Chapter 31: Rinkmates: Chapter 31

I wake up to an empty bed, missing Riley’s warmth already. My heart sinks for a second until I see a steaming mug of coffee on the nightstand with a cream-colored note next to it.

There’s a flutter in my sternum and I grab the note with sleepy fingers.

You’ve made me an addict. The happiest man alive. I can’t wait to come home to you tonight. Have the best day.

—Ri A mix of joy and fear floods me. My heart is completely his now, no question about it. But a pro hockey player and…me? Deep down, I know this can’t last forever. He’s in his prime, ready to party, travel, and enjoy the single life. I can’t cage him, but life with me would mean exactly that. I can’t just transform his carefree bachelor lifestyle into something serious overnight.

We talked all night long.

He shared stories about his grandmother and his college years, and I told him about how I started skating, inspired by a Hungarian pro skater who gifted me her old skates.

Something changed between us that night.

When he asked if I truly hated him, I said no. I really don’t.

There’s no denying it anymore.

I have feelings for him. It’s too late now, and that night I decided that whatever happens, I want to have fun with him as long as it lasts. Stop the charade. Stop the lying. Yes, he has the power to hurt me, and I know he will. But I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. It can be a great memory. Something I once had. I had him. It has to be enough.

I make my way back to the studio, knowing that Grace is most likely still angry after Riley defended me. But I can’t avoid her forever. It’s time to face it head-on and be brave for once.

The dance studio is oddly quiet when I arrive.

I find Aiden slumped against the mirror, head hanging low, and my stomach lurches.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask, dropping my bag.

Aiden looks up, eyes all red. I run to him. My breath hitches. Wordlessly, he holds out his phone. A video is paused on the screen. I press Play and watch as Aiden pulls a man in for a passionate kiss. The mystery man turns slightly, and I gasp.

“Ethan? How the hell did you two even meet?”

“Riley’s party. We got to talking and just…clicked.” A wry smile tugs at his lips.

My brain pounds with a thousand questions I don’t have answers to, but Aiden must have sensed they all boiled down to one: Why? Why him? Ethan’s the grumpiest of all grumps I’ve ever met. And I’ve seen Riley in the morning. That’s no joke.

Aiden is pure sunshine. If he were an egg dish, he’d be sunny side up all the time. It just doesn’t make sense.

Aiden lets out a light, amused laugh. “I know he comes across as uptight, but there’s more to him. I like peeling back those grumpy layers.”

I shake my head in wonder. “Well, to each their own, but…who leaked this? It’s clearly a private moment.”

Aiden’s face hardens. “No idea. We were so careful…”

There’s anger boiling up inside of me. I hate he has to be careful. In what world are we living? I thought we were better now, but it’s still so fucked up and I think the media world is like a tiny cut out of the worst of human beings. The amount of people who are willing to exploit others is crazy, and I honestly can’t wait until this show ends. Grace on Ice is fucking toxic, and I hate that you have to look and be a certain way so that people will love you. I hate that you have to hide your love to seem worthy of the love of strangers.

Aiden’s eyes dip to my hands and I realize I’ve fisted them so hard my knuckles have turned white. Just then, Ethan storms into the room, his brow knitted together and his jaw tight. “We have to find out who’s responsible for this and why, immediately. I won’t let some pervert with a camera ruin everything for you.”

As Ethan walks in, Aiden’s face lights up with a smile that confirms everything for me. Ethan glances at me with his usual disapproval, but it quickly fades when he meets Aiden’s eyes. There is so much passion between them that I can feel it in my own skin. It disappoints me to think that people want to ruin the happiness of others. Why do we have to be so closed-minded? Love comes in all different forms, and we should focus on eliminating hate instead of trying to control and restrict the best aspect of being human.

“Ethan, how did you even get in here?” I ask, totally taken aback. “You can’t just walk into the dance studio.”

Ethan scoffs. “I’ve been an agent for years. I know a thing or two about getting where I want to go.”

Aiden’s phone buzzes and his face falls as he reads the message. “Well, my agent says the movie I was up for just dropped me from consideration. Apparently, I’m too much of a ‘risk’ now.”

Ethan’s eyes flash with anger. “I know. That’s why I wanted to see you. Enough is enough. We’re going to take control of this narrative.” He crouches down in front of Aiden, a strong hand resting on his kneecap. “I’m setting up an interview for you. It’s time to share your truth, on your terms.”

“I don’t know. What if this ruins everything for us?” He glances at me.

“This shouldn’t even be a question. Why does it matter who we love outside of the rink? It’s about our skillset. It might seem romantic for two people to find each other on a TV show, but that was never the case for us, Aiden. Everyone knows I love Riley.” The air suddenly leaves my lungs, and I fear it won’t return. Love…I don’t love him…that word is way too strong. No.

Ethan clears his throat. “What she’s trying to say is, people will support you. There might be ignorant comments about all figure skaters being gay and all that nonsense. We just ignore it, okay? There will always be haters because their lives lack any real substance besides spreading hate. We have to speak out on this. Tolerating it means it stays like this.”

I nod. “Ethan’s right. The world needs more openness. It’s time people understand that. Hiding and hurting helps no one. If you want to be true to yourself, let’s fight for it. You deserve justice.”

Aiden takes a shaky breath. “There’s something else. My grandma…she’s sick. Dad called me to tell me she might not make it until Monday.”

“You should book a flight to see her ASAP. Take all the time you need. We’ll handle things here,” I say.

Aiden shakes his head. “You know as well as I do, there’s no taking time off. We have a show to run. We can’t just take a day off.”

I grin, a mischievous idea forming. “If only we had a skilled skater who loves being in the limelight and could step in for you for a week.”

Ethan and I exchange knowing glances. He joins my smirk.

“You’re right, we do have a bit of a break coming up! Between the third play-off and the Stanley Cup games. You think Riley could step in? Learn a dance routine with you?”

I grin wider. “I think I know a way or two to get him in on this.”

Ethan laughs. “Shit, I’d pay to see him dance on ice. The number of times he’s joked about it, seeing him struggle would be priceless. And I think Grace on Ice would profit from it. Just imagine the hype on social media once they know their favorite hockey babe is taking part in a reality show.”

It’s clear Ethan is evil. But he’s not wrong. “Should I ask him?”

I look to Aiden.

“Let’s,” he says.

Ethan stands up. There’s a newfound enthusiasm sparkling in his eyes and I’m not sure if I should be happy or afraid. Maybe both. “Great. You’ll visit your grandma and I’ll make sure every tabloid covers your movie roles being dropped. And I’ll book a talk show. This needs to be huge.”