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Katya looked at her face for one long moment. “You don’t know,” she said finally.
“No. I guess I don’t. What is it?”
Katya slowly handed her phone to MJ. The browser was on a Greek newspaper’s website, and the biggest photo on its homepage was of Helios at some club in Miami in a liplock with a Russian model. “W-what does the article say?” MJ whispered.
“I think you should talk about it with Helios first,” Katya said uneasily. “I don’t think it’s true—”
MJ looked at her friend pleadingly.
Katya exhaled. “It says that Helios has been out partying every night since he retired from bike racing.”
They heard the sound of heavy footsteps headed towards them at the end of Katya’s words. When they looked up, Helios was there, looking like he had run like hell to get to them.
Helios cursed silently when he saw MJ’s pale face. She had heard about it, too, then. He did not blame Katya Vlahos at all for telling her. She was only looking out for her friend, the same way his friends were looking out for him, with Yuri calling him right away the moment he heard about the news breaking out in Greek media.
When he looked at Katya, the other girl asked MJ, “Are you okay if I leave or do you want me here?”
MJ swallowed. “I’m...okay. You can go.” She talked without really hearing herself. It was like she was floating, and everything was happening to another MJ, not her. Just when things were starting to look right, this had to happen. She could almost hear James’ voice inside her head, taunting her.Do you really think you deserve to be happy? You don’t, MJ. You never did.
And James should know. He was a famous racer once. He knew how it felt to be loved by many. MJ didn’t, and maybe she was never meant to because she wasn’t the kind to be loved.
It was only when Helios started shaking her shoulders that she looked up and realized she was already in his arms.
“It’s not true,” Helios said fiercely. “That photo was taken years ago. I have no fucking idea why they’re lying about me all of a sudden, but it’s not true.”
She didn’t, couldn’t answer.
“I’m heading back to Greece tonight to figure out what’s going on. But I promise you, nothing in that stupid article is the truth. I’ve been in the club every night, MJ. I’ve got the CCTV footage to prove it—”
She said between dry lips, “But that could be faked.”
“Do you really think I’d go to such lengths to lie to you?” Helios demanded. “I wouldn’t—”
She whispered, “If you really loved me, you would.”
This time, Helios cursed out loud, realizing how neatly MJ had trapped him, probably even without planning to. “MJ, dammit, I swear to you, I haven’t even fucking left the school since we broke up, and that’s the goddamn truth. I love you – just you, and it will always be you. Can’t you make yourself believe that?”
Before she could answer, her own phone rang. She answered it unthinkingly and was surprised to hear it was Jack. She had come to know the other guy fairly well, with both of them into photography.
Helios stiffened when he heard MJ say another guy’s name. It was that asshole again. MJ had admitted to him long before that Jack was more Katya’s friend than hers, but he wasn’t buying it. He had seen the way Jack looked at MJ and knew the interest wasn’t platonic.
When he heard MJ citing a time and place to meet, he reached for her phone without thinking, snatching it out of her hand and ending the call.
“Helios!” MJ’s face was full of indignation.
So she would only say his name out of anger?
In one move, he had her against the wall, hands slamming on each side of her face like a cage. She tried to get away, but there was no escaping and they both knew it.
“Let me go,” MJ muttered.
“Why are you meeting up with that man?”
She looked away as she answered, “It’s none of your busi—”
“It is my business because I love you,” he growled.
“Do you really?” she asked tightly.
