Bring it on

Chapter 28

There's nobody much on the rink, just the hum of the Zamboni back and forth in its slow arc across the ice, resurfacing it for the next wave of skaters. Yet here I am, smack in the middle of it all, the cool air whipping across my face as I skate around with Eva.

Eva's my best friend, my rock, the one who's been through every competition, every late-night practice, and every stressful moment right alongside me. We've been skating together for years, and even though we've both gone in different directions-me, pursuing figure skating and her, now working as a coach and helping other young skaters-I know she'll always be by my side.

Today, though, we're not concerned about our routines. Instead, I find myself gliding along, lost in thought, thinking about Ethan, and I'm not certain why, but I feel like I need to talk about him. Eva's the one person who gets it.

"Have I told you just how crazy I am about him?" I say, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

Eva raises an eyebrow at me over her shoulder, spinning on her skates, her expression amused yet kind. "Ethan, right?"

"Yeah." I feel myself start to smile at just the mention of his name. It's stupid, I know. But when I think about him, my heart still does this thing where it skips, like it's got a mind of its own. "I just. I don't know what it is about him, but he's been on my mind constantly."

Eva giggles softly, skates ahead of me, and then turns around. "I think you might be in love, Nat. I mean, it's pretty obvious the way you talk about him.

I roll my eyes but can't help but burst out laughing. "It's not like that," I say, but deep down I know she's right. It is like that. "Well, maybe it is like that. But it's just. I don't know. He's different. He makes everything feel so much easier. When I'm stressing about practice or a competition, just talking to him. it's like the whole world becomes quiet, you know?

"I know just what you mean," she says, her tone soft and introspective. "It's like he's your calm. You've got all this chaos around you, all this pressure, and then there's him. He's steady. Always. And that kind of balance is. well, it's rare.

I nod, skating effortlessly across the ice, though my brain is racing. "I didn't expect it, you know? Like, I wasn't looking for someone. But then he just. fit. So perfectly."

Eva skates in a smooth circle, her movements fluid as she looks at me with a grin. "I think that's how it happens sometimes. You're not looking, and then suddenly, someone comes into your life, and it feels like everything just. clicks."

"That's exactly it," I reply. I pull in a deep breath, the cool air filling my lungs as I try to find just the words. "I never thought I'd meet someone who gets me the way he does. It's not about him cheering for me when I compete or supporting me after practices. He sees me, Eva. He sees all the parts of me that I don't even let most people see."

She slows her pace, coming alongside me so we skate side by side. The sound of our blades cutting through the ice fills the space around us. "It sounds like you found someone quite special."

"I have," I agree, my heart swelling with the certainty of it. "But I keep thinking, what if I'm not good enough for him? What if I can't keep up with him? I mean, he's this incredible hockey player, and I'm just. me. A figure skater. He's got this whole life, and I just want to be part of it, but I'm scared I'm not. enough."

Eva's expression gentles, and she skates a little slower to catch my eye. "Nat, listen to me. You're more than enough. Just the way you are-you're everything he needs. Ethan is with you because he sees who you are, and that's why he's so into you. It's not about being 'enough' in some perfect, polished way-it's about being real. Being yourself.

I let her words settle in, and for the first time today, I feel that tightness in my chest ease just a little. "I guess sometimes I've just got so many doubts. Like, I'm afraid that I won't be able to give him what he deserves."

"You're already giving him everything he needs," Eva says, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "You're giving him the best version of yourself. And that's all he could ever ask for."

I look over at her, and she gives me a reassuring smile. It's the kind of smile that reminds me I'm not alone in this-whatever this is.

"I know you're right," I reply, a small laugh escaping me. "I guess I just need to stop overthinking everything."

"Exactly," Eva says, nodding. "If you keep overthinking it, you'll drive yourself crazy. Just enjoy it, Nat. You've got something really good here."

We skate silently for several moments, the weight of her words settling in as clarity finally washes over me. Okay, so I may not know everything, but I do know one thing for certain: Ethan makes me happy.