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Was I going to ruin everything?

“Coloat about knowing you and Sam were into each other I aduchis and Mrs Tanaka also knowing, but still”

I tried to smile “Gloat away”

Her grin vanished “What is it?”

“Will you hate me if I want to quit?” There it was Out in the world

For a terrible moment, Bree stared down at me, frozen Her face crumpled In a heartbeat, she choked on a sob, tears already falling “I was afraid you’d hateto quit”

Eyes burning, I ju “I could never hate you”

For aoverdue Then Bree ainst my neck My skin was damp with her tears

“Hmm?” I asked

She lifted her head, sniffing loudly “I’h Are you?”

“I don’t know” I ran my hands up and down her back the way I did ere waiting to perform It was our little routine, to look into each other’s eyes with her arms looped around my waist She did it now, probably an autoether

Her voice was steadier as she said, “I want to quit because I don’t love skating anymore I used to love it so much But I haven’t since we moved to New Jersey”

A breath punched out of me like I’d tripped and hit the ice “Me either I hate it there”

“Right?” Eyes wide, she stared at rateful Yaroslav took us on, and he has all that pull with the judges, and even if he barely pays attention to our skating, if he’s with us in the Kiss and Cry, it matters But I hate it”

I’d nodded along as she spoke “Yes Yes! I hate it Svetlana’s fine, and I know it’s good to train with the best teams in the world, but the atmosphere at the rink makes me feel shitty”

“Yaroslav calls ns to pay attention We kneouldn’t be his priority, but I enuinely cares about us”

“Me too He’s an expert on technique, but… It used to be fun We laughed We can work hard and still laugh sometimes”