Page 66 of Knot Your Romeo

Her hands are still on her skates. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when did you last have your levels checked? Your body feels weird—your words from last week, remember?"

She's quiet for a long moment, and when she looks up, there's something almost desperate in her eyes. "I think... I think I need to change them. My body doesn't feel right. Everything's off—my balance, my strength, even my focus. It's like I'm fighting against myself."

The fear in her voice makes my chest tighten. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

"A few weeks, maybe a month. I kept thinking it would pass, that it was just stress about the Olympics, but..."

"But it's getting worse."

She nods miserably. "What if it's too late, Dad? What if I've screwed up my body so badly that I can't compete at the level I need to?"

"Hey." I sit down beside her on the bench, pulling her into a side hug. "It might be too late to make major changes before Italy, but that doesn't mean you can't compete. We just need to figure out what's going on."

"I'll talk to my doctor," she says, leaning into me. "And I'm coming back tomorrow to train with Coach. I'll have a chat with her too, see if she's noticed anything."

"Excellent plan." I kiss the top of her head. "And Remi? Even if the Olympics don't go exactly as planned, you're still one of the best skaters in the world. That doesn't change."

"For how long?"

"You know I'm proud of you regardless, right? Medal or no medal, you've already accomplished more than most athletes dream of."

"I know, Dad." Her smile is genuine now, soft with affection. "But I also know you understand why that's not enough for me right now."

She's right. I understand. The drive to excel, to push past limitations and achieve something extraordinary—as an ex-ice hockey player, it's carved into both our DNA and our upbringing. The difference is that her ambition is pure, focused on something she loves, now mine is tangled up with responsibility and obligation.

"Breakfast?" I suggest as she unlaces her skates. "We can grab something at that café you like."

"That would be nice. And..." She hesitates, suddenly looking younger than her twenty-four years. "I was hoping we could talk about something."

My protective instincts immediately sharpen. "Everything okay?" There's something in Remi's tone that suggests this conversation is heading somewhere I might not like.

"Everything's fine. It's just..." She pulls on her shoes and grabs her bag. "It's about Steele."

"What about Steele?"

She's quiet for a moment, then: "Remember when he left?"

The subject change catches me off guard. "To join the Scented Scorpions? What about it?"

"He didn't even tell me he was considering it. I found out from River after he'd already signed. After two years of...whatever we were, and he just left." Her voice is bitter now, hurt in a way that goes deeper than professional disappointment.

"You feel betrayed."

"I feel stupid. Like I meant nothing to him."

"You were both busy, Remi. You and Steele were both so competitive that you trained together more than dated."

Understanding dawns slowly. "Is that why you kissed Crew at River's party?"

Remi freezes, her eyes going wide. "You saw that?"

"I overheard Steele arguing with River about it. He said you seemed to make a point."

"I wasn't—" she protests, then stops, her shoulders sagging. "Okay, maybe I was. Maybe I wanted Steele to see what he gave up."

"But River told Steele to forget about you and then he marched off to find Crew. I'm sure he told him the same."