Page 55

We moved as the perfect pair, the ice rushed beneath us, the music beat through us.

There was no mistake. No loss of momentum. Exact. Effortless from the outside. Precision from inside.

The dip, the lift, spin, fast, exit. Push out. Excellent.

The final note struck.

We stopped on matching outside edges, bodies angled apart, and for one suspended second the rink was silent.

Then the arena erupted.

I held the position and stared into the lights, lungs burning.

Months of training, over in minutes.

Technically, I knew it had been flawless.

And it had almost been too easy.

“Tamsyn Ward and Ren Hasegawa.”

The crowd was up on their feet, knowing they would see few programs like it here today. I took Tamsyn’s hand, and we glided off the ice toward the team coach.

I stepped off the ice, into my father’s reaching hand. My gaze met his. I almost froze. He hadn’t been here earlier. His arm came around me, his voice in my ear. “Well done. Well done.”

I hadn’t expected him, or this, or his words.

A camera was here too. Probably picked up his words. I breathed hard, body wrecked, mind working fast.

“Smile,” my father said, grinning into the cameras to show how it was done.

I smiled, like I was supposed to, then deliberately stepped away and reached for Tamsyn. She threw her arms around me. “That was good, Ren! I felt it. That was really good!”

“We did it.” I hugged her close. “You were brilliant.”

A pair of assistants ushered us toward the kiss-and-cry area where we’d wait for the scores. A big screen above the ice showed highlights of our performance in slow motion. I was used to watching myself dance, playbacks were a huge part of training. But seeing it over the Olympic ice had pride warming me through. We had absolutely crushed it. The scores would be high. I had absolute faith.

My father sat beside me, where traditionally the coaches sat.

“Amazing, both of you, amazing,” he said.

I couldn’t look at him. Didn’t want him there. He’d corrupted Cam’s chances, I did not want his taint on this too, but I had little choice. I couldn’t snub him in front of millions of people.

The scores came in. The crowd saw them before we did. Cheers all around. The roar filled the stadium.

Technical elements, presentation combined: 90.08

No points deducted.

Faultless.

Tamsyn’s hands went to her face. I hugged her against my side.

“Oh my god! Ren. Look.”

“I see,” I laughed. “I see.”

We did it. We were easily through to the free dance, and ours was the score everyone would need to beat. Including Cam and Zoe.