AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thank you. I should get back to my trainees…”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
And then yet another exchange was over.
My phone let out another ring before I’d even lowered it, but this one was a different tone. I let out a soft chuckle. “That’s Emi. I’ll let her know we’re all surviving the chaos.”
I stepped into my bedroom where it’d be quieter and answered the phone. “Hello, little sister.”
“Hello, big brother,” Emi shot back in a typical playful tone. Then she got abruptly serious. “I just wanted to make sure you’re holding up all right. I can’t believe they’re dredging up all that stuff that’s ancient history.”
My stomach sank. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, no—you haven’t seen—never mind—”
I sat down on the edge of the bed. “What, Emi?”
She let out a disgruntled sound. “It’s on TXN now.”
I grabbed the remote and turned on the smaller TV in the bedroom. The second I flipped to the right channel, my skin went cold.
My face filled the screen. A reporter’s voice droned on in commentary, with far less emotion than I’d have said the story warranted.
“Though dramatic on the ice, earning gold and silver medals at multiple competitions, Niko Okabe has seen plenty of drama and scandal off the ice as well. One of the best-known incidents of his past involved a former partner of Okabe’s, Kenzo Kiyama, whom the skater outed on live television as his boyfriend, followed by a hasty break-up and Kiyama’s firing from his prestigious job.”
Oh, kuso. Why in the world had they needed to unearth that old drama? Shame flooded my chest, nearly as sharp as it’d dug into me five years ago when my most epic screw-up had just occurred.
“That has nothing to do with the skating arena,” I managed to say through my daze.
Emi huffed. “I know! And you were the victim in last week’s attack—it’s not like you were creating ‘drama.’ Are they trying to say that you deserved to get shot or something? It’s ridiculous. I’m going to call the station and tell them so. But first—do you need anything? You or Lou or the other guys?”
“No,” I said quickly. “Don’t call—let the subject drop as quickly as possible. And we’re all right, just a little frazzled.”
“I bet. Try not to let any of it go too much to your head. You made a mistake once—it’s notthatbig a deal. And if you do need anything, you know how to reach me.”
“I do,” I said dryly.
After Emi hung up, I sank back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Lou’s mother had managed to bring not just her past back to haunt her but mine as well. I liked the woman even less than I had before, which was a pretty incredible feat.
My phone rang with another unknown number. I brought it to my ear automatically, preparing my standard reporter response.
“This is Niko Okabe.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Okabe?” a far-too-familiar voice snapped in caustic Japanese.
My stomach lurched. I jerked upright again, my palm turning clammy against the phone. “Kenzo?”
“Don’t talk to me like we’re still close. I’m remembering all too well why we’re not.”
I could easily guess what had gotten my ex-boyfriend so upset. The more unexpected part of this call was that he’d still had my phone number saved someplace. “I have no idea why the news stations are bringing up our history again, Kiyama. If I could do anything about it—”
Kenzo broke in with a scoffing sound. “You’ll just fan the flames even more. You can never get enough attention, can you? Five years later, and you have to drag my name onto the TV all over again.”
Despite the weight of guilt in my gut, I couldn’t help bristling a little at the accusation. “I told you how sorry I was when it happened, and I meant that. I definitely didn’tchooseto get shot or for the media to make a big deal out of the story.”
“Sure. I know you, Okabe. You’ll have played it up and encouraged them at every turn. Well, now you’ve gotten what you wanted. I just wanted to remind you that your selfishness affects people other than you. I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
“Kiyama—”
