Stealing for Keeps (Frost Lake High Book 1) -
Stealing for Keeps: Chapter 36
For the past five minutes, I’ve been pacing outside the local skating rink. Young girls walk by me with their skate bags over their shoulders, boys with hockey sticks, and parents carrying more gear. They’re all just going about their everyday routine. That used to be me.
A little girl follows behind her mom. She looks back at me, grin showing off two missing front teeth, and holds the door open in invitation.
“Thanks.” I hesitate, but then my feet are moving. Forcing a smile back at her, I finally step into the rink.
The smell halts me. I close my eyes and breathe in the ice, feel the coolness in the air against my skin. Emotions swirl in my stomach. Not for the first time since I pulled into the parking lot, I wonder if this is a good idea.
Pulling my bag higher on my shoulder, I move forward. The guy at the front desk nods his head to me and smiles.
“Hi, Warren,” I say. He’s worked here for as long as I can remember, and seeing him is like nothing has changed. Except everything has. “Is the ice open?”
“For you? Always.” He motions with his head to the left. “A couple of skaters are just finishing up. I’ll have them clear the ice for you when they’re done.”
“Thanks.”
The closer I get, the faster my pulse races. The sound of skates gliding over the ice is drowned out by the music, but each time a skater lands a jump, I can hear it. My chest tightens. My brain screams at me to leave, but my heart pushes me on.
I stop at the last row of chairs and change out of my shoes. As I’m lacing my skates, Zoey is coming off the ice. A huge smile spreads across her face. “Claire!”
“Hey.” My voice is quiet.
“Is this your first time back, or have I been missing you?” She puts on her skate guards and takes a seat next to me.
“First time,” I admit.
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” A lump has worked its way into my throat.
We stare out at the ice together. She doesn’t push me to say anything. I think she must realize how hard this is.
“I’m sorry I never texted back,” I say when I can’t stand the silence. “It was too hard.”
“I can’t imagine what you were going through,” she says. “I probably could have made more of an effort too. I didn’t know what to say or do. I still don’t.”
“You don’t need to say anything.”
“Okay.” We continue to sit in silence until my body is cold and I feel numb all over.
“I better go.” Zoey stands. “If you ever want to hang out, we don’t have to skate. We could grab dinner or whatever…”
“I’d like that.”
She smiles. “It’s really good to see you back. The rink wasn’t the same without you.”
“Thanks.”
I sit there a while longer and watch the other skaters. Lauren falls on a jump, and the frustration on her face makes tears fill my eyes. I remember that feeling. Skating is not a forgiving sport. The smallest mistakes can put you on your ass so fast.
She lifts her chin defiantly and gets back on her feet to do it again.
That’s the other thing about skating. You have to get back up.
So I do.
When everyone else is finished and the Zamboni has cleared the ice, I pull myself up and step out onto the ice again.
Home. It feels like home.
It’s my favorite spot in the whole world. This rink made me into the person I am. I swear I can breathe easier with skates on my feet and my mind is clearer than it’s been in months.
I move slowly at first, gliding from one foot to the other. Muscle memory takes over quick, which is good because my legs shake, and I can barely see through the tears that have started to fall down my cheeks.
A million memories play through my head. My first skate lesson. Landing my first lutz. Winning. Losing. Planning for the future. All my hopes and dreams were created right here.
I stop at center ice. Inhaling deeply, my chest fills with the cool air. As I exhale, I let all those dreams go to make room for new ones.
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