Page 4 of For the Record

Coy fought the desire to roll her eyes.She literally says that for every relationship. Like what the actual fuck?

Sloane’s unrequited instalove crash and burns were one solid reason Coy didn’t do relationships. No way in hell would she let someone in deep enough to break her heart. Not after seeing what Sloane went through, or witnessing their father mourn their mother for most of their childhood. Nope, a quick hit it and quit it was more Coy’s style.

“I know you did, honey. Let it all out, okay? I’ve got you. Shhhhh, I’ve got you,” Coy soothed as she wrapped her arms tighter around her sister. She kissed Sloane’s forehead, one hand making slow, comforting circles over her back.

Sloane sobbed into the crook of Coy’s neck, a gross mix of snot and tears leaving a sticky trail along her skin. “Why does this always happen? Things start out so well, you know? I become everything they need, and it’s still not enough.”

Becoming everything they need was part of the problem, but Sloane was in no shape to hear it. When she wasn’t being a smartass, Coy’s sister had one of the biggest hearts around. That she fell too hard too fast was the thing, and despite stereotypes, Coy figured the general population wanting a relationship wasn’t necessarily looking for an immediate “lesbian” U-Haul. “I think,” she began, reaching for the extra pillows on the bed. She tucked them behind her so they propped her against the wall more, “you just haven’t met the right one yet. It’s not you, Sloane. It’s the situation, the timing, the person. It’s not you, okay? You’re perfect.”

Coy used her thumbs to wipe away her sister’s tears, watching as Sloane’s green gaze met her own. “You might not believe it, babe, but eventually, you’ll realize Lucas did you a favor. You deserve way more than he can give.”

A humorless laugh escaped Sloane, and she glanced away. “You’re just hoping I’ll end up with a woman. The only person you’ve ever approved of was Alice.”

Coy furrowed her brows. When had she given Sloane that impression? “I just want you to be happy, Sloane. No matter who it is, so long as they’re good to you.”

“Yeah? And what about you? You deserve to be happy.”

“What makes you think I’m not?” Coy tapped her on the nose, giving her a wan smile. “Now, what’ll it be? I’ll send Ash home,and we can do one of two things with our Sunday: drink our sorrows away and bingeBridgerton, or hit the trails.”

“Whoop!”

“Gonna beat you there!” Coy maneuvered her bike’s handlebars over the rough mountainside terrain, the thick tires sliding easily over the rocks and exposed tree roots on the trail.

“Cockiness will get you nothing but dust in your face out here,” Sloane shot back, already acting as if Lucas was forgotten. Sure enough, her purple high-end mountain bike started inching past Coy as they grew closer to the sloped bend. Their cousin J.D. was well behind them, already choking on the dust left in their wake.

With a vigorous push forward, Coy was once again head-to-head with her sister. She’d drunk too much the night before; the typical bloat the day after made her feel like a deadweight on top of her bike. That was the only reason her sister was squeezing past her right now. Well, that and perhaps a teensy part of her felt bad for Sloane. “C’mon!” Coy exclaimed as her twin reached the bend first, her gloved hands firmly on the handlebars as she shifted her body and expertly guided the mountain bike over the slope. Coy could hear Sloane laughing, basking in the small win, knowing they were equally competitive. Her quads burned from exertion, the plantar fasciitis that had plagued her since high school already stabbing the heel of her left foot, but she pushed on. There was no way she was losing to Sloane without a struggle.

“Hold up, hold up!” Coy called once they’d made it into a clearing once more. She watched as Sloane reduced her paceand followed suit, eventually coming to a halt off the trail in the wooded area.

“What’s up?”

Coy held up her hand, out of breath as she reached for her water fastened to the bike’s holder. She chugged a quarter of the bottle before panting out, “Let’s wait for J.D. He probably passed out between the ten and twelve-kilometer mark.”

Sloane sniggered, reaching to undo the strap on her full-face helmet. She lifted her bottle of Gatorade to her lips, saying between swallows, “How come you’re quieter than me today? Still hung up on the good ol’ crash and burn from last night?”

Coy rolled her eyes, letting her sister’s ribbing slide for the time being. Honestly, it was just good to hear her laughing again so soon after Lucas. There was a high possibility Sloane wasn’t as into him as she’d thought. “How’d you know, anyway?”

Sloane shrugged. “She wasn’t there to take anyone home. Her posture was stiff and closed off, and she hardly glanced at the crowd the entire time you were checking her out. Not even a legend like yourself could land a mark if she was a million miles away.”

“Too bad, huh? She was something else.”

“You and your age gap attraction,” Sloane chuckled, teasing Coy about the sapphic books she read. What could she say? Older women were more experienced and weren’t afraid to go after what they wanted in the bedroom. “After all these years, you still trying to make Frankie jealous?” They could hear the fast-paced crunch of tires a good stretch away, and Coy figured they had about twenty seconds before J.D. caught up.

She adjusted her goggles and got ready to go again. If her sister only knew how unattached Frankie was to Coy. Her sex life with Sloane’s boss, the edgy lone wolf who ran one of the more popular gay-friendly pubs in Vancouver, was strictly casual. She doubted Frankie could loveanyone,let alone feel true jealousy.With the older woman, Coy was able to give in to her submissive desires without falling in love. There was no compromising with Frankie, and that emotional barrier was the key reason their non-relationship worked. Therewasno jealousy.

Frankie would just as soon hogtie Coy to the bed and use the paddle on her than bask in anything Coy could do for her.Toher. And that was fine. Hell, sometimes that was exactly what Coy needed at the end of a long day. But sometimes, she wanted to be the top calling the shots. Frankie understood her in a way no one else did.

J.D. came flying around the bend, his clothes full of drying mud and gravel like he’d fallen a time or two. He noticed them too late and zipped past, having to backtrack once he’d gotten safely off the trail. “Hey, you know, I’m thinking this trail is beyond my experience level.”

Coy grinned. “You insisted on this trail if I recall. ‘I can do it, Coy. I’ll even bet you I can!’ Aren’t you glad I didn’t take that bet?”

“You bet on literally everything.”

“Well, that’s an exaggera—”

“J.D., you’re bleeding!”

Coy abruptly shut up, pulling down her goggles to follow Sloane’s anxious gaze. “Fuck, you’re not lying. Cuz, did you land on something sharp in one of your falls?”

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