**SEQUEL TO BREAKING THE ICE**
Liam Astor is home. Home where his family is. Home where is skating partner stayed. Home where he trains every day to make his Olympic dreams come true. Home, where he had to throw himself into his career, so he doesn'...
*This chapter contains multimedia relevant to the plot*
(this time, I'll include a comment on each image with the transcript in case someone doesn't have internet, or there's a problem with Wattpad)
THE MULTIMEDIA WAS DELETED AND I HAD TO TAKE IT DOWN TO FIX IT, SORRY!
**
September 2022
The national championships were just the beginning.
Chloe and I were set back a bit by my senior year. Between work, school and personal issues, my dedication to skating wasn't quite at its peak. I went from putting in more hours than anyone else to sometimes being too tired to make it to the end of the longer practices.
As soon as we graduated and people started leaving, I threw myself into the plan. We knew we were not going to make that Olympic season. But without Mack to corrupt me and Eli to distract me, I had both the time to live and breathe skating, and the inescapable desire to block the thoughts of abandonment from my head.
We made it to the podium earlier in the year. That was step one.
The ISU Challenger Series was step two.
We were only taking part in one event, but it was all we needed to continue making an impression. And nothing was going to stop us. Nothing was going to stop me. Not the nearly thirteen-hour flight time to Beijing. Not the pressure of the international competition at the Asian Open Trophy. And definitely not the fact that my shower wasn't working and no one at the reception seemed to care.
"Excuse me, ma'am," I try. The front desk worker doesn't lift her eye from the computer screen.
"Uhm, sir," I try again, at the second receptionist leaning over the first's shoulder, phone pressed to his ear.
This time, they both glance briefly at me, without ever interrupting the rapid stream of their muttered conversation. When they turn back to the screen without acknowledging me any further, I take out my phone to text Chloe.
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