Chapter 32 Summary: Key Events and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens at a pre-event gathering where Bella styles Kat's hair while the other skaters—Amber, Frannie, Chelsea, and Josie—tease Bella about photographs of her with Heath taken during their trip to Japan. The photos show the pair sightseeing at Sensō-ji Temple, sharing matcha in the Meiji Jingu Inner Garden, and dancing in Harajuku. Bella insists she and Heath are only skating partners, but the other women are unconvinced, pointing to the way Heath looks at her. Kat privately suspects the images are manufactured by the Lin PR machine rather than evidence of a genuine romance, noting that Bella has always treated romance as a practical matter—she waited until eighteen to have a one-night stand with a French skater at the 2003 World Championships, treating sex as a box to check rather than an emotional investment.

Once the others leave to get into costume, Kat confronts Bella about Heath. Kat warns that Heath wouldn't have returned solely to skate—that once he gets what he wants, he'll move on. Bella turns the accusation around, claiming Kat doesn't actually care about Heath and that Kat discarded him for Garrett. Kat fires back that Bella told her to do so, but Bella dismisses this, insisting no one could make Katarina Shaw do anything she didn't want to do. The argument escalates when Kat accuses Bella of never valuing their friendship, saying all Bella cares about is winning. Bella agrees, stating that winning is the basis of their friendship. Kat wrenches the door open and declares the friendship over.

Later that evening, Kat arrives at the rink on Coronado Island still seething. The event is a social gathering for wealthy Southern California businessmen rather than a competition, which frustrates Kat—she wants an outlet for her fury but finds none. Garrett waits for her by the rink, dressed in crystals that catch the firelight. He asks if she's okay; she lies. They're scheduled to skate second, which Kat resents because at a casual event like this, opening the show is the more desirable slot, and the crowd will only grow more distracted as the night wears on.

The Lin Ice Academy opens the show. A spotlight reveals Heath, dressed entirely in black with a leather band around his left bicep. He extends his hand, and the spotlight lands on Bella, who wears her mother's Cleopatra dress. She smiles the way Sheila did at the Calgary Olympics—like she has already won. Kat is stunned into silence.

Key Events

The other skaters tease Bella about her Japan photos with Heath; she insists they're only partners.
Kat privately confronts Bella about Heath's motives, warning that he didn't return just to skate.
The confrontation escalates into a full argument about Kat's relationship with Garrett and Bella's priorities.
Bella claims winning is the only basis of their friendship; Kat ends the friendship.
Kat and Garrett are scheduled to skate second at the Coronado Island exhibition.
The Lin Ice Academy opens the show with Heath skating first.
Bella performs in her mother's Cleopatra costume, smiling like Sheila at the Calgary Olympics.

Character Development

Kat spends the chapter caught between her suspicions and her emotions. She recognizes the Japan photos as a PR construction rather than genuine romance, yet she can't fully dismiss the possibility that something real exists between Heath and Bella. Her confrontation with Bella reveals how much her friendship with Bella has eroded—she's willing to end it over Heath, the man she once loved. Her fury at the exhibition is telling: she wants a competition so she can channel her anger into beating Heath and Bella, but the social event offers no such outlet.

Bella shows her calculating side throughout the chapter. She deflects the other skaters' teasing with a smooth, political tone that Kat compares to Sheila's. When confronted, she turns the argument back on Kat, accusing her of discarding Heath. Her admission that winning is the basis of their friendship is a stark revelation of her priorities. Her choice to wear her mother's Cleopatra costume and smile like Sheila did at Calgary signals that she's positioning herself as the heir to her mother's legacy.

Heath appears only at the end, but his entrance is significant. Dressed in black with a leather band, he performs first for the Lin Ice Academy, and his partner is Bella. His return to skating is now publicly confirmed, and his pairing with Bella suggests a strategic alliance.

Garrett remains a steady presence, checking on Kat and delivering the news about their skating order. He's largely unaware of the depth of Kat's turmoil.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Betrayal: The chapter is built on betrayals both real and perceived. Kat feels betrayed by Bella's relationship with Heath; Bella accuses Kat of betraying Heath for Garrett. The friendship ends over these accusations.

Ambition over friendship: Bella's declaration that winning is the basis of her friendship with Kat crystallizes the theme. For Bella, relationships are instrumental—they serve her goals or they don't exist.

Public image vs. private reality: The Japan photos are a constructed image designed to control the narrative around Heath and Bella. Kat sees through them, but the public (and the other skaters) accept them at face value.

Performance vs. competition: Kat's frustration that the exhibition isn't a competition highlights the difference between performing for an audience and competing for a result. She wants to channel her anger into winning, but the social event offers no such satisfaction.

Legacy and maternal inheritance: Bella's Cleopatra costume is her mother's, and her smile mirrors Sheila's at Calgary. She's not just performing—she's claiming her mother's legacy.

Manipulation and control: Bella's control over the narrative—the photos, her deflection, her accusation—is a form of manipulation. Kat's suspicion that Bella made her braids too tight is a small but telling detail.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks the definitive end of Kat and Bella's friendship, a relationship that has been central to the story. Bella's admission that winning is the foundation of their bond reframes their entire history. The chapter also sets up the rivalry that will define the rest of the book: Kat and Garrett versus Heath and Bella. Bella's costume choice—her mother's Cleopatra dress—signals that she's stepping into her mother's legacy, and her smile suggests she believes victory is already hers. The chapter ends on a note of dramatic irony: Kat is furious and unsettled, while Bella appears triumphant.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Kat end her friendship with Bella in this chapter?

Kat ends the friendship after Bella dismisses her concerns about Heath and then accuses Kat of discarding Heath for Garrett. When Kat says their friendship never meant anything to Bella and that all Bella cares about is winning, Bella agrees, saying that's why they're friends. This admission confirms Kat's fears that Bella views their relationship as purely instrumental, and Kat responds by declaring the friendship over.

2. What does Bella's costume choice reveal about her intentions?

Bella wears her mother's Cleopatra dress and smiles the way Sheila did at the Calgary Olympics. This signals that Bella is deliberately positioning herself as her mother's successor, claiming the legacy of a champion. The smile—described as if she's already won—suggests she believes her victory is inevitable, whether in skating or in her rivalry with Kat.

3. Why is Kat frustrated that the exhibition isn't a competition?

Kat wants to channel her anger at Bella and Heath into beating them on the ice. A competition would give her a clear objective and a way to prove herself. But the exhibition is a social event for wealthy businessmen, with no medals or rankings at stake. Kat is left with her fury and no productive outlet for it, which intensifies her frustration.