Chapter 6 Cracks in the Armor

Aurora's POV

I dragged myself into Ice Haven the next morning feeling like a zombie. My body ached from yesterday’s practice and my mind was exhausted from replaying Marcus and Julian’s conversation.

Julian was already on the ice when I arrived. He looked tired too, with dark circles under his eyes.

“Morning,” I said, sitting on the bench to lace my skates.

“Morning,” he replied. “You sleep at all?”

“Not really. You?”

“Same.” He skated closer. “Look, about yesterday with Marcus… I’m sorry if it made things weird.”

Before I could answer, Coach Rivera walked in clapping her hands.

“Alright lovebirds— I mean, partners,” she corrected with a grin. “Let’s see what you’ve got today.”

We started warming up. After twenty minutes, Coach called us over.

“Wow,” she said, nodding. “Your timing is getting better. The chemistry is finally showing. I like it.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes. So I’ve been thinking about your program. I want it to tell a story — two broken people who find each other on the ice. One lost her passion, the other is carrying too much pressure. They start cold and distant… but slowly they learn to trust and become stronger together. Romantic, but powerful. Think you two can sell that?”

Julian glanced at me. “We can try.”

I swallowed. “It sounds… really personal.”

“That’s the point,” Coach said. “The judges love emotion. Now go practice that difficult spin we worked on last time. The one with the lift transition.”

We moved to the center of the ice. Julian positioned himself behind me.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Yeah. Let’s do it.”

He started the spin. As we picked up speed, my ankle suddenly throbbed with sharp pain. I gasped and lost my balance.

“Rory!” Julian caught me instantly, pulling me against his chest before I could fall. He held me tighter than necessary, one arm around my waist, the other supporting my back.

I looked up at him. Our faces were way too close. My heart hammered.

“You okay?” he asked softly, not letting go.

“Yeah… it just twinged a little.”

He didn’t move. His eyes searched mine. “I told you I wouldn’t let you fall.”

For a few long seconds, we just stared at each other. The air felt thick. I could feel his breath on my lips.

“Julian…” I whispered.

He slowly released me, clearing his throat. “We should try again. Slower this time.”

Later that afternoon, I met Mia at our favorite café near the ballet studio. The moment I sat down with my latte, she leaned forward with bright eyes.

“Okay, spill. How’s the ice hunk?”

I groaned. “Mia, stop calling him that.”

She laughed. “Come on! You’ve been practicing with Julian Reyes every morning. Tell me everything. Is he as hot up close as he looks from the bleachers?”

“He’s… complicated,” I said, stirring my drink. “One minute he’s cocky and annoying, the next he’s actually sweet. Yesterday he told me about his parents putting huge pressure on him for the Olympics.”

Mia’s eyes widened. “Wait. He opened up to you? That’s not playboy behavior.”

“I know. And during practice today… we had this moment. He caught me when my ankle hurt and held me really close. The way he looked at me…” I trailed off, blushing.

Mia squealed. “Rory! You like him!”

“Shh!” I looked around the café. “I don’t know. I shouldn’t. Marcus warned me a million times. Plus Lila made sure to remind me about all the girls he’s been with.”

“But he’s different with you, right?” Mia asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

I sighed. “Maybe. I saw him turn down a girl at the rink today. She was clearly flirting and he just… brushed her off. I felt weirdly happy about it, then I got mad at myself for caring.”

Mia grinned. “Girl, you’ve got it bad. The ballerina is falling for the playboy on ice. This is so romantic.”

“It’s not romantic,” I argued. “It’s complicated and dangerous.”

“Complicated is usually the best kind,” she said, sipping her coffee. “Just be careful with your heart, okay?”

Back at the rink for evening practice, I saw Julian talking to a girl near the snack counter. She was laughing and touching his arm. I waited for him to flirt back like usual.

Instead, he gently moved her hand away.

“Sorry, I’m focusing on training right now,” he told her. “I’m not really available.”

The girl walked away looking disappointed. Julian turned and caught me watching. He gave me a small, almost shy smile.

My stupid heart fluttered again.

We practiced for another hour. I was just starting to relax when the rink door opened.

Two people walked in — an older Asian couple dressed very formally. Julian froze the second he saw them.

“Mom? Dad?” he said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

His mother’s sharp eyes landed on me immediately. She looked me up and down, taking in my leggings and old hoodie.

“Julian,” she said in a strict tone, “we came to watch your individual training. Not… this.” She waved her hand toward me. “Who is this girl?”

Julian stepped closer to me. “This is Rory. We’re partners for the mixed pairs competition.”

His mother’s face hardened. “Partners? We didn’t sacrifice everything — moving to this country, working double shifts, paying for all your coaching — for you to waste time with some ballet girl.”

Her words hit me like a slap.

Julian’s jaw tightened. “Mom, don’t—”

But I had already heard enough. I turned away quickly so they wouldn’t see my face, but the damage was done.