AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Ria," he said sadly, only trying to soothe me, but it triggered me even more.
One word, three letters, and it said everything I needed to know.
I shoved Kova again and he stepped back. I pushed him harder until he was against the wall. I couldn't stop. I couldn’t process anything he was saying. I couldn't hear.
"Stop it. Shut up! You know nothing!"
He gently cupped my arm, his compassion all too consuming. His touch told me the truth again, and I revolted against it. He let me hit him, slap him, shove him.
This was too much. I hated it. I was going to be sick. He didn't know. He was lying.
Kova was lying just like he always did, but then his next set of words shattered me completely, forever changing us.
"I know about the lupus and kidney disease."
Twenty-One
I snapped, and tears fell in thick streams down my cheeks to the corners of my mouth. They seeped into me, fueling me with fierce resentment and hurt unlike I'd ever felt before.
"No one was supposed to know!"
Kova grabbed my upper arms and I reacted quickly by swinging myself out of his hold. He grabbed me again and this time I slapped his chest. He flinched but tightened his hold.
"Let go of me," I screamed, my hand connecting with his chest. "Get away from me. Everyone is a liar. Everyone! I hate it so much. All everyone does is just lie. No one was supposed to know, including you!"
I yanked away, but Kova was too strong. He pulled me to his chest and I fell into him. I let myself cry for a moment, whimpering against him as he held me, my back vibrating with sorrow. I let out an exhausted cry, but I didn't back down and continued to fight him.
"Your father was worried. He meant no harm."
I drew in an audible breath and pulled away. "So you knew this whole time?"
Kova stared down his nose, his eyes low and sober. "I have."
I blinked rapidly trying to get the tears to stop so I could see clearly. "How? How could you have known for so long?"
"Your father called me," he said unsympathetically. "He said the doctor's office had called him with the lupus results and wanted to do further testing but you had not shown up. This was months and months ago. He was concerned and knew you were under pressure but did not want to panic you, so he asked me to convince you to go. He also asked that I not tell you I knew." His eyes roamed my face. Lowering his voice, he said, "I cannot handle seeing you like this any longer. I am worried about you, Adrianna. You are fading away and wearing yourself out, and I know why. You want to avoid the problem and act like nothing is serious, that it cannot control your life, but you cannot do that. It will only hurt you more in the long run. That is what my mother did, and I refuse to see you do that. You should have come to me."
My lips parted in realization. "When you told me I couldn't come back to practice until I went to the doctor… That time I stayed at your house… That's how long you’ve known?"
"Before that. Your father and I have been in close contact regarding your health. I learned when you came back from the training camp that it was a high possibility there was something wrong. I found out shortly after."
Hot tears silently poured out of me. This whole time I thought I'd been fighting against myself to prove I could handle my training schedule, when in fact Kova was just allowing everything because he felt sorry for me. His tolerance made total sense now, and it offended me. His way of handling my sickness was pitying me.
My eyes searched his. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, something other than sympathy. Was he sad that my chance of achieving my Olympic dream had lessened dramatically? Or that I had an incurable disease that could strip me as a person? Did it change how he viewed me as just Ria?
Or even worse. Did he label me now?
"I have always admired your tenacity, but this madness ends now."
He admired me.
"I…I…" I swallowed, trying to find my voice. "I need to leave."
I couldn't be held responsible for my actions at this point. Between the blind rage and numbness, his touch, the sound of his deep voice enveloping me, the energy was too powerful in me to break free.
Turning away, I blindly located my bag, looking but not really looking. I bent down and reached inside to feel for my keys. Grabbing them, I stood up and quickly walked toward the door in a daze.
"Adrianna," Kova said, clucking his tongue behind me. "Where are you going? You cannot drive in this condition."
