Chapter 17 Lena/Sabrina

The pond looks beautiful this morning, thin sunlight glinting off the ice, the air crisp enough to sting my cheeks. The younger girls are already buzzing with excitement, lacing up their skates on the wooden bench Coach Daniels set up.

And then there’s Sabrina. She stands at the edge of the pond like she’s afraid the ice might stain her skates. Or her soul.

She wrinkles her nose. “I cannot believe you actually train out here.”

I bite back a sigh. “It’s peaceful.”

“It’s dirty,” she corrects, flipping her hair. “There are leaves. And… nature.”

Mia snorts under her breath. Harper hides a smile.

Coach Daniels steps up beside me, arms crossed. “If the pond is too ‘natural’ for you, Sabrina, you’re welcome to sit and observe.”

Her mouth drops open. “Observe?”

“Yes,” he says, tone firm. “Sit. Watch. Learn.”

It’s the politest clapback I’ve ever heard.

The younger girls giggle as Sabrina stomps over to the bench, muttering something about “real athletes skate indoors.”

I ignore her and step onto the ice. The cold rushes up through my blades, familiar and grounding. The girls follow, and soon the pond is filled with laughter, chatter, and the soft scrape of skates.

Coach Daniels keeps things light, edges, turns, simple footwork. Nothing that sends my heart racing too fast. And honestly? It feels good. Really good. Even Sabrina watching from the sidelines can’t ruin it. When we finish, everyone’s cheeks are pink and spirits high. Even I feel lighter. We pack up and head toward the van parked near the trail entrance. The girls are still talking about tomorrow’s game, about the team gathering afterward, about how excited they are.

I’m smiling when we step into the parking lot. And then I see him. Evan.

He’s walking out of the arena with a few of his teammates, laughing at something Mason said. His hair is still damp from practice, and he looks… happy. Relaxed. He spots me instantly. His smile softens. He lifts a hand to wave. And before I can wave back, Sabrina steps directly in front of me. Like she thinks the wave is for her. Like she thinks she’s the reason he’s smiling.

Evan’s smile falters. His wave drops halfway. His eyebrows pull together in total confusion. I press my lips together, trying so hard not to laugh. The younger girls exchange looks, trying not to burst out giggling. Sabrina gives a little wave back, all flirty and dramatic. Evan looks at her like she’s a stranger who just walked out of the woods.

I can’t help it, I pull out my phone and text him.

Lena:

Tomorrow is going to be so fun.

A second later, my phone buzzes.

Evan:

🙄

I bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. Oh yeah. Tomorrow is going to be chaos. And I’m suddenly not as scared of it as I used to be.

**Sabrina

Evan waved at me. Of course he did. Everyone else might have missed it, but I didn’t. The way his hand lifted, the way his eyes shifted, he was clearly trying to get my attention. Lena just happened to be standing in the way, like she always is, soaking up attention that doesn’t belong to her.

I stepped forward so he could actually see me, and for a second, just a second, his expression changed. Confusion, maybe. Surprise. But that’s normal. He wasn’t expecting to see me here. He probably thought I was still in the city, training, waiting for him to reach out.

He will. He just needs the right moment. And tomorrow night? The after‑game party? That’s the perfect moment.

We met in Chicago, and yes, it wasn’t exactly the romantic movie scene I tell the girls about—but it could have been. It should have been. He was tired, distracted, surrounded by teammates and fans. Not exactly the best environment for a real connection.

But he looked at me. He talked to me. He touched my arm when he walked past. That meant something. It still does. He just needs to be alone with me again. Away from the noise. Away from the team. Away from Lena and her sad‑little‑injured‑skater routine.

Once he sees me tomorrow, really sees me, everything will fall into place. He’ll remember Chicago. He’ll remember us. And he’ll finally realize what I’ve known all along: We’re meant to be together. Lena can enjoy her little wave today. Tomorrow, she won’t be the one he’s looking at. I will.