HAYDEN
The rink was quiet at night. No buzzing crowd, no echo of whistles or shouts from teammates, just the low hum of the refrigeration system and the faint squeak of my blades as I stepped out onto the ice. The fluorescent lights overhead gave everything a pale, almost magical glow.
Coleen’s laugh broke the silence as she shuffled cautiously behind me. “I still don’t know why I agreed to this again.”
“Because you secretly love embarrassing yourself in front of me,” I called over my shoulder, grinning.
She rolled her eyes, wobbling as she clutched the wall. “Please. The only one who’s going to be embarrassed is you, when I fall flat on my face and sue you for damages.”
I skated back toward her, stopping just close enough that our blades nearly touched. “Relax. No lawsuits necessary.
