Page 185 of Offside Devil

My phone rings on my way out of the arena, and I think it might be Mira.

It’s not. Obviously.

We haven’t spoken in a week. She isn’t going to call me out of the blue just because I’ve been thinking about calling her for the last six hours.

Part of me wishes she would. Then the decision would be off my shoulders.

I answer with a sigh. “What is it, Daniel?”

“Still lashing out, I see. Luckily for you, I still forgive you,” he quips. “Davis told me you were at practice today. He wanted to know if you’d hired Mira back.”

“He could’ve asked me,” I snap.

Then I think back to practice, and I think Davis tried. A few times.

So did Jace.

I guess I wasn’t in a very talkative mood.

Daniel snorts. “Of course. You’re a real open book. Everyone knows that. Want to know something personal about Zane Whitaker? Just ask! He’s very cuddly and approachable.”

I push through the doors and step into the afternoon. The sun is midway towards the horizon and pelting me directly in the eyes. I shield my face and walk blindly across the lot. “Do you actually want something or can I hang up now?”

“Yes. I’m calling because Taylor said Mira is showering and acting human again, so I wanted to know what your timeline is on not being a little bitch.”

“Excuse me?”

“Mira is going to move on. She’s already started. If you want her as your nanny or your fake-but-mostly-real girlfriend, you need to figure out your shit fast. She isn’t going to wait forever.”

Mira moving on. I can’t even imagine what that looks like.

Actually, I can.

And I hate it.

The night I saw her sitting at the bar with another man’s arm around her shoulders, it felt like my lungs were too big for my body. Like my chest was going to crack open.

Then I wanted to crack his chest open.

Just because I can’t be with Mira doesn’t mean I want anyone else with her, either.

I shake my head. “I don’t have time for this. I have to look for a new nanny and a new assistant, so I can’t think about?—”

“Wait, what?”

Shit.

I grimace, knowing exactly which can of worms I’m opening as I say, “I fired Hanna this morning.”

“Wait, what?!” he repeats a bit more frantically. “Why?”

I unlock my car and collapse in the driver’s seat. “Because you were right: she lied to me. Mira left a message with her that Aiden was in the hospital and Hanna didn’t tell me. She wanted to get Mira fired.”

“That bitch,” he hisses. “Taylor told me Hanna was bad news weeks ago—something about Hanna threatening Mira and lying to you about stuff—but I thought it was a girl fight thing. Taylor thinks almost everyone is a bitch at some point, including you. And me. And Mira.”

“Well, she was right this time.”

“So, what does that mean for—” Daniel makes a kind of choking sound, followed by a bang. Then his voice goes quiet. “Mira.”

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