Chapter 26 Collin
COLLIN
Music fills the arena as Iris glides across the ice toward me, her movements fluid and graceful.
Her eyes lock with mine, that small smile playing at the corners of her mouth—the one that still makes my stomach flip even after these past few days together.
New Year’s Eve changed everything between us, and now, with our final performance just days away and us tied with Sasha and Derek for first place—Logan and Sophia trailing not so far behind—we've run through this routine a dozen times today. Each run more seamless than the last.
She reaches me, and I catch her waist, lifting her in a smooth arc that has become second nature.
Her body is light and familiar in my hands, responding to the slightest pressure as we move as one across the ice.
When I set her down, our blades slice in perfect synchronization, a sound that satisfies something deep in my chest.
“Beautiful extension, Iris!” Diane calls from the edge of the rink, clapping her hands together.
“And Collin, that lift was flawless. You two are skating like you’ve been partners for years, not months!
” I catch Iris’s eye and wink. If only Diane knew how much practice we’ve been getting off the ice.
The thought must show on my face because Iris’s cheeks tinge red, shaking her head as we launch into our side-by-side step sequence.
“The chemistry between you two is undeniable,” Diane continues, checking something off on her clipboard.
“The judges are going to eat this up, and the audience is already obsessed with you both. I’ve never seen the online forums this excited about a pair before.
” From the bleachers, I hear Jamie’s high-pitched cheer as we nail the complicated footwork.
“Go Mama! Go Collin! That was so cool!” Iris laughs, the sound clear and genuine.
That laugh does something to me every time I hear it—makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something significant.
I’ve spent most of my adult life on the ice, but nothing has ever felt quite as natural as skating with her.
As the music builds to its final crescendo, we move into our combination spin.
Iris’s hand finds mine, our fingers interlocking as we rotate together, faster and faster until the world blurs around us.
When we strike our final pose, chest to chest and nose to nose, both of us breathing hard, there’s a beat of perfect silence before Jamie erupts into enthusiastic applause, his little feet stomping on the metal bleachers.
For a dangerous second, I almost lean in those last few centimeters to kiss her.
The urge is overwhelming—her eyes are right there, sparkling with exhilaration, her breath warm against my face.
But I catch myself just in time, remembering where we are.
As far as everyone except a handful of people know, we’re just skating partners with good chemistry, not.
.. whatever we’ve become since New Year’s Eve.
I hadn’t told anyone except my mom (who nearly deafened me with her excited shrieking over the phone), and I wasn’t sure if Iris had mentioned it to anyone beyond Ellie and Amanda.
Marcus and the PR team definitely didn’t know, and the thought of them finding out before we’re ready sends a jolt of anxiety through me.
The headlines practically write themselves: “Skating Partners’ Romance: Publicity Stunt or Real Deal?
” I’d promised Iris we’d take things at her pace, and the last thing she needs is that kind of spotlight on her personal life.
And then there’s Marcus’s threat still hanging over my head.
Keep it professional, he’d warned me months ago, or lose your spot on the team.
The sponsors and PR department could easily decide that this relationship is a tabloid nightmare waiting to happen.
But Iris isn’t some scandal to me—she’s the real deal, the most real thing that’s ever happened to me.
The thought of losing everything I’ve worked so damn hard for, including her, just when I’ve finally gotten to this moment. .. it’s enough to make my stomach knot.
I step back slightly, breaking our pose while maintaining my smile. I can overthink this later. Right now, we have more important things to focus on, like nailing this routine for Friday.
“That’s it!” Diane says, nodding with approval. “That’s the performance that could win this whole thing.” Iris’s eyes meet mine, a slight flush on her cheeks that might be from exertion or something else entirely.
“That felt...”
“Good,” I finish, careful to maintain a professional distance between us.
We haven’t been affectionate at all in front of others since New Year’s Eve—even that morning, I’d gotten out of bed before Jamie woke up and kept everything completely PG around him.
I spent half the morning fighting the constant urge to wrap my arms around her waist from behind and kiss that spot where her neck meets her shoulder.
Instead, I made Jamie pancakes while discussing the finer points of T-Rex anatomy and sneaking glances at Iris that I hoped weren’t as obvious as they felt.
Iris had explained her concerns about Jamie accidentally mentioning something to Owen before she was ready for that particular train wreck.
Owen would use it against me somehow, she’d whispered the night before, her head on my chest. And more importantly, I want to explain things to Jamie properly.
He’s been through so much change already. I couldn’t argue with that logic.
So instead of the touch I crave, I give her a professional nod as we skate toward the exit where Diane is already making notes on her clipboard.
Just two skating partners who work well together.
Nothing to see here, folks. Jamie hurries down from the bleachers, stumbling over the rubber mats as he makes his way to us, a piece of paper clutched tightly in his hand.
“Whoa, buddy, watch your step,” I call out as he reaches us, giving Iris a quick hug around the legs.
“That was so cool! You guys are gonna win for sure!” His enthusiasm is contagious, and I can’t help but ruffle his hair as Iris kneels down to his level.
“You think so?” she asks, smoothing down a wild strand of his hair. He nods emphatically with all the confidence of a four-year-old. Then he turns to me, suddenly shy, the paper crumpling slightly in his grip.
“I made something for you, Collin.”
“You did?” I crouch down beside him, my heart doing that weird squeezing thing it always does when Jamie singles me out for attention.
It’s amazing how quickly this kid has worked his way into my heart.
Not that it took much effort on his part.
I’d liked Jamie instantly that night I took them out for ice cream.
He nods solemnly before carefully unfolding the slightly wrinkled piece of paper.
“It’s us,” he explains as he hands it to me.
The drawing is done in colorful markers, with three stick figures standing in front of what I assume is a house.
The tallest figure has what appears to be a hockey stick in hand and is labeled COLLIN in wobbly letters.
The middle-sized figure with squiggly brown lines for hair is MAMA, and the smallest figure is ME.
Between me and Jamie is a black blob with four legs that I’m guessing is Ace.
Above us all is a bright yellow sun with a smiley face.
“This is...” I swallow hard, fighting the sudden tightness in my throat. “This is really great, buddy. I love it.”
“It’s the three of us,” Jamie explains, pointing at each figure.
“You, me, and Mama. And Ace too. See? That’s our house, and there’s Ace, and that’s you because you’re with us all the time now.
” I glance up at Iris, who’s watching us with soft eyes, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.
If there was ever a time to have the “what are we?” conversation it was now.
We might have been trying to be careful, but Jamie had definitely noticed how much time I’ve been spending at their house since New Year’s.
The casual way he’s included me in his family portrait hits me like a sack of bricks.
“This is going right on my fridge,” I tell him, carefully folding the drawing and tucking it into my jacket pocket. “Best present ever.” He beams at me, then turns to Diane who’s hovering nearby.
“Did you see how high Collin lifted my mom? It was so cool!” As Jamie launches into an enthusiastic play-by-play for Diane, Iris steps closer to me, her hand finding mine again.
“You okay?” she asks quietly.
“More than okay,” I manage, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Just... didn’t expect that.” Her smile is understanding.
“He adores you.” I nod, not trusting myself to speak.
The truth is, I adore him right back. Both of them.
More than I’ve ever allowed myself to care about anyone.
The realization isn’t new, but Jamie’s innocent drawing has made it impossible to ignore.
And it terrifies me. This feels like wandering into dad territory, something I never thought I’d do.
Not that I didn’t know what I was signing up for with Iris—I knew Jamie was part of the package from day one, and I’ve never been anything but grateful for that.
But there’s a difference between being the fun guy who teaches hockey moves and the man in a “family” drawing.