Page 12 of Switching Skates

As painful as it is, I listen to what she wants and drag my hand off her door. “Where are you going? It’s, like, eight thirty right now.”

She hops into her Jeep and starts the car, rolling the window down a second later.

“I have a date.”

Flashing a cruel smile at me, she slowly begins to back away, and it takes everything in me not to dive through her window and stop her.

But I know that would only piss her off more.

Her date had better hope I don’t find out his name. I wonder if Maeve knows it or if she’d even tell me.

Daphne continues to back out of the parking spot, not caring how close her tires are to my feet, and I jump back just in time to not get run over.

She holds her hand out of her window, flipping me off as she pulls away, and I can’t help but smirk. She is going to be the death of me. I watch her drive away, staring into the horizon long after she’s gone before finally digging my phone out of my pocket.

I shoot Maeve a text, wanting to see if she knows anything about Daphne’s date tonight. I love my sister, but there’s a fifty-fifty chance of her answering my text as my sister or as Daphne’s friend. I’m hoping our blood runs a hair thicker than water at this moment.

Me: Hey, Daphne just told me she has a date tonight. As your brother and someone who cares about Daphne, I need to make sure he’s not a creep. Who is it?

She doesn’t answer me instantly, so I shove my phone in my pocket and walk over to my pickup, unlocking the door with the key and hopping inside.

Every minute that passes without a response as I drive home feels like an hour. The thought that she could be sitting across from some guy at a nice restaurant has me wanting to storm into every place in town until I find her.

Or worse, that she’s at some guy’s place, and they’re cozying up on the couch, watching a movie while he tries to?—

NOPE. Not going there. I’ll become inconsolable.

My phone chimes, and I grab it instantly, reading the text.

But it’s not from Maeve.

It’s from Ross.

Ross: Hey, we got an invite for a party this weekend. I thought you might find it interesting that it’s being hosted by your sister. Are you in?

A party? What the hell is she thinking? And inviting hockey players?

The guys will quickly learn that both women who live in that house are completely off-limits.

Me: Oh, I’ll be there.

My phone chimes with a text from Maeve.

Maeve: Relax. She doesn’t have a date. If you leave her alone, she won't have to torment you

Me: Never.

“Good job, Amber!” I praise one of my students for her flawless toe loop and axel.

We’re doing one-on-one practices with the students, the group divided between Melissa and me. Each student is performing three skills back-to-back as a test to see if they’re ready to move on to harder maneuvers.

Thankfully, the parents have been really receptive to my arrival. Although I think a big part of that is thanks to Melissa’s compliments. I’ve dealt with parents far less understanding with anything we do, so this is a nice surprise. I wasn’t sure how I’d be treated, coming in mid-training.

The rest of the students in my group complete the skills perfectly, and pride blooms in my chest. There is nothing as rewarding as this, I swear. I just want to do this for the rest of my life, and luckily enough, I’ll be able to.

Lifting my palm up, I skate to everyone. “Great job, guys! You nailed it!”

They are all smiles and joy as they give me high fives.