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“It’s—well, it’s just a photo of a friend of mine and me. We were on a bike ride and took a selfie.” He could have sounded casual if his voice had remained steady. He reached out to take the photo from the guy, but the stranger ignored his outstretched hand.
“Interesting.” The man looked up and grinned—the kind of grin Satan might give right before he carried out some diabolical plan. “Very interesting.”
Darius said nothing. Partly because he couldn’t think of anything nice to say. Partly because he was so done with this guy. A jerk like this didn’t deserve the luxury of conversation.Professional. Be professional.
“What I find most amazing,” said the man in a contemplative tone, “is not that you have obvious feelings for Addisyn Miles, but that she is willing to even look at you. That’s really strange.”
Darius almost drove off the road. “Wha—”
“Allow me to introduce myself.” The man’s eyes gleamed with sinister enjoyment. He placed a hand on his chest with a flourish. “Brian Felding, figure skating trainer—and personal coach to Addisyn Miles.”
“Coach? Like—” None of this was adding up.
“Olympic coach.” Brian gave a brief nod. “Miss Miles is on her way to the bigs. She placed fifth in the U.S. Eastern Sectionals last year.”
“She’s a figure skater?” This was some kind of surreal dream.
“Oh, so she never told you?” The gleam in the man’s eyes said he was enjoying this for all he was worth. “Yes, she’s a figure skater, and a very talented one at that. Unfortunately, she did not receive the score at Sectionals that would have qualified her for Nationals.” Brian shook his head sadly. “A pity too. But she’ll make her comeback.”
“Her—comeback?” Darius’s heart was beating hard and rough in his chest.
Brian puffed out his chest. “She has a personal exhibition skate at the Rayard Arena in Chicago. A week from Wednesday. And believe me, she’ll come out on top.” There was that sinister grin again. “I’ve seen some good skaters, but this chick is the best.” He tapped his finger on Addisyn’s face in the photo.
Darius couldn’t process this. Any of this. Addisyn, a brilliant figure skater? Near Olympian? Why had she never mentioned this, this beautiful thing that they shared?
Brian was waiting for him to say something. “Wow.” It sounded flat and weak. Much like Darius felt. “That’s—wow.”
“Yeah, she’s good all right. Special.” Brian was watching Darius out of the corner of his eye. “I found that out right away.” He chuckled as if he had inside knowledge of Addisyn that Darius couldn’t share. “In fact, you could say I was a bit more than a coach, if you know what I mean.”
Darius’s stomach was one hard, revolving knot. He swallowed desperately, trying to moisten his throat enough to speak. More than a coach? He eyed his passenger with new horror. Could—could he have been Addisyn’s—boyfriend?
“You mean—” he had to swallow again. “You two were an—an item—or something?”
Brian chuckled heartily. “Or something is right, man.” He rubbed his hands together. “We’ve been together for years.” He squinted his eyes into knowing slits. “And by together, I mean—living together.” He smirked. “We’re gonna get married, sometime soon. I’m thinking a nice romantic ceremony in Vegas then a laid-back honeymoon in Aruba.”
Darius gripped the wheel tightly to keep his hands from shaking with anger. Partly at this man who was so obviously egging him on. Partly at Addisyn. She’d been with Brian for years? Years? Living with him? Basking in his embrace?
Looking at Brian with the same eyes of love she’d gazed at Darius with on the mountain?
Darius swiped his palm hard against his mouth, as if he might somehow erase the memory of her kiss. What a traitor she’d been. Sitting there in the rain, smiling and lying.
His skin was hot, prickly. All this time he’d worshipped her...and she thought he was just a toy.
“You’re awful quiet, buddy.” The words were jocular, the tone light, but when Darius looked at Brian, he saw pure hatred in his eyes. Hatred with an overtone of sadistic satisfaction.
And he also saw—jealousy. Aha! So the man was sweating a little. Darius stared right back at him. He’d dealt with bullies before. “Just surprised.” The anger was boiling in his stomach, making it hard to breathe. His chest burned and tingled in an odd way. “She never mentioned it.”
Brian smiled. “Well, she probably wouldn’t to you. There would have been no need. It might”—the man’s eyes narrowed further—“have messed things up between you.”
“What are you saying?” Darius’s tone was mild, level even. He braked for a second to let the light change to green and then moved on. His thoughts were moving faster than his windshield wipers and not nearly as predictably, but he could put up a poker face as well as anybody.
“Well—” Brian leered. “Girls are pretty sly, aren’t they?”
The line echoed Darius’s sentiments exactly at the time, but he wasn’t going to hear something so crass. Before he could retort, though, Brian jabbed him again. “Maybe you wouldn’t know. You don’t look to have had much experience. But—you know, don’t take it too hard.”
“Take what?” Darius wanted to scream. But he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t give this bully the satisfaction. He couldn’t control the fact that his face was beet red, but he could keep from grabbing Brian by his throat.
“Not knowing sooner. She probably just wanted to have some fun. You know, a little something-something on the side. But, whatever you two have been doing, it needs to stop.” Brian’s tone hardened. “I’m her man, and now I’m back, so I get dibs, okay?”
