Chapter 23Danny’s short program in Paris goes better than he could have hoped for. Once more he’s able to channel his emotions, pouring them all into his skating to earn himself a personal best and a small gold. He’s panting for breath by the time the music comes to a close, dripping sweat, but it’s worth it to see the score flash on the board.
Nico pats him on the head and hustles him through the post-skate interviews. Thankfully, his performance seems to be drowning out last season’s scandal; no one asks him about the photographs, and only one reporter mentions him being gay at all. “I’ll take it,” he murmurs to Nico afterward.
“No one will ask about your sexuality after your free skate,” Nico assures him. “They’ll have too many more important things to talk about.”
He strips out of h
