Chapter 50
~Hudson~
“Tough break,” Ryder sympathizes when I join the other skaters in the common room backstage where they’re watching the rest of the competition on a large, wall-mounted TV.
Since he skated in an earlier group, he’s already back in jeans, a sweater, and his street shoes. “What happened with the quad?”
“Just lost the edge on the entry,” I explain with a shrug. “Nothing I could do to save it.”
That’s true, but it’s also not the whole story. It leaves out the flash of pastel pink that caused me to lose focus in the first place. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think someone was trying to throw me off. Why do I keep seeing that damn coat everywhere I look?
I can’t change it now, though. It happened, but I salvaged the rest of the program.
It’s not that bad.
Without bothering to take my skates off, I join Ryder on the sofa and watch the last two skaters. Keaton is electric, and there’s no question when he finishes that he won. It won’t even be close.
“Next time,” Ryder assures me, and I nod.
“For you too.”
Ryder finished eighth, nowhere near the top five he was hoping for. He’ll have to make some tough choices about his career going forward whereas I still get to go to Worlds.
It’s not that bad.
When you’ve been through worse, it’s easier to put things into perspective.
As everyone begins to disperse in preparation for the medal ceremony, I head to the changing room to touch base with Riley. Seeing her face in the crowd was just what I needed, and even though it’s not the ending I wanted, I can’t wait to celebrate with her tonight.
It only takes me a few seconds to find my phone in my bag, and as soon as I grab it, it rings. Unknown number, the display reads.
I shouldn’t answer it, I feel it in my gut, but I can’t turn off the part of my brain suggesting it might be Riley. Maybe she left her phone in the taxi. It might be her and I don’t want to ignore her if it is.
I answer the call.
“Hello?”
Again, silence greets me, and in the heavy stillness, my frustration rises.
“Who is this? What do you want?”
A deep inhale filters through the speaker, and a moment later, a woman speaks.
“You weren’t there.”
My stomach drops hard as my brain tries to make sense of this. It’s not Sophie. It can’t be.
“Who is this?” I repeat in a whisper.
“You know who it is.”
It’s not her, the rational part of my brain screams at me. It doesn’t even sound like her.
At least, I don’t think it does. It’s been so long since I heard her voice.
“I think you have the wrong number.”
I pull the phone from my ear, but before I can hang up, she speaks again. The sound is more distant, but I can still make out every word. “You let me down, Hudson, and you’ll do the same to her.”
The call ends as ice floods my veins. I sit there, frozen, phone still in my hand, until Rick appears in the doorway.
“Hudson? They’ve been calling you. You need to go get your medal.”
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts but it’s no use. A fog hangs heavy over my mind, and I feel like I’m watching myself from a distance as I get shakily to my feet and follow my coach back to the ice.
I don’t remember any of the medal ceremony or anything that comes afterwards. I’m not even sure how I get back to the hotel. Crashing onto my bed in my hotel room, my mind finally gives way to blissful darkness as I fall into a deep sleep.