Page 182 of The Dixon Rule

She’s right, I can.

Before I can answer, I catch sight of a familiar platinum ponytail at the end of the hall. When I see Diana break through the crowd, I glance at Lynsey and say, “I’ll meet you out front. I’ll come around with the car.”

“Sounds good,” she answers gratefully.

As Lynsey passes Diana, she greets her with a nod. I don’t miss the suspicion darkening Diana’s eyes as she approaches me. I hold out my arms, and even as she flies into them to hug me, I feel the rising tension.

“Fifth fuckin’ place!” I exclaim. “I told you that tango was killer.”

She brightens at that. “I can’t believe how much money we won! This is really going to help me.”

“I know. It’s wild. What did fourth place get?”

“Twelve grand.”

I nod decisively. “I know what we’re aiming for next year.”

Diana grins and takes my hand. Then, as if she’s remembering what she just saw, the smile abruptly fades. “Why was Lynsey here?”

“She wants to talk.” I pause for a second. “Gigi’s here, right? Ryder said she’s got her car?”

“Yeah,” Diana answers uneasily. “Why?”

“Do you mind driving back to Hastings with her and Mya? I’m going to grab a quick drink with Lynsey, but I’ll meet you at Malone’s right after. I’ll be thirty minutes behind you, I promise.”

Diana stares at me.

“What?” I run my hand over my close-cropped hair, lightly scraping my palm.

“You’re grabbing a drink with Lynsey.” Her tone is flat.

“I told you, she wants to talk.”

“Yeah, I bet she does.”

“It’s not like that,” I assure her.

The tension between us continues to rise. I can see Diana’s mind spinning, her jaw working as she grits her teeth. She wants to say something. No, she wants to say a lot of things, and I’ve witnessed her temper enough times to know it’s taking all her restraint not to explode on me.

She exhales slowly. “I don’t want you to go with her.”

My eyebrows fly up. “What?”

Torment creases her face. “I wasn’t planning on saying this right now, in this hallway, but…this isn’t pretend for me anymore, Shane.”

“I know that.” My voice is a little gruff.

“I have feelings for you. Real feelings. And I can’t believe I’m saying this to Shane Lindley when last year you were the last person I wanted to speak to. But this is it. This is the truth. And I get it, okay? I know this whole thing started because you wanted to make her jealous, and I’m sure you were secretly hoping she would break up with Tyreek and take you back—”

“She and Tyreek did break up.”

Diana shakes her head derisively. “See? That’s why you can’t go! She’s trying to get back together with you.”

Unhappiness washes over me. “Maybe. Or maybe not. Either way, I have no intention of getting back with her. Whatever it is she wants to talk about, she was pretty upset and I owe it to our history to hear her out.”

“You don’t owe her anything. She dumped you.”

I reach for Diana, but she steps back, her cheeks reddening with anger.

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