Despite Christmas being over, there's still one last thing to do on Skye's list of Christmas activities. Ice skating. The local ice rink near our house is nowhere near as exciting as skating at Rockefeller centre in the city. It was small and indoors, where the little kids' hockey teams and figure skating classes take place. It seems that they hadn't upgraded the place once in the twenty-two years I've been alive.

     There are a couple rows of benches near the ice, but barely anyone sits on them. Instead, the small ice rink is crowded with families, all skating in a large circle around the ice. Christmas music plays on the speaker overhead, echoing off the walls. "You wanna skate first, and I'll hang with the twins?" James asks Lizzie, pushing the double stroller over to a nearby bench.

    Before Lizzie can respond, Wyatt interjects, "I can watch them if you want. That way you can both skate together." Wyatt is wearing a beanie to conceal his identity today, pulling the hood of his hoodie up to cover the rest of his face.

    "Are you sure?" Lizzie asks.

     Wyatt eyes the eyes cautiously before looking back at Lizzie, "Positive." He reassures. It seems his nerves are evident only to me. His eyes glance at the ice as if it's the most terrifying thing he's ever seen, his lips pressed together tightly as he smiles. Wyatt is good at most things; he picked up hobbies and made it look like he'd been doing it for years. However, ice skating is the one thing he had never been able to do.

    "Awesome, thanks, Wyatt." Lizzie smiles, sliding the twin's diaper bag off her arm and passing it to Wyatt, "just call whenever you want to trade places."

    "Will do." Wyatt nodded, sliding the diaper bag over his shoulder. Everyone moves to the bench closest to the entrance to the ice, while Wyatt moves to another one, pushing the stroller in front of him.

     "I'll meet up with you in a minute," I say to Harper, watching Wyatt as he pushes the stroller back and forth lightly. I don't wait for Harper to reply before walking over to Wyatt. He was too focused on the twins. He had the stroller turned around so they were both facing him, holding the edge so he could move them. He hummed an adorable tune under his breath. I almost don't want to interrupt him, longing to watch him hum to the twins for a bit longer. "Still can't skate, huh?"

    Wyatt flinched, startled by my presence, "Pfft who, me?" He scoffs, his brows furrowing together, "I just think Liz and James deserve a break, that's all. I'll skate later."

     I could tell by his tone that he wasn't going to "skate later." He was avoiding getting on the ice at all costs.

    "Right," I nod, dragging the word out as I take the seat beside Wyatt. Both twins were stirring from their sleep.

     "Are you not skating?"

      I shrug, kicking one leg over the other, "I'll help you watch the twins."

     "Seriously, Marley, I can handle the- "On cue, before Wyatt could finish telling me he could handle watching both babies on his own, Elliot lets out a cry. His eyes furrowing together as his chunky face turns red.

    Following her twin in suit, Iris beings crying next, "what were you saying?" I ask Wyatt, standing up, "you can handle them on your own? I'll leave you be then."

    Wyatt grabbed my wrist as soon as I stood, pulling me back down, so I was beside him, my legs pressing against his, "Fine, I need your help. Just make this stop."

    "Happily," I smirk, releasing my wrist from his grasp as I undo the straps on Iris. Then, picking her up, I begin bouncing her in my arms, soothing her crying. "Can you grab Elliot?" 

    Wyatt eyed Elliot, unsure, "Oh, I don't-"

    "You offered to babysit, yet you're scared of holding a baby?" I question, scoffing. Wyatt nods, his cheeks glowing a faint shade of red due to how cold it was in here, "here, Iris is calm now." I pass Iris over to Wyatt. His eyes go wide, awkwardly holding her sides.

     I reach for Elliot, pulling him out of the stroller. I let him lay his head on my chest, bouncing him slightly to soothe him. Iris had stopped crying. It seemed all she and Elliot wanted was to get out of their stroller. She waved her hands out towards Wyatt, who held her awkwardly, his arms extended uncomfortably.

    "She doesn't bite," I reassure him in a teasing tone. "Just sit here on your lap and bounce your knee. She loves that." Wyatt cautiously turns Iris around, sitting her on his lap. His hands holding her tightly scared she's going to fall,

     "Seriously though, you still can't skate?"

      "It's not like I've had time to get better," He shrugs, looking over at me slightly, "I barely have time to do anything besides work and sleep. On days where I'm not working, I'm in these hour-long meetings with management, planning out my next move."

    I always thought Victoria was controlling, but at least she only controls me while I'm at work. It seems Wyatt was always getting told what to do. Does he really have no freedom at all?

    "Well," I nudge him with my arm, "maybe your next movie can be about an ice skater? You can play yourself. It could be based on a true story."

     Wyatt laughs; beneath the hood that shields his identity, I can see his smile, taking over his whole face, displaying his perfectly crooked teeth, "Oh yeah, I'm sure my management would love that." He nods, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "who would play you? Would you play yourself? If this is the movie of my life, you'd be in it."

    "Oh, no," I shake my head, "I'm not an actor. You'd need someone very good playing the role, though. I'm already hearing Oscar buzz."

    "Are you now?" Wyatt asks. His grip had loosened on Iris a little, growing more comfortable by the second, "and who's the lucky actress?"

    I hum as if I'm in deep thought about it, but all I'm really focusing on is how the blue circle on the rim of Wyatt's green eyes looks even bolder under the fluorescent lighting, "well, she has to be funny."

    "Agreed," Wyatt nods, "and wise."

     "Oh, yes, obviously," I agree. Both of our heads are ducked together as we speak now. Our legs still pressed against one another's. There's plenty of room on the bench for us to sit further apart, but neither of us move to do so, "and she has to be tall."

    "And beautiful."

     I suck in a breath, waiting for Wyatt to indicate that he was teasing. His expression remains serious, though, as if he genuinely meant what he was saying. Which was ridiculous, "I-"I pause, turning to look at Elliot in my arms instead of Wyatt. I can't think clearly when he's looking at me like that, "I think it might be impossible to find someone." I finally say.

    "Yeah," Wyatt agrees. I can feel that his eyes are still on me. I resist the urge to look back, knowing I'll only get lost in them once more, "We might have to settle for someone that isn't every single one of these qualities."

    "It's hard to match perfection," I nod, finally regaining my teasing smirk and looking over at him. Wyatt laughs at that, shaking his head, "You think Angelina Jolie would do it?" I ask him, "Ooo, or Megan Fox?"

    "Either would be fine," Wyatt shrugs, as if both aren't beyond gorgeous, "we will have to hold auditions in the new year."

    "Deal."

    Wyatt and I sat on the bench for a few more minutes. As he got more comfortable with holding Iris, he turned her around in his arms, making silly faces at her. She giggled an adorable baby laugh that only made the two of us laugh. From there, we decided to have a competition to see who could make the baby in their arms laugh hardest. He won, but only because Elliot has always been the more serious of the two.

    Mom, dad, Nikki, and Skye get off the ice a little later, making their way over to us, "you're done?" I ask them, turning Elliot around in my arms so he can look at them.

     "Someone is demanding a hot cocoa break," Dad informs us, ruffling Skye's hair. She shivers. Her cheeks were nearly as red as her hair.

    "We can take the twins," Mom adds, holding her arms out towards Elliot. He did the same, happily going into his grandma's arms. Nikki did the same to Iris, who left Wyatt's arms no problem. 

    "Perfect," I reach for the bag with my skates in them. "Now we can skate."

    "Have fun, you two." Nikki greets us, dad takes the stroller. Pushing it away towards the hot chocolate stand in the back of the ice rink.

    "I might just-"

     "Nope, you're skating," I cut Wyatt off before he can make an excuse not to, "think of it as training for my movie."

    "I thought it was our movie?"

     "Just put your skates on scaredy-cat," I roll my eyes, tugging my white skates out of my bag. They had faded to a grey shade over the years, although I'd barely used them since moving to the city. I only skated at Rockefeller center once, during my first year of university when Lizzie, Harper and James visited me for a weekend.

    Wyatt and his mom rented skates. His were black hockey skates that look as old as the rink, "I am not scared. I just don't want to fall." He defends himself, though the way he watches the ice says otherwise. People skat at a rapid pace, all going in the same direction.

    "Right," I nod, finishing tying the lace of my second skate, "We can get you one of those things that little kids push to help keep their balance?"

    "I can't decide what'd be more embarrassing," He laughs, shaking his head, "falling on my face or skating around hunched over with that thing. Maybe I should just stay on the bench."

    "Not skating is embarrassing," I remark, standing up. Unlike me, when Wyatt stands, his legs wobble like a deer who's just standing for the first time, "just stay near the wall. It's easy."

    I step on the ice, holding onto the wall for balance before gliding forward, joining in with the rhythm of the other skaters who skate in a circle. No one is going very fast. Parents are skating with their kids and couples. It seems all the girls are clinging to their significant other's hand, moving at a slow pace. Harper, James and Lizzie are somewhere amongst the crowd, but I can't spot them.

    When I finish the circle and get back to the entrance, Wyatt is still standing at the entrance. He got on the ice but hasn't moved an inch. His back is pressed against the wall, his hands gripping it, "It's easy," He repeats my words from a minute ago, scoffing. A shade of pink spreads across Wyatt's cheeks, his nose nearly red due to the cold, "says the girl who's the best skater here."

    I laugh. He looked petrified, shaking like a puppy who doesn't want to go to the vet, "You've just got to get the hang of it," I reassure him, skating closer, "here," I hold both of my hands out to him.

    Wyatt glances between my eyes and hands, hesitant. Before placing his hands in mine. Despite his hands being cold, a shot of electricity shoots up my arm, making its way to my rapidly beating heart, "can you even skate backwards?" he asks me as I begin moving backwards, pulling him along with me.

    "Can I skate backwards?" I repeat his question, scoffing, beginning to move. This time I skate much slower around the circle, gracefully gliding backwards, "Of course, I can. It's easy."

    "Oh, definitely," Wyatt mutters sarcastically, his eyes focused on our moving feet. He gripped my hands tightly, not caring if he was crushing them. Which he totally was.

    "Try not to move your feet so quickly," I instruct him. He moved his feet at a rapid pace, one that only made us skate slower, "just glide. Look at my feet, and copy."

    Wyatt and I skate around like this for a bit, going around the large circle twice. His grip on my hands loosens slightly but never enough to let go. Eventually, he glides better, pushing his skates across the ice like me. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near as graceful or balanced. He still looks like a baby deer, his legs wobbling slightly.

    "Should we try going faster?"

     Wyatt looks up from our feet, his eyes wide and cheeks rosy, "do you think I'm ready for that?"

    He wasn't, but honestly, I don't think Wyatt will ever be completely ready to skate as fast as I do, "you should be fine," I nod. Wyatt looks back down at our feet as I continue skating us backward, quickening my place slightly.

    Wyatt quickens his speed, his skates gliding across the ice. He's not going fast by any means, but we were now matching the pace of the rest of the skaters surrounding us, a steady rhythm as we float down the ice, "You're not doing too bad." I tell him. His grip on my hand has loosened, too, allowing me to regain feeling in my fingers.

    Wyatt looks up at me, an unsure smile on his face, "really?"

     "Yeah," I nod. Then, without warning, I take my hands out of his.

    Wyatt's smile drops, his gaze dropping to his skates. He begins to move his feet rapidly again, his body tipping forward slightly, "whoa," he yelps, about to face plaint at any moment.

    I skate forward, my hands grabbing his shoulders to steady him. Instinctively, Wyatt grabs my waist, his hands gripping my sides tightly over my jacket. We're close. Our faces are inches apart. So close that our breaths mingle in the cold air.

    My hands are resting close enough to his heart that I can hear his heart beating. It's rapid, keeping time with my own. After a second of allowing him to catch his breath, I allow myself to laugh. My head tilting backwards. "Oh my god. How is it that you've gotten worse at skating?"

     "It's because my teacher sucks." He responds. He's laughing too, rolling his eyes. "I can't believe you just let go like that. Seriously, my life just flashed before my eyes."

    "Wow..." I shake my head, "well, next time, I'll just let you fall and skate away."

     I lift my hands off his shoulders, pretending as if I'm about to back away and leave him standing there by himself. Instead, Wyatt's grip tightens at my actions, pulling even closer, "please don't go," He mutters. His tone is low and desperate. Momentarily taking my breath away.

    "What was that you were saying earlier?" I ask him, my hands are back on his chest, but this time we're closer. Our chest practically pressed against one another's. I can feel his heart beating through his thick coat, matching time with my own, "about me being a bad teacher?"

   He laughs, "I take it back." His wide, panicked eyes soften, his gaze dropping to my lips before looking back at my eyes. A thought flashed into my mind, one I never thought I'd have about Wyatt before. I push it away before it can consume me. "Marley, I-"

    My phone ringing in my jacket pocket cuts him off, causing the two of us to move back from one another slightly. Wyatt is still gripping my waist, but our faces are no longer inches apart. I can no longer feel Wyatt's heartbeat beneath my fingertips, "it's Harper," I explain to him, shooting him an apologetic look as I pick up.

    "Where are you?" Harper greets me as soon as I answer.

     "On the ice," I answer, chuckling at her abrupt start to the conversation, "Why? What's up?"

     "Everyone's finishing skating," She informed me, "we're headed home now."

    "Oh, okay," I nod, "we're just getting off now. Meet you at the doors?"

     I shove my phone back into my jacket pocket once Harper hangs up. The trance that had been over Wyatt and I during that brief moment is gone. I should just leave it and help him skate over to the exit, but I ask anyway, "what were you saying? Before Harper called."

    "Oh," He shakes his head, his eyes looking anywhere but me, "just uh thanks... for helping me out here."

    "Yeah, of course," I nod. I don't know why I feel so disappointed at his words. Part of me wishes he had more to say than just that. "We should go. Everyone's waiting."    

    I hold my hands out to Wyatt, and he takes them again. Neither of us speaks as I skate backward towards the exit, and I'm grateful for it because as much I want to push it away, I can't stop thinking about what might've happened if Harper didn't call.