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“The only reason I give you so much shit is because you were a pain in the ass, and then you were the only one who dished it back to me. You know you’re beautiful.”
“There’s my Meatball,”
“These young girls quit right after they win gold medals because they’re scared of losing after that. You say nobody remembers second place, but no one remembers the girls that win once and disappear afterward either. The girl I know, the Jasmine I know, isn’t scared of shit. She doesn’t give up, and that’s the girl people will always remember. The one who is there time after time. You’d win and keep trying to win afterward. That’s the girl I know. The one I partnered up with. The one I think is the best—and you better not ever ask me to repeat that because I won’t. I don’t know what happened
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I smiled so wide my cheeks instantly hurt and said the only thing that came to mind, “You’re an idiot.”
“Nobody else is going to take as good care of you as I will.”
Something warm touched my mouth later, and I’d swear I heard, “Drink it, baby,” whispered to me.
“You. Matter. To. Me. You. I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you because of me,”
“I wanted you to be my partner for years, dumbass. When Karina had told me you were thinking about switching to pairs, I had thought you would say something to me, even in passing as a joke. I thought you would say you were going to kick my ass, and I had planned on talking to you over it. But you never did. The next thing I knew, you had a partner. Some dipshit that wasn’t half as good as you.”
“You’ve been in my life for thirteen years. How could you not think I don’t care about you? We fuck around with each other because we both like it. Because there’s nobody else we can fuck around with that can handle it.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to your stubborn, mouthy, mean ass. My partner or not my partner. Do we have that clear?”
“Vanya and his rescues. Always taking the things other people don’t want anymore, ever since he was a little boy.”
The smile that came over his features lit me up, and I bottled it up and set it aside for later, just like I always did.
You should be proud of her for never giving up on her dreams. You should be proud of her for being true to herself.” Ivan paused and then said three words that slayed me. “I would be.”
“I believe in you. In us. Regardless of what happens, you will always be the best partner I’ve ever had. You’ll always be the hardest working person I’ve ever known. There will only ever be you.”
And a lot of me knowing I was going to be okay was because he believed in me. Ivan. Someone. Finally.
But I meant what I said. You’re the best partner I’ve ever had.”
“You tried to get up and keep skating, and I swear I almost started crying right then.”
“I’ll drag you back on the ice if I have to, Jasmine. I swear on my life.”
I loved him. I loved this man so much that losing him was going to break my cold, dead heart into so many pieces I was just going to have to stick them in the same box I kept my dreams and carry it around with me forever.
This was my partner. This was more than my partner. He was my other half.
I’d give him the thing he had wanted me for in the first place. I’d give him my fucking all.
“I’m never going to leave you alone. Come sit your stubborn-ass back down, and I’ll get you whatever you want.”
He blinked, and his hand gave mine a squeeze. “You didn’t let me finish. I was going to say that you should save it up until after the competition, then go for it. We’ll kill them with our scores, and then you can give the knockout punch.”
And his smile was just… ugh.
What I wanted was him forever, but I’d take what I could get.
“I want to know why we hate her.” Why we hate her. Ivan. Fucking Ivan.
And he was smiling. And holding red roses. I loved him.
“If you were going to cry for anyone, it was going to be me.”
I looked right into those clear blue eyes and told him, “It was the best thing that could have happened to me.”
wouldn’t be alone. If I’m going to fail, at least we’d do it together,”
“Let’s get ’em, baby,” Ivan whispered into my ear, with a squeeze to my upper arms.
Whatever happens, he mouthed to me. But then his lips kept forming words. Three words exactly. I love you.
“What is wrong with you?” I hissed a second before stepping out of our finishing poses to go into a bow. He didn’t let my tone stop him from flashing me that slow, slick grin as he got into place at my side. “You.”
“We both know you love me.”
“But now everyone wants a piece of the Jasmine Pie, and I’ve got to tell them all to turn around and walk away,”
“I love you so fucking much, Jasmine, that if I broke my ankle during a program, I would get up and finish it for you, to get you what you’ve always wanted.”
“You mean so much to me that that’s why whatever happens doesn’t really matter to me. Not like it used to. Not like it ever will again,”
“Because I’m okay with you having ten other people be your favorite. But you’re always going to be my favorite person,” he finished. “Always. No matter what.”
I blinked so fast, I couldn’t help but let my eyes fill up with tears. “I… I’m not good….” His smile was so gentle, so sweet, it took half my soul with it. “I know,”
