Chapters (61)
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ONE DANNI
- TWO ROSE
- THREE DANNI
- FOUR DANNI
- FIVE ROSE
- SIX ROSE
- SEVEN DANNI
- EIGHT ROSE
- NINE DANNI
- TEN ROSE
- ELEVEN ROSE
- TWELVE ROSE
- THIRTEEN ROSE
- FOURTEEN DANNI
- FIFTEEN DANNI
- SIXTEEN ROSE
- SEVENTEEN DANNI
- EIGHTEEN ROSE
- NINETEEN ROSE
- TWENTY DANNI
- TWENTY-ONE DANNI
- TWENTY-TWO DANNI
- TWENTY-THREE ROSE
- TWENTY-FOUR ROSE
- TWENTY-FIVE DANNI
- TWENTY-SIX ROSE
- TWENTY-SEVEN DANNI
- TWENTY-EIGHT ROSE
- TWENTY-NINE ROSE
- THIRTY DANNI
- THIRTY-ONE DANNI
- THIRTY-TWO ROSE
- THIRTY-THREE DANNI
- THIRTY-FOUR ROSE
- THIRTY-FIVE ROSE
- THIRTY-SIX DANNI
- THIRTY-SEVEN ROSE
- THIRTY-EIGHT DANNI
- THIRTY-NINE ROSE
- FORTY DANNI
- FORTY-ONE ROSE
- FORTY-TWO DANNI
- FORTY-THREE ROSE
- FORTY-FOUR DANNI
- FORTY-FIVE ROSE
- FORTY-SIX ROSE
- FORTY-SEVEN DANNI
- FORTY-EIGHT ROSE
- FORTY-NINE ROSE
- FIFTY ROSE
- FIFTY-ONE ROSE
- FIFTY-TWO DANNI
- EPILOGUE ROSE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Also by Sophie Gonzales
- Praise Page
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
She does, revealing the pair of leather figure skates I spent hours agonizing over last week. Now that I see them, I like them even more than I remembered. More than my own. “I thought they would be useful today,” I explain. “Also, I would love to give you another one-on-one lesson. If you would like.”
She pulls one out and rotates it in her hands. “These are officially the nicest things I own now,” she says, which I think is a compliment. “Do you think I can take the blade off and wear them as shoes?”
“I think you would struggle,” I answer seriously, and she looks up at me with a grin.
“I love them. Thank you.”
“I’m glad. No weirdness, then?”
“Oh, I thought I’d take a leaf out of your book,” she says lightly, squeezing the tongue of the boot. It’s plush. Much more comfortable than the school stock.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m shoving it down until I can’t feel it anymore.”
I choke on my laughter, and she shoves the skates back into their box. “Your gift comes later. Let’s go,” she says, rising to her feet and holding a hand out to me. I let her pull me up, and then we let go of each other. We won’t be able to hold hands again until tonight now.
But at least I get to spend the day with her. At least there’s that.
THIRTY DANNI
When I used to think of Europe, sprawling black lakes covered in thick ice and bordered by snowcapped mountains came to mind. I used to think skating on an honest-to-god lake hand in hand with someone was the most romantic-sounding thing in the world. Only, even though we had plenty of lakes within driving distance, I couldn’t skate, and none of my friends were very interested in going, and I never met anyone who wanted to date me anyway.
Today, I can skate—sort of—and I’m at one of those lakes, on Valentine’s Day, with my girlfriend, even. But the romantic part is debatable, because my girlfriend’s here with her fake boyfriend, some strange guy is here, too, and we’re surrounded by police guards and paparazzi, and they’re all either staring at us or taking photos of us.
It might be someone’s idea of romance, somewhere out there, but I’m not sure it’s mine.