Chapter 23: Gold for the Other Flag

Lena's POV

We sat in the kiss-and-cry with our gloves off and our hands locked together.

We watched the German pair skate the last program of the night.

They were very good.

They had four tenths on us from the short, and they skated like people who knew it.

Theo said nothing.

His thumb moved over my knuckles, back and forth, steady.

"You said it twice," I said.

"I did."

"In front of twelve thousand people."

"And the cameras."

"Your coach is going to hear about that."

"My coach was in the third row," Theo said. "She held up her phone and recorded it."

I laughed, and my eyes stung.

On the ice, the German woman went up for the throw.

She landed it a half turn short, on two feet, and stumbled out of it with her hand on the ice.

It was a small mistake.

It was the only one in four minutes, and everybody in the building knew what it cost.

Theo's hand closed on mine.

I looked at the screen above the ice and watched the numbers climb.

They were beautiful numbers.

They were not quite enough.

Then the announcer read the final standings.

Our names came first, and the arena rose to its feet before he had finished the sentence.

"Lena," Theo said.

"Yes."

"Gold."

I could not speak.

I turned my head and looked at him, and I saw that he was not looking at the screen at all.

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