HIS PRINCESS

xxxi

new skates - her pov

the thing about skating is you'll fall on your ass more times than a baby trying to learn to walk. you'll also accumulate the same amount of bruises as a hockey player although they have padding and you won't.

"kaia seriously." charlie muttered as he pulled me up off the ice even though i told him i could get up myself. "you're the one who dropped me, don't look at me like that." i sassed back as he rolled his eyes. "you haven't skated in what? 3 years, it's not the same anymore and i'm not... it's just the weight." he said as i looked down at my skates. "no i get it." i mumbled about to skate off but he grabbed my arm.

"no kaia i'm not calling you heavy, that's not what i mean." he said taking a breath trying to correct whatever he meant but knew what he meant. "it's just ice skating is different. any other circumstances i would be able to lift you but i'm spinning you in the air on ice, we have to be careful." he said as i huffed looking back up at him. "i know, i know. i'm sorry, let's just start again." i said as he nodded.

"start the music again." charlie said turning back to our coach as we stood in position. we were going over our last performance but instead of triple toe picks we were trying and failing to incorporate triple lutzes and the lifts were more complex.

"just think about what relaxes you." charlie said quietly from behind me as i let out a breath. one thing i'm not supposed to have right now is definitely relaxing me, also making my heart race and kinda sorta makes me excited to see him. i knew he was coming in soon for hockey practice, i knew i would steal a kiss from him before he had to get on the ice and i knew i was going to new york with him tonight to be in his house all alone.

we started skating, and i was on the ice, i was in my head. i hadn't noticed that some of the hockey team had started filtering in, i was being lifted, this lift was fine, we'd done it several times and he didn't drop me. we did the triple lutzes and i didn't face plant like i thought and when it came to the big lift, i was determined, but i knew once charlie's hand touched my waist too early that it wasn't going to end well and i landed on my side skidding into the side of the rink with a thud. "fuck." i groaned rolling onto my back as the air literally got smacked out of me.

"fuck kaia are you okay?" charlie's voice rang out as he skated over. no actually, i'm not okay, i don't very much appreciate being thrown into a wall or blames for how it went when you put your hands on my waist too early. "you lifted me too early." i groaned as he sighed. "i didn't." he defended as i just shook my head, no point in arguing with him.

he refuses to take the blame for anything and the only reason i stayed partners with him for so long was because he was good and i think i cared more about that that the fact that he was a dick. "you did, but there's no point in arguing it because i think this session is over." i said getting onto my feet as he looked down at me. "do you want me to take you to the infirmary?" he asked as i shook my head.

"nope, absolutely fine." i said skating off as coach looked at me warily. "what, did i do something wrong again?" i muttered as she sighed. "no, charlie picked you up too early, he's being awfully stupid these days. he's going to seriously hurt you if he doesn't sort it out." she said quite angrily. "well tell him that because he seems to think it's my fault." i said as she nodded as i trudged off to the side where my bags were seeing chris and ryder standing there.

"i'm gonna beat him up." ryder said snarling at charlie who was on his way over. "please, please don't. you can do it after worlds, but please leave him even though he makes me want to kill him." i said putting my guards on and taking my skates off. "what did you say to coach?" he said as i looked up at him. "huh?" i said with annoyance that he was getting pissy with me again as he scoffed. "well she seems to think it's my fault you fell. i thought we spoke about this kaia, you need to-"