Page 50 of Teasing the Winger

Since there were two soccer games this week, finding a time to fit Carter into my schedule was a little harder than usual, but we’re both free today, and we made a plan to meet up after classes.

“Ready to show me your Fouetté?” I ask Carter when he gets to the room we’re using for the next hour.

He groans, and I can’t help but smile. “Do I really have to?” he asks, and I nod.

“Absolutely, and we are going to keep practicing it this entire hour until you get it right.”

“You’re a sadist, aren’t you?” he questions with a fake glare.

I shrug. “Maybe.”

He sighs, and I laugh before pressing play on my phone, filling the room with music that’s set up to play through my Bluetooth speaker.

By the time we’re done with our lesson, we are both sweaty messes because, of course, I allowed him to coax me into dancing a few songs with him like I do every time we get together.

“Now I’m tired and sore,” I murmur as we walk down the hall.

“Welcome to my world,” Carter retorts.

“Yes, but you pay me to teach you how to dance. Teach being the keyword. I shouldn’t have to dance that hard too.”

“I didn’t tell you to go as hard as you did. That’s all on you,” he replies with a smirk, and I roll my eyes.

When we get to my exit, I tell him goodnight, and I start my journey home. The air has a chill to it, which is to be expected since it’s already November, but it’s not unbearable. Although it does make me miss the warmer weather I grew up with, a gust of wind rushes past me, sending a shiver down my spine, making me zip my coat up all the way and pull the collar up to protect my neck. Stupid Michigan weather.

As I walk, I keep my senses on high alert, paying attention to my surroundings. Even though I am feeling braver, that small underlying anxiety is still there and won’t let me relax.

The streets are quiet tonight, like they usually are, since we don’t live on a main street, and I’ve barely seen any cars or people walking about. That should put my mind at ease, but it does the exact opposite for some reason.

I’m only about a block away from my house when my phone vibrates in my pocket, pulling my attention away from my anxiety. When I pull it out, a sense of calm and peace rushes over me, and a giant smile spreads across my face as I see Rio’s name on the screen.

Rio: Are you home yet? I’m on my way to your place now.

Me: Almost! I’m about a block away.

Rio: Taking the same path as always?

Me: You know it!

Rio: Perfect. We’ll probably arrive at the same time then.

Me: Sounds good to me. Carter convinced me to show him a routine I haven’t done in YEARS. Think you can give me a massage and work out some of these knots.

Rio: An excuse to get my hands all over your body? Yes, please!

I smile even wider, and a warm sash wraps around my heart squeezing it gently as butterflies dance in my stomach. Rio is the best man I’ve ever met, and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him. That has to be what this feeling is.

“Hello, Nathaniel,” an all too familiar voice says, causing the smile to slip from my face and my entire body to freeze.

It’s like my veins are filled with ice water. My brain is screaming for me to run but I physically can’t move.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I whisper to Lux. He finally comes into my path of vision, holding a gun with a shaky hand, which causes my stomach to drop and my breath to catch. How the hell did he get a gun, and is he unhinged enough to use it?

He looks like shit. Nothing like the man he was when we were together. But it has been seven years, and I know I’ve changed too.

His clothes are wrinkled like he’s been sleeping in the same outfit for a couple of days. His hair is on the longer side and a complete mess. His skin, which used to have a warm sun-kissed glow, is now almost grey. And even though he was always on the slimmer side, he now looks frail, like he could break in half at any moment. The years have not been good to him, and that has me even more terrified.

“You’re wrong about that,” he says with a venomous tone. “I’m exactly where I should be. I made a promise to you years ago, and I’m here to follow through on it.”

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