Kiss My Ice

2|2

22.

Fresh white powder followed behind me as I skated freely around the freshly smoothed ice, enjoying the early morning stillness. It was 4:00 AM. The rink was technically closed, but with some persuading, I had convinced Mark to let me come in an hour before opening to enjoy some much-needed private ice.

After Aiden had confronted me at my own house yesterday morning, I was in dire need of a nice skate to clear my head. I tried going for a six-mile run as a form of therapy but no matter how long I ran or how hard I pushed myself, I couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I knew that things between Aiden and I were going to be vastly different form here on out. Too much had happened between us now for things not to change. At least on my end, I couldn't help the unwanted feelings that swirled inside of me. I was actually starting to like Aiden.

I swung my right arm forward out in front of me while swinging my left arm behind, glided smoothly in a backward skate. My arms scissored, putting my left arm now out front. I glanced back over my shoulder and drew my right leg backward. As my left foot came back by my right foot, I stuck my toe pick into the ice. My body propelled up into the arm, I kept my arms tucked against my chest as I complete two and a half rotations before my skates hit back to the ice.

It felt damn good to land a double axel.

Recently my skating had, for lack of a better word, sucked. I just wasn't focusing solely on my skating like I used to. My practices had never been worse. I'd fallen out of the majority of my jumps, and I fell out of the simplest of spins. It was as though I was some newbie skater.

In my defense, everything at the rink had been flipped upside down with the announcement of the new rink sponsor. All of the changes that Lance had made instantly were enough to knock any skater's game. And that was without factoring into the punishment with Aiden for fighting against rink policy. It really was no surprise that I couldn't focus.

My whole life had become a giant mess.

"Hey there stranger."

I jumped at the sound of a voice echoing across the open ice. The rink wasn't open yet. No one was supposed to be here.

I skated around in a half circle to see Chris standing by the opening to the ice, a smile on his face and a hockey stick in his hand. What was he doing here so early?

"What are you doing here?" I pushed myself into a skate over in his direction, attempting to hide the disappointment I felt that someone had interrupted my alone time.

"Nice to see you too, Zo."

I skirted to a stop in front of him. A sheepish smile formed on my lips as I looked down to my skates. "Sorry, I was just enjoying the empty ice."

"Sorry to interrupt," he chuckled softly.

"I didn't think anyone else would be here so early," I admitted.

Chris laughed at that. I looked up at him with a frown. "Considering that practice starts in fifteen minutes, I would be concerned if no one was here."

My eyes widened in horror. Time must have slipped away from me. "Have I really been out here that long already? It feels like I just got out here."

"Where the hell have you been Lodge?!" Brendon, a voice I recognized instantly, yelled from the top of the stairs. I looked up at him, dread crept inside seeing Brett and some other guys following closely behind him.