Chapter 27 Isla
Isla
Aknock on the door sounds a few minutes after Wes leaves the room, and my stomach sinks.
The man I disappointed today, after he wagered his career on me, stands on the other side. I hustle to my suitcase, throw on a pair of leggings and a zip-up sweatshirt, and then open the door to my fate.
“Hi,” I say, stepping aside so he can walk into the room.
“Hey, Isla,” Spencer answers as if it’s any other day, not one where I caused him to bleed in competition.
He’s got a line of stitches across his forehead, angry red and blue skin sealed together with black thread.
With the amount of blood that poured onto the ice, I expected it to be worse.
I’m relieved that I didn’t cause more damage, but guilt still crashes over me.
I clamp my teeth down on my bottom lip, fighting to keep in the tears. Spencer doesn’t hesitate, taking purposeful steps toward me until I’m in his arms. I begin to cry, big fat drops splashing down my face.
“I’m so sorry,” I say against his shoulder as he pats my back.
“I’m okay,” he whispers. He lets me cry against him for a few minutes. “We’re fine, Isla.”
“You know how bad that could’ve been. I shouldn’t have tensed, or pushed you away. I should’ve followed our training. I don’t know what happened.”
“My skate blade loosened and I wobbled, and you didn’t trust that I had you.” He plucks the words from my mind, the ones I’m too ashamed to admit to him. Spencer ignored my reputation and baggage to give me a shot, and I couldn’t trust him when he needed it most.
“I get it. The wobble spooked me, too. But I had you, Isla,” he says, gaze fixed on me. “It’s my job to protect you if something goes wrong, and I always will.”
I swallow hard. “It wasn’t always that way with my last partner. I…broke my wrist once, came close to hitting my head a couple of times. I never felt sure I’d be okay if something went wrong, and seeing him before we competed, it rattled me.”
I take a shallow breath, readying myself to walk away from this partnership, to do what’s best for Spence. “That’s why I think we should stop skating together. I don’t want to hurt you or ruin our friendship. And I can’t risk my relationship with Wes.”
Spencer grins. “You finally told him, huh?”
I give him a withering stare.
“Right,” he says, with a nod, his smile fading into seriousness. “Not the time.”
“I love you both too much to risk you because I’m a mess. I know this puts you in a bad spot, Spence, but—”
“Stop assuming the worst of us,” he cuts in. “I’m not your last partner.”
I fiddle with the cuff of my sleeve. “You say that, but—”
“You’re family, Isla,” Wes says, from the doorway, his hands full of bags.
I didn’t hear him come in, and have no idea what he heard of our conversation.
“We show up for each other no matter what. You’re going to screw up again.
Spence and I will, too. But it doesn’t mean we cut and run or hold it against each other either.
I know you haven’t had that experience before, and it might take some getting used to. But I’m not going anywhere.”
Spencer nods definitively. “I’m not, either.
I want to keep skating with you. We were magic for ninety percent of that routine.
We’ve only been partnered for three months, and that’s how good we are.
It’s all part of growing pains. I’m willing to put in the work on the ice, off the ice, with a sports psychologist, whatever we need to make this work. ”
“How can you mean that?” I whisper.
“Because I love you, too, and I believe in us. Besides, I think my brother might kick my ass if I screw up whatever y’all have going on.
” Spencer tosses me a cheeky smile. “That was a joke.” His gaze darts over to Wes, who looks up from his organization of the food with his neutral expression, a normal person’s grumpy one. “Or not?”
I can’t help but laugh, watery and shaky, but some of the tension bleeds from me.
“I want to keep skating with you, too. I’ll work my ass off.”
“I know,” Spencer replies. “That’s what you’ve been doing all summer, outside of those post-workout extracurriculars, of course.”
“Watch it,” Wes growls, tossing a pillow at Spencer’s shoulder.
Spence puts his hands up in a gesture of innocence. “For the record, I’m happy for you two. It’s been a long time coming.”
He doesn’t even know the half of it.
Spencer holds out a hand to me, and I accept it, squeezing it tightly. “Whatever it takes.”
“Whatever it takes,” I echo.
We both look to Wes, waiting for him to join our pile of hands. He shakes his head. “Yeah, I’m not doing that.”
Spence and I dissolve into laughter, falling against each other as it ebbs out.
“Okay, now that we’ve got that settled,” Spencer says, pulling out of the hug. “Can we eat our Shake Shack and talk about tomorrow’s long program?”
“Yes, please, I’m starving.” I take a step toward the enticing smell of fries.
“We’re still missing—” Wes says, but he cuts off at the knock at the door.
He answers it and comes back with Brooks and Thea by his side. Thea rushes toward me, catching me off guard as she wraps herself around my middle.
“You’re okay,” she says, relief coating her voice. “That was scary.”
“Not half as scary as it’s going to be when I’m watching you play hockey.”
Thea pulls back. “You’ll watch?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
Thea walks over to the table where Wes has laid out our dinner.
Brooks pulls me into a side hug. “You okay, I?”
“Yeah.” For the first time in as long as I can remember, I mean it with my entire heart. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I’ve always got your back, remember?”
I lean into him. “Same goes for me.”
“I know.”
We all take our seats at the table and choose food from the center.
If I wasn’t already in love with Wes, this gesture—getting us all here to eat dinner, and Shake Shack, no less—would’ve sealed the deal.
I wished for a family like this my entire life, for moments like this, full of heart, love, and laughter.
For people who had my back in the dark times and who showed up to celebrate the happiest ones.
Wes snags my hand underneath the table, threading our fingers together.
My breath catches when our eyes meet. I’m not sure if that will ever change.
Not only because he’s the hottest man I’ve ever laid eyes on, but because I’m still pinching myself that he’s by my side.
That the boy I thought I’d never see again gets to be my forever.
I don’t believe in destiny, but I can’t ignore the serendipity that brought me here, beside the family I’ve chosen. All the stars that needed to align to bring me into Wes Davidson’s life.
I lean over and whisper into his ear, “I can’t get over that you’re mine.”
He kisses my cheek. “I’m pinching myself, too.”
Spencer makes a gagging sound. “Some of us are trying to eat.”
“Are they always like this?” Brooks asks, chuckling.
“Sometimes, they make each other mad,” Thea comments before popping a fry into her mouth. “Depends on the day.”
I roll my eyes. “You know you’re tempting us to make it worse for you.”
“Don’t bring me into this, Red,” Wes says. “I’ve been the butt of these jokes for years. You learn to roll with it. And now I don’t have to deal with it alone.”
Brooks, Spencer, and Thea all groan at the cheesy sentiment.
I give him a wide smile. “No, you don’t.”
A calm settles over me, thinking about my future. Spence and I redeeming ourselves on the ice. Supporting Thea in the way she deserves. Being there to witness my brother taking on the role of coach. Building a life with the man I’m hopelessly in love with.
I couldn’t ask for more.