Page 99 of Break my Heart

Dad clears his throat before balling up his sandwich wrapper and tossing it into the trash. The way his attention stays pinned to me sends a wave of anxiety rippling through me. “Nadia Petrovic reached out to me the other day.”

My heart stutters in my chest. “Nadia Petrovic?” I echo, my voice barely above a whisper. The name alone is enough to send a shiver racing down my spine.

The woman is a legend in the figure skating world. Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and coach to some of the greatest skaters in history. I idolized her when I was younger, back when I still believed that dream could be mine.

Why would she reach out?

Especially now, after all this time?

Dad hesitates, and when he speaks, his voice is gentle. “She’s interested in training you.”

“What?” I shake my head, unable to process what he’s saying. “I don’t understand. Why would she want to do that? I haven’t skated competitively since—” I stop, the words catching in my throat.

Since everything fell apart.

Dad doesn’t flinch or look away. “I might have sent her a video of you skating recently,” he admits quietly. “And told her you were ready to make a comeback.”

My heart races as a potent concoction of anger and disbelief rushes through me. “You did what?”

Before Dad can respond, Mom steps in, her tone soft and pleading. “Honey, we didn’t want to tell you until we knew it was a real possibility. You’ve been so lost this past year, and we just hate seeing you like this. We thought… maybe this could help.”

I swallow hard, the weight of their expectations looming over me. “You should have talked to me first.”

Mom’s eyes fill with sadness, but she doesn’t back down. “We were afraid you’d say no before giving it a chance. We just want you to be happy.”

Her words hit me hard, right in the gut. I’ve been telling myself that I’m fine and don’t need skating anymore. Deep down, though, I can’t help but wonder if she’s right.

The thought of returning to that world is terrifying.

Dad’s voice drags me from the whirl of my thoughts. “Will you at least meet with Nadia and hear what she has to say?”

“I’m not in competition shape,” I whisper, my hands trembling. “I just skate for fun now. I’m not... I can’t?—”

“She knows how talented you are and what you’re capable of, Ava,” Dad says, leaning forward. “She’s watched you for years. She believes in you.”

Tears burn the backs of my eyes, and I stand, desperate to escape before they fall. “I need time to think.”

After more than a year away from the competitive circuit, I can’t envision what it would be like to train full time again. Nor can I imagine how people would react if I just showed up at a competition.

The knowing smirks.

The hushed whispers.

The gossip would be rampant.

Am I willing to subject myself to that all over again?

The thought is enough to have me shrinking in on myself.

“Take all the time you need,” Mom says gently. “But don’t let fear hold you back.”

With a nod, I grab my bag and head for the door. As I step into the hallway, her final words echo through my mind.

As much as I don’t want to admit it, that’s exactly what I’ve spent the last year doing.

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Ava