mouthing your country." She glares at me.
"Kat our country sucks and you know it."
"I guess, anyway, we need to go home and pack up smaller things." She nods as I start taking my skates off. Only two weeks until we leave Russia for good. Most people here are amazingly nice, but the government is so corrupt, and I don't want to live in a place like that. I wish I could move back to Greece, but there's just no skating opportunities there.
"Hey princess." I roll my eyes at Valery as I walk through the door to our apartment.
"Have you started packing Orlov?"
"Yep." I look up at him confused.
"You have?"
"Well- I said yes- you told me to start packing, and I did it."
"You never listen to what I say."
"You can be a very scary woman Katerina." I giggle and grab some juice out of the fridge.
"Do you want some?"
"Sure." I grab out two glasses and pour some into both, then hand him one. "This shit is good."
"It's just juice man."
"You poured it, meaning it's automatically amazing."
"Sometimes I really do wonder how you got into University."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Figure it out yourself thick head." I walk away after finishing my glass and putting it in the sink, but he just runs after me and grabs me by my waist and chucks me onto the couch.
"I can't believe you Kat."
"Huh?"
"You're such a meanie." I giggle and he sits beside me pouting. "You called me stupid."
"You said that because I poured the juice, that automatically made it amazing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds incredibly stupid to me."
"You are wrong, everything you touch becomes 26x better."
"26 times better?"
"I did the calculations."
"Of what?" He shrugs and pushes my shoulder playfully. "I really do wonder where this hell whole charming personality comes from."
"Oh so you think I'm charming?" He smirks at me.
"You wish Orlov."
"I do." I roll my eyes and stand up.
"Oh guess what I did today?"
"What did you do princess?"
"I finally landed a quad axle!" He jumps up and hugs me tight.
"I'm so proud of you love, you've been working on that for ages."
"I know, I'm so proud of me too!" He chuckles and puts his arm around my shoulder. "What are you doing Valery?"
"I'm just guiding you into your room."
"I'm very much so capable of doing that myself."
"But there's no fun in that, at least this way I get to spend more time with you."
"You're crazy Orlov." I take his arm off and storm into my room.
"Hey Kat?" I turn around and look at him.
"What?"
"You're so cute when you're angry." I purse my lips and walk over to him, then I pin him against the wall.
"How dare you Valery."
"What?"
"That is literally the thing that every douchebag creepy guy says to a girl."
"Oh. I'm so sorry Katerina, I didn't mean it." I roll my eyes and let go of his collar.
"Don't you dare say that to me again."
"I will never, you know I wouldn't do anything you hurt you princess."
"I doubt it. Goodnight Orlov."
"Goodnight love." I walk into my room and slam the door, then face plant onto my bed and scream into my pillow.
Fuck life.
_________
She's so real.
YOU ARE READING
Tough Ice
RomanceThe basis idea for this story is from @.3.talo on tik tok, I give full credit to them. This book is about a figure skater who's brother is on the hockey team at the same rink. His best friend, who also happens to be on the team, is deeply in love wi...
