Chapter 25
~Hudson~
I’ve never really been jealous before and I don’t fucking like it.
My focus should be on the program ahead of me, but as I circle the ice at the end of the warm-up, I can’t stop myself from glancing back at Trevor getting ready to take his starting position and hoping he falls flat on his ass.
“No, that’s bad karma,” I mutter as I pace along the hallway that leads between the change rooms and the ice. I’m skating third, and since the short programs are only two and a half minutes long, I need to keep my muscles warm. “Don’t waste your energy on him. He’s not your problem.”
Nobody points out that I’m talking to myself. Skaters have all kinds of backstage rituals and arguing out loud with no one in particular is pretty tame compared to some of the other stuff I’ve seen.
The applause of the crowd at the end of his program vibrates through the stands above me, letting me know he’s finished.
The next skater takes the ice and Trevor brushes past me on his way to the locker room, his shoulder bumping into mine even though there’s plenty of room for both of us in the hall.
Seems like I’m not the only one feeling a little more than the usual competition between us, and it makes me happier than it probably should that he’s picked up on the vibe between me and Riley.
I know it’s there, no matter how much she tries to say we’re just friends, and the fact that Trevor recognizes it too helps to lighten my mood as I head out to the ice for my program when the next skater finishes.
The crowd gives me a raucous cheer that I acknowledge with a wave as I circle the ice, waiting for the previous skater’s marks to come up.
I spotted the Riverbend group during the warmup, so I zero in on them again.
Riley’s watching me but she’s not smiling or cheering like she did in Helsinki.
There, I held up my four fingers to let her know I’d be doing the quad, so today, when I catch her eye, I hold up three fingers at her and shrug, sending her a silent question across the distance between us.
Will she still cheer for me when I’m competing against her ‘boyfriend’?
For the first time since we got to Calgary, a smile breaks across her face. She shakes her head and holds up four fingers instead.
I get the message loud and clear: Go for the quad. You can do it.
That’s all I needed to know.
The lingering jealousy disappears completely, replaced by purpose and determination. I’m going to skate the hell out of this program, simply because she wants me to.
And I fucking do.
Every jump, every spin, every single edge is bang-on. The energy of the crowd as they roar in appreciation of each element lifts me up on a wave of adrenaline, and I know, even though I’m skating too fast to pick her out of the crowd, that Riley’s cheering too.
The swell of noise when I finish my final spin temporarily deafens me.
People stand and cheer and wave and stomp, their energy feeding mine, and I just grin up at all of them like an idiot until the announcer says my name again and I remember I’m supposed to take a bow and get off the ice for the next skater.
Adrenaline still rushes so strongly through my veins when I get off the ice that I pick Rick up and spin him around, to the delight of the crowd. My coach pounds on my shoulders, telling me to put him down, but he’s laughing just as much as I am. We both know just how good that program was.
The judges, however, don’t quite agree. The crowd boos when the technical marks come up, showing a deduction on one of my elements.
I shrug at the TV camera trained on me, not letting it get me down.
We’ll need to review the full scores afterwards and see what led to that deduction, but my performance scores are still good.
It’s not quite as good as the marks I got in Finland but it’s close, and with three skaters left to go, I’m currently in first place.
Take that, Trevor.
Okay, maybe I’m still a little jealous.
With the crowd’s applause still ringing in my ears, I head towards the changing room to take my skates off, but just before I get there, Trevor charges out of the door.
With his phone held up to his ear, he doesn’t glance in my direction as he heads further down the hall, away from me, and ducks into the nearest open room.
I could swear I hear him say Riley’s name just before he disappears from view.
It’s none of my business, but that doesn’t stop me from walking straight past the locker room and stopping outside the door that Trevor went through, leaning back against the wall as casually as possible.
If anyone else happens to walk by, I can say I’m just catching my breath.
Meanwhile, I strain to hear Trevor’s side of the conversation inside the room.
“She doesn’t want to move back,” are the first words I hear, and I’m sure he’s still talking about Riley. “No, she says it’s better for her skating, and honestly, I think she’s right.”
There’s a pause while he listens to the response before speaking again.
“I don’t want to move to Edmonton. It’s freezing up here!”
I nod in agreement, though no one can see me. Winter in Alberta is cold; can’t argue with that.
“I know long distance isn’t ideal but at least it’s something. At least she’s giving me a chance.”
It’s starting to sound like he’s just talking to a friend about his relationship, and a twinge of guilt breaks through my curiosity. Maybe I shouldn’t be eavesdropping after all.
Just when I make up my mind to leave, though, his next words stop me in my tracks.
“She hasn’t said anything about the fees. It all goes through her mom, so I’m not sure she even remembers.”
Wait, what? What fees? What is he talking about?
“Yeah. I don’t think I can ask for anything now, but she’ll be at US nationals. We’ll have more time together there, and I can lay the groundwork in the meantime. Yeah, by Worlds for sure. I mean, she probably won’t make the team, but she can come as my guest.”
None of this sounds good, but it’s the way he dismisses her chances of making it to the World championships that really annoys me. How dare he write her off like that? Did he even watch her skate in Helsinki?
“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
His voice gets louder as he moves closer to the door, and I take off at a sprint to get into the locker room before he appears, nearly wiping out as my skate guards slip against the concrete floor.
Luckily, no one’s around to see me make a fool of myself, and I don’t think Trevor saw me either since he doesn’t return to the locker room to confront me.
Honestly, I have no idea what I just overheard, but it didn’t sound like a guy who was overjoyed that the woman he loved forgave him. It sounded transactional and cold, and somehow, I’m going to have to warn Riley about it without it sounding like I’m just bitter that she chose him over me.