"His hand was steady where mine shook."
The words Eli had just spoken hung in the cold air between them, heavier than any physical weight Silver had tried to manage during her therapy sessions. Then maybe it's time to learn. Learn what exactly? How to accept limitations? How to stop measuring her worth through technical elements and competition results? How to trust someone who'd witnessed her at her most vulnerable?
Silver's glove trembled slightly inside Eli's grip, though she tried to hide the visible evidence of how thoroughly his proximity was affecting her nervous system. The cold from the ice still clung to her body, sharp as pins against skin that had been pressed to frozen surface just minutes ago. But his hand was warm and certain, radiating the kind of steadiness she used to feel on the rink before her injury had stolen her confidence along with her physical capabilities.
Unshakable. Controlled. Completely reliable.
