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They nodded, then followed Beth back to the center mat as she gathered the class to review the planned workout.
Aithan headed toward his office.
Tristan dropped a towel into one of the laundry bins and jogged after him. “Got a minute?”
“Sure. Just killing time before I head out for an appointment. What’s up?”
Aithan closed the office door and Tristan took the chair before his small desk. He ran his hand through his hair and grimaced, not quite meeting Aithan’s gaze.
“There’s something I gotta get off my chest,” Tristan said.
Aithan stowed his laptop in his office safe. “I’m listening.” He sat at the desk and leaned forward. He hoped this wasn’t about Zelda. He wasn’t looking for a pissing match with Tristan over her, but he wouldn’t back down if it turned into that.
The guy dragged in a deep breath, then blew it out in a rush. “I fucked up big time. After Juan sent me home for griping about you in front of the Advanced class, I got drunk and bitched to a couple of high school buddies about you moving in on Zel.” He glanced up to assess Aithan’s reaction.
“Okay. That’s not really messing up.”
Tristan grimaced and rubbed his palms on his shorts. “See, it is, because I know these guys. We used to get into a lot of shit when we were dumb kids. I moved to Seattle to get away from them. I, uh, I think those fucking thugs took my call as an invitation to bust a skull and take a joy ride.”
“Ah.” Aithan nodded slowly, not sure how to react and not wanting tooverreact. “I see.” Tightness gripped his chest and he rubbed his sternum to alleviate it. “What are you gonna do about it?”
“Find my balls,” Tristan muttered. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to handle this for weeks. And I’m screwed no matter how I look at it. Doing nothing and hoping the cops won’t put two and two together isn’t a great option. Doing nothing and living with the guilt of getting you jacked up and betraying Zel, who vouched for me to the cops, sure as hell isn’t okay. Ratting out Jack and Begby and ending up on trial with those fuckers ain’t a fun choice either. But—”
Aithan waited, his mind reeling from the confession. His skin tingled and the pain in his chest had dropped into his stomach like a stone.
“But I gotta fix what I fucked up,” Tristan finally said. “I screwed shit up with Zel, yeah, but we really weren’t right for each other. I mean, I knew that for a long-ass time. Still, we’re gonna run into each other on the regular, and I’d like to be okay with her, ya know?” He looked up and Aithan nodded. “I mean she’s cool and smart and probably one of the most honest people I’ve ever known.”
Aithan grasped that and held on to stay focused. “She doesn’t tolerate idiocy.”
“Exactly.” Tristan sucked his teeth. “Anyway, I figure this means I’m fired.”
“No.” Aithan had a sudden headache.
Tristan blinked in obvious surprise. “What?”
Aithan exhaled a slow breath. “If I fired every trainer who made a personal mistake, I’d have to start with myself.” He rested his arms on his desk. “You messed up. Maybe. We won’t know until the police investigate. That doesn’t make you bad at your job. It doesn’t even make you an accessory to the attack.” Tristan slowly nodded and Aithan continued. Focusing on the facts was calming. “Have you taken this information to the police?”
“Yeah. I’m meeting with Lieutenant Kevlin tomorrow morning.”
Aithan sat back and drew another slow, steadying breath. “Good. What about Zelda?”
Tristan hung his head then looked at Aithan from behind his bangs. “Shit, man, she’s not gonna be nearly as understanding as you.”
“Nope. And I’m not taking the task off your shoulders. I assume she knows these guys?”
“Yeeeah. She’s not a big fan.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s gonna kill me for even talking to them.”
“Huh. So why did you?”
Tristan sniffed. “Habit, I guess. I don’t have a whole lotta people to talk through shit with, you know? And I was way drunk.”
“You still drinking?”
He looked up. “No. No way. It was just that one night. I can’t on the meds I’m taking now. Really shouldn’t ever.”
Ligaments crackled as Aithan rotated his head on his neck. “Listen, I appreciate your honesty. I’m sure you didn’t intend for me to get jacked.”
“No, definitely not. No way.”
