The bus stops at the hotel where we check in and drop our overnight bags.
“Home sweet home,” Adam says, tossing his duffel on the floor.
The adjoining door between our room and Heath and Mav’s opens.
“Hey, neighbors,” Mav says.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and it’s the first time in as long as I can remember, that I rush to answer it. Sienna. “Oh, thank fuck,” I say before I accept the call. “Hey, angel.”
“I’ll go…” Adam tips his head toward the other room.
I hit the video button. I need to see her.
“I’m a mess,” she says when her face fills the screen. She isn’t. Her green eyes are highlighted with more makeup than usual. Dark lashes and a fuck-hot red mouth.
“I haven’t changed yet. I was too tired.”
“You look beautiful. How’d your long program go?”
“Good. Really good. My best score of the season. It moved me into second, but there are still two more senior skaters.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. Congrats. What are you doing now?”
“Hanging in the hallway trying to rest. Josie’s with me. She’s going to get us food across the street.” She tilts the screen and her friend waves.
“Hey, Josie.”
“Turkey, no cheese, light mayo?” she asks Sienna.
“And chips. Oooh, and a cookie.”
I can no longer see Josie, but I hear her laugh. “All right. Back in a few.”
When she leaves, Sienna brings the phone closer to her face.
“You could go with her and call me later. I know it’s crazy there. Here too. We just got to the hotel. The bus is leaving for the arena in thirty minutes.”
“No, I offered to go with her. She wanted to be alone. She’s pissed at herself for falling on a jump today.”
“That sucks.”
She hums. “It happens. I hope we’re back to Valley before your game starts. Signal on the way here was crappy.”
“Oh, that reminds me, Dakota wanted me to invite you to their apartment to watch with them. If you’re back in time.”
“That was nice.” She stretches her slim neck. “I’m probably going to crash as soon as the game is over though. Better to be in my bed when that happens.”
“Are you okay?” The niggling worry is back.
“Yeah, I’m just tired. I never sleep well in hotels. I can’t wait to crash in my own bed.”
“I can sleep anywhere.”
She smiles. “Oh, I’ve heard.”
A chuckle shakes my chest. Two minutes ago I wouldn’t have thought I was capable of laughing. All day I’ve been worrying about her, but here I am smiling and feeling calmer. That’s just what it’s like with Sienna. She makes bad days better. She makes everything better.
20
Sienna
I take Rhett with me to the locker room so I can grab my bag. It looks like we’re going to take third overall and I am going to take second in the senior division. Not a bad way to hang up my skates. Metaphorically, of course. We still have the Valley Classic, but it’s more of a showcase with just one other university. This is the last competitive show of the season and I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished.
“Did you watch it?” I ask. I sent him a video that Josie took of my short program yesterday.
“About a hundred times,” he says, lighting up my insides. “Did someone take video for me today?”
“Yes. I’ll send it to you.”
He grins so big like I’m sending him nudes. His gaze drops. “Can’t wait. Green today, huh? I like it.”
“Oh, thanks.” It’s an emerald green that Josie says makes my eyes pop. I step in front of the large mirror in the locker room and turn my camera to show him the full outfit—sans skates.
“I like it a lot. Wish I could have been there to see you skate.”
“You see me skate all the time.”
“Yeah, but this is different.” He sits on the bed and leans against the headboard. “Hey, I have a question for you.”
“Shoot,” I say, flipping the camera back around, then grabbing my stuff and heading back upstairs.
“How come you never told me about your accident last year?”
I still even before I’ve processed the words.
Rhett continues, “When we were looking for your competition online yesterday, Mav found some old videos from last year.”
“I told you about my heart condition,” I say defensively.
“Yeah, but I didn’t realize it was like that. Besides, knowing it and seeing it happen…” He tilts his head and gives me a tight smile. “I can’t stop seeing it.”
I steel my expression and feel myself withdrawing from him. He isn’t the first guy to get freaked out and decide it’s more than they can handle. I was dating Mike, the more recent of my two boyfriends, when I fainted on the ice. He was great while I recovered and then peaced out as soon as I was feeling better. It’s hard to blame him. Who wants to date the chick who could drop dead at any minute?
“Why didn’t you tell me more?” he asks.
“Because.” I wave a hand in front of the screen. “This happens. I’m fine. I have a heart condition and sometimes it stops me. Literally stops me. I didn’t want to scare you off with details that aren’t important.”
“It’s pretty important.”
“I get it. It’s a lot to deal with and you already have enough on your plate.” My eyes burn with tears that I will absolutely not cry. Not now. “You should go and get ready for your game. No need to worry about me.”
“Trying to shoo me away, angel?”
“I’m letting you off the hook. I promise I won’t even bad-mouth you to my friends. Not much anyway.”
“Back up about twenty steps, angel. I’m not ending this.”
“You’re not? But you’re freaked out?” I can see it all over his face even if he hadn’t said it. I didn’t put it together yesterday when he was acting strange, but now it all makes sense.
“Yeah, of course I’m freaked out. I don’t feel like I know anything about your heart condition and I was caught off guard. I want to know those kinds of things. I’m tough. I can handle it.” He flashes a sheepish smile.
“What do you want to know?”
“Do you have to get cleared by the doctor every time you skate? Was he there today?”
“No. He’s in Valley. I just see him the week before a competition.”
“Has he ever not cleared you?”
“I had to take some time off last fall.”
He nods and looks to me thoughtfully. “You are inspiring, angel.”
“Inspiring?”
“Yeah, that’s the one thing I’ve said today that I’m standing by. The rest is probably garbage and I’m sorry if I said it all wrong. I like you and I’m not going anywhere. Did I already say that?”
“You did.”
“Good. Don’t forget it.” He glances up and I hear some of the guys talking. “I’ve gotta get ready for the game. Call you later?”