Page 89 of Rinkmates

Riley doesn’t look convinced, but he lets the subject drop as the waiter returns with his steak. The savory aroma wafts across the table, making my stomach grumble traitorously. I sip my water, trying to ignore the gnawing hunger. The rest of the meal passes in a blur of conversation and barely touched food. As we walk to Riley’s car, the cool night air nips at my exposed skin, making me shiver. Riley drapes his jacket over my shoulders without a word.

Once we were on the road, Riley clears his throat. “Lia, be honest with me. Have you lost weight?”

My heart stutters in my chest. “Yeah…I’ve been cutting back a bit.”

Riley’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Why?”

I swallow hard. Why does he wanna know?

“Why? Tell me, Lia, please, I beg you, tell me why you would treat your perfect body like this.”

“Grace said…she said if I don’t slim down, I’ll get voted off. That I’m too sexy for the show.” It’s hard to tell him, and even harder that I have to repeat what she said.

The car jerks to a sudden stop.

Tires screech against the pavement.

I grab the dashboard to steady myself, my heart racing.

“Riley, what are you doing?” I say.

He doesn’t answer, his jaw clenched tight as he throws the car into drive again. “Taking care of this,” he grounds out. His eyes flash with barely contained fury as he speeds toward…toward the studio?

“Ri. There’s a speed limit.”

“I’m aware.” He doesn’t slow down.

“Ri. Stop it. Let’s get home and get dressed for the party. I’m fine. Really.”

He doesn’t answer and his jaw tics.

Fear coils in my gut like a snake.

What is he going to do? Confront Grace? The producers? No. Please no.

They’ll fire me.

Terror seizes me at the thought of losing my spot on the show, my chance to make everything right again.

I want to scream at him, do something, but I’m too stunned to move. I can’t tell if I’ve been sitting here in silence for too long or if the restaurant was actually this close to the studio, but suddenly, the car screeches to a halt. He parks right at the entrance and storms out before I can even unbuckle my seat belt.

Shaking, I slam the door shut and scramble to follow, my heels clicking rapidly against the pavement as I try to keep up with his long strides.

“Riley, wait!” I call out. He can’t be serious. I just lost a few pounds, nothing much. I’m eating enough, just less fat and carbs for a bit.

Why would he be this angry? I just don’t understand.

But he doesn’t slow down, his broad shoulders taut with tension as he bursts through the corridors and the open-space office. The black carpet floor and the white walls blur in my vision as I try to catch up. Hold him back. But I’m too slow and he barges into the producer’s office, the door banging against the wall with a resounding crack.

I don’t know what he says to them, but as I run up behind him, he’s just standing there, rigid. I can’t tell if my mind is playing tricks on me or not, but I swear I can see his pulse pounding in the center of his neck.

I find Grace and the other judges gathered with our producers and directors around a gray round table cluttered with papers. Behind them, a paused video of yesterday’s show fills the screen. They all look up in surprise, eyes widening at Riley’s furious gaze. Grace’s eyes flicker with a strange emotion when she spots me standing behind him, utterly shocked.

“If I hear one more comment about Liora needing to lose weight, I’m going public with everything that’s happened behind the scenes of this show,” Riley snarls, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I can make our text messages go viral in seconds. You have contestants and judges that are toxic, and requirements that are from the eighties. Liora’s perfect. She’s your best skater, and you’re going to lose her if you keep up this bullshit. It’s the first season. Be wise and make it to a second.”

Grace opens her mouth to protest, but Riley cuts her off with a sharp gesture. “No. I want you to apologize. Liora is perfect the way she is, and if you can’t see that, then you’re the ones with the problem. Not her.”

Silence falls over the room, heavy and thick with tension.

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