On his way to realizing his Olympic dream, Tom Alan Baranowski finds himself in the midst of a dilemma. His traditional Japanese coach is insisting upon an arranged marriage between his biological daughter Erika and adopted son Tom Alan, who are partners on the ice. Tom Alan loves Erika, and his coach literally saved his life, rescuing him from an abusive home. How can he say no?<br><br>Somewhat resigned to his “not so bad” fate, everything changes when Tom Alan meets British ice dancer Milo Fisher. The spark between them is almost hot enough to melt the ice beneath their blades, and the two fall into an affair.<br><br>What about Erika? What about loyalty? What about gold? For Tom Alan, the impossible throw quadruple jump is suddenly the least difficult thing in his life.

Quadruple Flip

They were taking Japan Railway home. No need to fly. No need to stay, either. They wouldn’t be performing for the medalist’s exhibition event at the end of the competition, that was for sure.


“He left? He never leaves. We always travel back together, even on the trains.” Erika knew that, of course. Tom Alan knew she knew it. He’d said it out loud anyway, just to express his surprise—his sad surprise. “Did he ask you to go with him?”


“You said no? Or you wouldn’t if he asked you to?”


“What happened?” She ignored the question.


Tom Alan told her about that morning, about Milo, about Jeremy innocently letting Papa into the room.


“Not that.” Her voice suddenly had an edge, like their otousan’s had in the story she’d interrupted. “I don’t give a fuck about any of that. Tomorrow I might. Tonight, that has nothing to do with me.”


Chapter 73