Chapter 46 Summary

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

⚠️ This summary and analysis contains major plot points from The Favorites up to Chapter 47. If you haven't read that far, proceed with caution.

Summary

After Lee’s parole and the ensuing media circus, Sheila advises the narrator and Heath to ignore the distractions—paparazzi outside the rink, apartment, and even the drugstore; endless interview and endorsement offers; and Lee’s talk-show appearances with his embellished sob story. Sheila insists that responding would only encourage him, and that the only thing they can control is their training. The narrator reluctantly agrees, though she admits she wants to be remembered for her athletic greatness, not for bleeding on the ice or for her brother’s antics.

Heath and the narrator throw themselves into training, waking early and pushing through stiffness and pain. Their bodies are inconsistent—sometimes they skate as well as before, sometimes the mind-muscle connection fails. They must learn to trust each other and themselves again. Sheila spends most of her time with the twins, leaving them with assistant coaches, which stings but feels justified given their inconsistent performances.

They withdraw from their first two events, sacrificing a shot at the Grand Prix Final, to focus on the French Grand Prix. The narrator is determined not to let the autumn pass without competing, fearing that arriving at Nationals untested would hand the title to Garrett and Bella. Sheila drops a bombshell the night before the twins leave for the Cup of China: she cannot attend the French event due to sponsor commitments in Asia and Australia, and all assistant coaches have scheduling conflicts. Heath and the narrator are on their own.

In Paris, the compulsory waltz goes well until a rut in the ice knocks them off balance, leaving them in second place behind Yelena Volkova and her new partner, Dmitri Kipriyanov—a stunning skater with a Bolshoi lineage and a rumored mafia princess grandmother. The original dance takes place later the same day. Heath and the narrator had wanted to skate to Kate Bush in androgynous costumes, but Sheila insisted on a traditional tango to “La Cumparsita,” with a red dress and a rose behind the narrator’s ear. The performance is far from perfect: Heath mixes up his cross steps, and the narrator tears a hole in his trousers with her toe pick. They drop to third place, behind the French team of Genevieve Moreau and Emanuel.

Heath tries to reassure her, reminding her it’s their first event back, but she is not comforted. She asks for a minute alone before the press conference. Heath reluctantly leaves. She wanders into a corridor deep in the arena, far from Heath, and finally lets her frustration out—she rips the artificial rose from her hair and stomps on it repeatedly. As she does, a woman with a harsh, smoky Russian accent interrupts her.

Key Events

Sheila advises ignoring media distractions and focusing on training.
The narrator and Heath withdraw from their first two events to prepare for the French Grand Prix.
Sheila announces she cannot attend the French event due to sponsor commitments.
In Paris, they place second in the compulsory waltz behind Yelena Volkova and Dmitri Kipriyanov.
During the original dance, Heath makes errors and the narrator tears his trousers, dropping them to third place behind Genevieve Moreau and Emanuel.
The narrator asks for alone time, wanders into a corridor, and destroys her artificial rose.
A woman with a Russian accent interrupts her tantrum.

Character Development

The narrator shows fierce determination and a refusal to accept mediocrity, but also reveals deep frustration and a fragile sense of identity. Her desire to be remembered for her athletic skill clashes with the public narrative surrounding her. She struggles to trust her body and her partner after her injury, and her reaction to the rose shows how much she resents the artistic conformity Sheila imposes.
Heath remains supportive and patient, trying to reassure her after the disappointing performance. His willingness to give her space, despite the hurt on his face, shows his emotional maturity and commitment to her well-being.
Sheila is absent for the first time in a major competition, forcing the narrator and Heath to rely on themselves. Her insistence on a traditional program highlights her control over their artistic choices, even when it doesn't suit them.
Yelena Volkova and Dmitri Kipriyanov are introduced as formidable rivals, with Dmitri’s beauty and skill making them a threat.
Genevieve Moreau emerges as a new competitor, stepping out of her sister Arielle’s shadow.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Media scrutiny and public narrative: The chapter opens with the paparazzi and Lee’s talk-show appearances, emphasizing how external narratives threaten to define the narrator. She wants to be remembered for her athleticism, not her trauma or family drama.
Focus and control: Sheila’s advice to ignore distractions and focus on training reflects the theme of controlling what one can. The narrator’s inconsistent body and the competition’s unpredictability challenge this control.
Artistic identity versus conformity: Sheila’s insistence on a traditional tango and a red dress with a rose contrasts with the narrator’s desire for androgynous costumes and unconventional music. The artificial rose becomes a symbol of this forced conformity—something she literally rips out and stomps on.
Isolation and emotional distance: The narrator’s request to be alone and her retreat into the arena’s bowels highlight her emotional isolation, even from Heath. The corridor is described as the farthest she’s been from him since St. Louis, underscoring the psychological distance.
Family trauma resurfacing: Lee’s parole and his media appearances bring the narrator’s family history back into the spotlight, forcing her to confront the past while trying to move forward.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a turning point in the competition arc. The narrator and Heath are tested without Sheila’s guidance, and their struggles reveal cracks in their partnership and in the narrator’s confidence. The introduction of new rivals—Volkova/Kipriyanov and Moreau/Emanuel—raises the stakes for the free dance. More importantly, the chapter ends on a cliffhanger: the mysterious Russian woman who interrupts the narrator’s tantrum could be a new ally, a rival, or a figure from the past. This moment sets up the next chapter’s conflict and deepens the narrator’s internal struggle between who she is and who she’s expected to be.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does the narrator agree to Sheila’s advice to ignore the media, even though she wants to be remembered?

She trusts Sheila’s judgment and believes that focusing on training is the only way to regain her athletic standing. She also fears that responding to Lee or the press would only fuel the narrative she wants to escape.

2. How does the narrator’s reaction to the artificial rose reflect her feelings about Sheila’s artistic choices?

The rose represents the traditional, feminine costume Sheila insisted on, which clashes with the narrator’s desire for androgyny and individuality. Ripping it out and stomping on it is a physical rejection of that conformity and a release of her pent-up frustration.

3. What does the narrator’s decision to ask Heath for alone time reveal about her emotional state?

It shows she is overwhelmed and unable to accept comfort, even from someone she loves. Her need for isolation suggests she is struggling with shame and self-doubt, and she may feel that Heath’s reassurance doesn’t address the deeper issue of her performance and identity.