Page 74 of June 7

"You ruined everything." His face turned red. "Everything."

Something was wrong. She'd never seen her former coach angry before.

"I'm sorry." She glanced at the desk and wanted to kick herself. He was between her and her cell phone.

She sidestepped, trying to move him away from the desk. Bane was the last person who called her. All she had to do was hit redial. He'd be here in a blink.

"She was planning on coming to me." He stepped in front of Daisy, stopping her from moving. "She wanted to wait until you were eighteen years old. She thought you'd have an easier time adjusting to the changes."

"I don't..." She swallowed. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. Is this about the practice schedule? If it needs to be changed, I can work with the school district."

She'd never had problems working the kids into their allotted time at the pool, especially during swim season. But, she always dealt with the activity director over the phone, not Mr. Owens.

"Can I call someone during pool hours tomorrow and resolve any problems?" She motioned toward the computer. "I'm afraid everything is closed—"

"Your mother loved me." He thumbed his chest. His voice grew louder. "Why do you think she came to all your practices? Your meets? She was mine."

Her heart raced and thrumming flooded her hearing. "M-my mom?"

Mr. Owens was delusional. Until the awful night of June 7, her mom was happily married to her dad. He insinuated that he was having an affair with her mom.

Her mom wouldn't do that to her dad.

Mr. Owens stalked forward. She backed away from him, putting her arm out, feeling for the half-door to the pool.

Something wasn't right. He'd never acted that way with her before. He was excited about the swim team. He was positive and hopeful.

Now, all she could see in his eyes was anger, panic, and lies. He scared her.

"I see you living your life, acting like nothing is wrong. Year after year, you go on living while the woman I love is dead." He reached for her.

"Stop." She dodged his hand. "I'm not trying to do anything, Mr. Owens. I only work here."

"Your mom loved me," he yelled.

"My parents are dead. They've been dead for six years." She sobbed. "Please stop."

"She was mine."

"You're scaring me." She stepped backward. "Just leave me alone."

She had no idea how to stop him. He was delusional and sick.

He lunged for her. She scrambled to the pool, looking for somewhere to go, but all the chairs were against the building. She couldn't even hide behind them.

"She promised as soon as you turned eighteen years old, she'd get a divorce and come to me. But she waited because of you. Because of you, she's dead." He laughed.

The evil sound covered her in a warning. He was insane.

She'd known Mr. Owens since she was ten and started swimming under him during the summer. Then, he became the swim coach when she entered high school.

"You need to leave." She looked over her shoulder, making sure she wouldn't step into the pool by mistake. "We're closed."

Mr. Owens grabbed her upper arm and stopped her retreat. She screamed but couldn't get away from him.

"I loved her. We were going to have a life together. Just me and her. We were going to move far away as soon as you graduated, but he found out about us." Mr. Owens shook her. "I should've killed your father before he killed my Lorelei. He took her from me, and it's all your fault."

"Stop." She struggled in his grasp. "Please. You're hurting me."

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