4 months later...

Slip!

My blade goes from under me and I find myself sliding on the ice. I lay down on the ice and my body shakes as I laugh.

"Chesa !" I hear a female voice say in a humorous yet chastising voice.

Suddenly I feel cold snow spray over my face as lay on the ice. My hands go up in defense though it's too late. I look up to see my smiling coach looking down at me with her fists playful on her hips.

"So you can land a triple salchow triple toe loop but fall in your step sequence?" She questions as she is looking down and my still lazy form. I just shrug my shoulders as she rolls eyes her eyes. She then takes the ice off her blade and throws it in my face.

"Hey!" I giggle.

"Get up and unfortunately you are going to have to do your program again for that silly mistake." Sam, my coach, states as she goes to set up my music again.

"So does this mean I can fall on my triple-triple and not my step sequence this time?" I call after her as I get to my feet.

"I wouldn't prefer you fall on nothing but yes. I would rather you fall on your triple-triple like every other skater and not your step sequence so I don't look like an unskilled coach." Sam calls over her shoulder.

I follow behind her as she reaches the music box swiping my music disc again. "Well, you said it." I state. I see her head snap up to me at that statement. Playful murder flashing across her face. I quickly skate away to go stand in my starting position. I skate as my music starts and I see Sam grumpily look at me, still sulking about my comment. As I skate past her in my program I shout "I love you Sam!"

"Sure you do." She says, "Just stay on your clumsy feet !"

I smile and do as she says. Me and Sam though only being together as student and coach for 3 months have a very close relationship. We respect each other. She is encouraging, kind and most of all playful. I've thrived under her wing as I continue my passion learning to love it more every day with Sam encouraging my dream. To be the greatest I can be.

I take off my skates at the side of the rink and put them into my bag while grabbing my lunch box stuffing my face with a PB and J sandwich.

I was halfway through the sandwich when a bigger older looking guy pasts me while throwing keys in my direction.

"Champ, there has been a delivery of two-hundred skates that won't move themselves." He states as he walks away.

I groan, "Darreenn, you couldn't have waited until I finished my sandwich?"

"Sorry cupcake but you want ice time you gotta work for it in between sessions." Daren, the assistant manager of the rink shrugs as moving out of my view.

't

What Daren said was correct. I do odd jobs around the rink for my ice time and lessons. That pretty much takes care of my skating. I don't have as many lessons as I use to but I have as much ice time I want. And I can do off ice on my own. For other expenses, I coach at the club every evening. It takes care of what I need. Oh and it helps that I am bunking with Kat who has got her own apartment now.

Now I know what you are thinking. Don't you see Kace if you work at the rink? Well unfortunately not. I basically took Kace's job while Kace, well he got to follow his dream. He got my father's scholarship and from what I hear he is doing pretty well. Good for him. He deserves it.

I grunt as I carry three skates to the skate shop store room. As I pass Daren he says something about "Just think of it as more off ice". I have to laugh at that. The people here at the rink have become just like my family. They all know my dream and support me, no judging. It's refreshing.

.....

I lean against the wall before looking over the task I have to do. I let out a sigh, 'This is gunna take me a while.' I think to myself.

I hear one of the staff members call out to me. I turn to look at him.

"I'm out, Chesa. You can lock up?" Jack says.

"Ya sure." I call out. I hear the door close as I go into the room to start organizing the boxes of skates. I whip the sweat from my forehead as I try and do this as quick as possible since I've already been here all day. I hear the back door open and close again. Hu, Jack must have forgotten something like usual, I think to myself. I continue to pack boxes. After a minute of not much sounds, I decided to see what was going on.

"Jack, what did you forget this time?" I say as I walk out of the skate room. As soon as I look up I freeze. That was definitely not punk pimple faced sixteen-year-old Jack.

My eyes lock with Kace's, then they slowly take in his appearance. He is in a nice plaid shirt rolled up his muscular arms pairs with some dark fitted jeans. Dang, I forgot how muscular his arms were. He looked good, not he looked freaking great.

Here he was looking put together and great while I with my hair was fuzzy from practice and working all day. I probably stunk from the physical activities of my day and here he was standing in front of me. Perfect.

He clears his throat, taking me out of my shocked state but he didn't say anything.

"I know it's an obvious question but what are you doing here?" I ask.

He takes a couple of steps closer to me. Ignoring my question he asks one, "You work here now?"

I give him a confused look while nodding and open my mouth to ask him again why is here but he cuts me off.

"You should really lock that if you are going to be here alone." He says frowning.

I clear my throat, "Well yes I guess that would be good since random people can just walk in here uninvited." I state clearly talking about him. At this moment we are about 3 feet from each other both standing awkwardly.

This time when Kace talks he has a smile, "Yes well I would be able to get in here no matter what door was locked or did you forget I worked here for two years?"

I knew that was a rhetorical question and he was teasing me. I was too focused on why he was here to be teasing back.

I step a half of a foot closer crossing my arms stating, "So about my earlier question...."

"So how are you Chesa?" He once again tries to change the subject but I give a look saying it won't work.

He gives me a cheeky look before answering, "Maybe I just wanted to see an old friend."

I roll my eyes, "How did you know I was here. I could be in Canada for all you know. Unless you are some creepy stalker, which I won't put it past you."

Kace lets out a laugh, "There's the attitude I missed."

My heart did a flip it hadn't done in a while from his statement about missing me. But still, I didn't know how he knew about me. I kept my life very separate from my parents and that life. Plus not that I knew anyone at the rink had not had contact with Kace. So how did he know I was at the rink at this time.

He releases a breath before running his hand through his hair, "You remember how I owed Kat..."

Ohhhhhh, everything makes sense now. My nosy roommate Kat has been asking me to get in contact with Kace but I have just told her to leave it alone. She obviously didn't.

"That makes sense. Sorry she contacted you." I drop my arms.

Kace shrugs, "I don't mind too much."

Before there was too much of awkward silence I ask, "So you got the scholarship, how's school?"

Kace's eyes light up, "Everything I hoped." He sits down on my bench behind us and I follow his lead, "Though the classes are hard I'm doing well and keeping up. I even got a job that will put inexperience when I finish my studying."

"Wow Kace, that's great. You are following your dream." I put my hand on top of his that was resting on his thigh. He looked down at my hand and back up at me before I quickly moved it away shifting uncomfortably.

"And you? How's skating?" Kace asks really looking at me like the information I tell him will save the world.

I clear my throat, "Ya good. Great actually." I smile up at him, "I left my parent's house and my old coach, wanting nothing to do with my old life. I got a job here which lets me skate and earn money while I live with Kat. So.. ya it's been great."

He takes my hands, "Wow that's great, Chesa. Doing what you love." I shrug at his statement though my face shows how happy I am. "Plus it explains the Kat thing." Kace laughs. I laugh and nod.

"She does like to get involved in my life. Not like my parents though so thank God for that." I laugh and Kace joins. My hand is still in Kace's so I gently pull it away and we both sit there in silence looking into the darkness of the rink.

Kace speaks up, "This place has been a life saver so many times."

"Ya." I say thinking, "And a holder of so many memories."

I feel Kace look at me as I still look forward my cheeks blushing. I ignore his stare.

"Chesa." I finally turn to look at him and I turn to meet eyes burning with emotion.

"Hmm" I all I can say as I look into those brown eyes.

He takes both my hands and I look down at our hands before to him. Our bodies now face each other and somehow we are a foot apart.

"I would like to give this, us, another try." He states looking deep into my eyes. My heart picks up and my stomach twirls.

I want to scream yes but inside I whisper out a, "Okay."

He takes his right hand up to my face and places his palm on my cheek as I close my eyes at the feeling. He slowly pulls our foreheads together. We stay like for a second letting the feeling of our presence communicate to each other.

Kace eventually whispers me a question, "Can I say something completely cheesy."

I feel his breath on my lips as he asks the question making my body shiver at how close he is. I nod my head at his question before choking out, "Cheese it up."

He chuckles though soft because nothing can disturb our intimate moment of connection.

"When my dream came true of getting a full scholarship to the school of my choice I thought I had everything I wanted." He then stroked his hand down the side of my face, "But I was wrong."

My heart leaped and though I wanted to say something back I couldn't get myself to talk. Kace then leaned into kiss me, good thing too since I couldn't do much with my heart going wild.

He took my face in his hands and put his warm lips on my own sealing the deal. Not that I knew but all of my dreams were coming true too. And I loved it. Literally.