CH179

CH179
“Tell me you’re staying for tryouts—please!”
Their energy was contagious, a burst of warmth that cut through the tension. Most of them looked so hopeful it made my heart ache. I knew how hard it had likely been to go from Coach Avery's tough encouragement to Coach Randall's borderline asshole behavior.
Maybe I should do something as an apology? Not to Coach Randall. He was an asshole who didn't give a damn about his players and was probably colluding with Jean-Baptiste and the others. My old teammates, however, deserved something, it felt like, and I missed hanging out with them.
Coach Avery shook his head gently. “No, no. I’m a freelance coach now. You’ve got your own leadership now.” His gaze flicked briefly toward Coach Randall, but his tone stayed kind. “Though it's good to see you all."
The team groaned, good-natured but disappointed. They each got a hug from him for good luck before dispersing back to the ice to start on whatever drills or exercises Coach Randall wanted them working on.
More people were filtering in now, pairs of figure skaters, singles competitors, and even a few coaches trailing with clipboards and duffels. I recognized some of them, and it was clear that some of them recognized me, too. The sound of chatter and the scrape of blades was already rising to a steady hum.
The energy of it made me anxious. I could hear the beginnings of a roaring crowd and the threat of trusting Reese so many months ago.
Don't think about it, Vandy. I couldn't afford to think about falling or being dropped right now.
The rink filled fast with not just more coaches, but what looked like parents, too. I chuckled, remembering the way my parents used to come to nearly every big tryout when I was younger, before I had started competing seriously. It was impossible to figure out who the Olympic scouts were and who weren't with all the people. The ice was alive with blades carving arcs, bursts of laughter, and the sharp crack of hockey sticks echoing from the other side of the temporary barrier where Jean-Baptiste’s teammates were running skating drills.
To my understanding, they'd have the ice for another ten minutes before the entire rink would be used for the observation. Coach Randall prowled along the boards, occasionally barking a correction at one of the Boston U skaters and casting pointed looks toward Coach Avery, though practice hadn't even started yet, as the whole team wasn't on the ice yet.
The tension prickled at my skin, crawling like static. The woman who had flirted with Lukas had come as well, sitting in the stands with her phone in hand. Celeste glided by. Then, Reese and the rest of the guys filed out of the locker room. Ben and Lukas were the last in the locker room. Lukas had his bag on his shoulder as well, so did Ben.
"Vandy, how's it going?" I looked up to see Matteo. He had a thermos of coffee in his hand.
"Fine… Could you watch my bag?"
"For a fee," he said, sitting down.
I laughed. "You're extorting me now?"
"It's in my blood."
"Well, what do you want?"
"We're going to need a grocery run. I've been craving diavolo with all the seafood imaginable."
"Done." He plopped down, shook hands with Coach Avery, and Lukas came over with his and Ben's bag, leaving them with mine.
"I'll protect them," Matteo grinned. "Sitting sentinel and all."
Ben chuckled, shaking his head before heading to the ice. Lukas turned to me and offered me his hand.
"Shall we?"
I nodded, took it, and we headed to the ice. A line formed, so we hung back. I caught sight of Coach Randall again and watched him for a moment. He was tense, standing at the boards, looking between Reese and Celeste occasionally, but his gaze was focused on the other woman, though she seemed to pay him no mind.
The air above the rink shimmered, spiraling in cool mists around Coach Randall. His features changed. For a moment, he looked not just younger but completely different. His hair had grown longer and a little oily, or maybe wet. His clothes turned ragged. His face was smeared with soot, and in his hand was a single, little daisy. He looked hopeful, in love, and oddly simple. My heart clenched in sympathy. Some part of me, or a past me, recognized the man inside and ached for his plight, and it wasn't hard to figure out what that was.
He'd loved her once. Since she'd been flirting with Lukas, something told me it was definitely unrequited, but if she had enlisted him in this life, didn't that mean she was using his interest in her to her advantage somehow? Was there a chance to get him free of her in this lifetime?
I saw a shackle twined around Coach Randall's limbs and neck. The chains stretched across the rink straight to her, but she wasn't holding them. They seemed to just lay at her feet. She didn't even seem to care about them. I got the sense that even if I could do something about his attachment to her, it wouldn't affect her long term, and that would probably be devastating to whoever Coach Randall used to be.
It seemed unfair to just let him remain at her beck and call, but as the image faded away, I figured there were bigger things to worry about.
Like the fact that Reese was staring at me, I turned to Lukas, ignoring him, and found him looking at me.
"What?"
"You saw something, didn't you?" His lips twitched. "Something about the past, maybe?"
"Maybe, but it doesn't feel all that important."
"Your call."
I chuckled. "You're really picking up the colloquialisms quickly."
He flashed me a grin. "I plan to be here… for a very long time."
My heart trembled, and I squeezed his hand.
Then, another set of doors opened with hushed gasps.