Chapter 45 Matilda
Luca tightened the bow on my skates one final time.
On his knees in front of me, he paused, his palms resting in the delicate crease behind my knees.
I glanced down just as he smiled—one of those rare smiles that knocked me off balance.
My hand found the side of his face, caressing it affectionately, and he stood, towering over me.
“The win is ours, sweetheart,” he said, pressing his hand to my lower back, guiding me to where we waited until our names were called.
We skated to the center of the rink, our movements smooth and assured. Facing the audience, we opened our arms wide in a gesture like a goodbye. We twisted gracefully, sitting on the ice in our starting position, hearts beating in sync. As we waited for our music to start, everything felt right.
The melodic beats filled the studio, and the crowd’s cheers swelled.
This is it.
We began, moving in perfect harmony.
Luca lifted me effortlessly. The studio lights illuminated his face, and I smiled, feeling joyful and confident. As he lowered me, our bodies pressed together like puzzle pieces.
I rolled smoothly, and he stood, guiding me up into the next combination. He mirrored my moves with sharp, controlled strokes. My skirt fluttered with each turn, the crystals on my dress catching the light like stars. His eyes locked on me, filled with admiration and something deeper.
We lost ourselves in the performance, the world fading into a sparkling expanse of white.
As the final crescendo approached, our spins synchronized, creating a display of grace and unity.
Luca’s blades whispered against the ice as I trailed behind him, matching his rhythm, feeling the crisp air brush against my cheeks with every turn and jump.
He veered toward the center, and I mirrored his trajectory.
Our skates traced a delicate arc as we glided into our final position.
Luca skidded to a halt seconds before me.
I stopped just after him, sending up a spray of ice shards before twisting into a free fall.
He caught me, dipping me into a dramatic lovers’ embrace.
The world paused, our breaths mingled, and our eyes met, sparkling with joy.
And, just as they did the first time, our lips connected.
The crowd erupted in claps and cheers.
Luca pressed his forehead against mine as we took deep breaths.
“We did it, Stevens.”
Once we’d made it off the ice, we headed to our seats in the live lounge for interviews. We were the last to perform, so now the audience and viewers had thirty minutes to cast their votes.
The hosts had reeled off their standard finalists’ questions, asking us about how we felt to have made it to the final, our plans after the show, and whatnot.
Luca and I answered noncommittally, skirting around the fact that I wanted to quit the show and he was no longer auditioning for Dirty Dancing.
“So.” The host turned, speaking directly to the camera. “After weeks of training, weeks of fierce competition, and over a million votes tonight, three couples remain.” She turned to us. “If the finalists could take to the ice. We will join you down there for the results after a short break.”
Our fingers were still intertwined as we stepped onto the ice.
The rink was alive with the energy of the crowd and other finalists.
We glided toward the colossal trophy shimmering in the center, the hum of the audience fading, leaving only the sound of our synchronized movements and the pounding of our hearts.
We took our places to the left of the trophy.
The host followed, transported across the ice on a buggy.
The cameras zoomed in, their red lights blinking to life. The show’s theme music rang through the rink, signaling the start of the next segment.
“Welcome back to the final of Stars on Ice.” The crowd cheered and I couldn’t hide my smile when Luca’s hand squeezed mine.
“You have voted for your champions, and we are about to be given that result,” the host declared dramatically, her voice echoing through the rink as she addressed the camera.
“Third place in season ten of Stars on Ice goes to…Sophia Arnold and Noah Fitzgerald.”
The crowd cheered and clapped as they were given their medals. Noah and Sophia hugged each other, their faces lit up with joy, then turned to the camera, blowing kisses to the audience. That left us and Asha and Alice standing on either side of the trophy.
“And the winners of season ten of Stars on Ice are…”
You could have heard a pin drop.
“Luca Vasvault and Matilda Stevens!”
Cannons of confetti exploded overhead, gold streamers cascading down like shimmering rain.
My heart soared and my feet were swept off the ground as Luca pulled me into his arms. He squeezed me so tight, with so much love, that I felt like I could burst.
Luca’s laughter rang in my ears as tears of joy rolled down my cheeks.
We’ve done it—we’ve actually won.
He placed me on my feet again but wasted no time cradling my face in his hands. He pressed his lips to mine and undiluted joy swept through every inch of my body. We stayed like that for a few seconds before pulling away.
As my gaze held Luca’s shimmering eyes, the crowd’s cheers still roaring around us, I knew in that moment I’d never been prouder of us—but also, never prouder of myself.
We’d won with the performance we’d wanted to do, not the skate my mother had wanted us to do.
We’d won because it was important to us—and no one else.