Where The Ice Gives Way Chapter 149

**Charlotte**

I step inside the rink with my skates tucked against my chest and Blake’s hand resting lightly at my back. Most of the skating team is already on the ice at the far end, and music plays through the speakers. I watch as one of the girls glides backward with her arms out, laughing when another girl cuts past her too close. Jessica and Annabelle follow us in, both of them looking just as excited as I feel. I follow Blake and Charlie to a bench near the boards, where I sit and look down at the skates in my hands. They’re newer than mine. The leather is clean, and the blades are polished. I let my fingers move over the laces, as Shanti tells me about the time when Blake surprised us with them. I smile at the thought of it.

Blake crouches in front of me. “Still want to?”

I look at him, rolling my eyes and smiling. I can see the worry sitting behind his eyes, but I think he needs to see me do this, to know that I’m fine.

“Of course I want to.”

He takes one skate from my hands and helps me slip it on. His fingers work the laces with more focus than anyone should need for a shoe, pulling them firm but not too tight.

“You’ve done this before,” I say.

His mouth lifts. “Hockey player, remember?”

I laugh. “I meant for me.”

His smile softens as he takes the other skate, securing it just like the first. “Yes. I’ve done this before.”

Blake steps onto the ice first, then turns back to me with both hands out. “Come on, pretty girl. Let’s see how much you remember.”

I smirk and step out, putting my hands in his and letting him pull me further. He skates backward slowly, holding my hands while I push forward.

“Easy,” he says. “No rush.”

“I know.”

“You say that, but your face says you want to take off.”

I bite my lip, and his eyes drop to my mouth, and his focus slips for half a second. His skate catches, and he wobbles before he corrects himself. My mouth falls open in a laugh.

“Did you just nearly fall?”

“No.” He says far too quickly.

“You did.”

“You distracted me.” He winks.

I laugh so hard I almost wobble myself, and he pulls me gently closer, grinning now, his hands warm around mine.

We skate a slow circle around the middle of the rink together, and I feel myself letting go. I push off a little harder, letting go of one of his hands. I glide out from him, then curve back around. I lift my arms and cross one foot over the other. Blake watches me, standing in the centre of my circle, turning slowly as I skate around him.

“You’re staring,” I call.

“I’m enjoying the view.” He says, crossing his arms. Heat rushes into my face as I circle him again, moving a little closer this time. I let my hand brush his sleeve as I pass, and he reaches for me, but I dodge him. His brows lift. “Oh, is that how we’re playing?”

“I don’t know,” I say, smiling. “Can you keep up?”

Blake pushes off after me, and I giggle at the chase. He is fast, but as he comes at me, I turn out of his path with a laugh, gliding backward for a few seconds before switching direction again. His eyes widen.

“Show-off.”

“You’re meant to be the captain, right?” I tease as I watch him skate after me again.

“Yeah, of hockey, not whatever witchcraft you’re doing with your feet.”

I laugh again, and the song playing through the speakers changes to something softer. I watch one of the girls spin at the other end, and I slow down. Blake slows with me.

“You okay?”

I nod, eyes on the ice in front of me. “I want to try something.”

His eyes narrow, but I push away and glide out, arms lifting for balance. Then I curve around him, pull one foot in, and let myself spin.

“YES, CHARLOTTE!”

I laugh, my cheeks feel hot, and my heart is racing.

I skate back to Bake slowly, stopping in front of him.

“Your turn,” I grin.

His eyes go wide. “My turn for what?”

“A spin.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely not.”

I tilt my head. “Big scary captain can’t spin?”

His eyes narrow, and I laugh, knowing he can’t turn down a challenge.

I turn to Charlie when he starts slapping the boards. “Do it, coward!”

Blake points at Charlie. “You’re walking home.” Then he looks back at me and sighs like I have asked him to duel a bear. “Fine.”

He attempts the smallest, stiffest turn I have ever seen in my life. It is less a spin and more a controlled disagreement with physics. He gets halfway around, overcorrects, arms shooting out, and grabs my waist to steady himself. I burst out laughing. He pulls me closer, offended and smiling. “How was that? Pretty good, right?”

“That was terrible.”

He grins, and then he does something he clearly knows how to do. He pushes backward hard, pulling me with him, then turns us both in a smooth little arc that sends my stomach floating. I gasp, grabbing his shoulders. He laughs. “See? I have skills.”

“Hockey skills.”

“They count.”

The music swells around us, and for a few minutes, it feels like the rink belongs to us, too. Blake holds one of my hands and lets me move around him, lets me guide him through little turns and slow curves. I laugh when he gets them wrong and kiss his cheek when he gets one right. I finally feel him start to relax with me, no longer treating me like I might break any second.

I let go of his hand and skate ahead a few metres, then turn back toward him. He is watching me with that look that makes Shanti purr and my chest feel too full.

“What?” I ask, smiling.

He skates toward me, rounding me and leaning over my shoulder. I can feel breath brushing my cheek. “You look like yourself out here.”

I don’t know what to say to that. So I take his hand and use it to spin myself until I’m facing him. His eyes soften as I wrap my arms around his neck, and he bends enough for me to kiss his lips softly. Then Jessica cheers from the boards, beautifully ruining the moment. I laugh into Blake’s chest while he groans, and the sound of it carries across the rink with the music and the scrape of blades. Finally, I don’t feel like I’m chasing a life I lost. I feel like I’m skating toward one.