Page 73 of How to Walk Away

“So you’re safe.”

He looked off. “I am far from safe.”

“What’s Myles’s deal with you, anyway?”

“That’s a long story.”

The wind kept blowing one lock of my hair into my face. I tried to tuck it behind my ear, but it was too short. “I truly have nothing but time.”

Ian sighed. “I used to work here before. That’s why I moved to Texas, in fact—to take a job at this hospital. I started young and worked my way to manager of the PT gym. Myles came about when I did, but I got promoted over him again and again.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s a rule-obsessed wanker, and a petty tyrant.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Anyway, then a female PT got hired to work in the therapy gym. Her name was Kayla. We hit it off right away, and we started seeing each other.”

It was pushing, but I couldn’t help it: “What was she like?”

He gave a little shrug. “Lovely. Feisty. She had no patience for foolishness. She could be so mean.” He said it with great admiration.

I watched him think about her. After a bit, I said, “What does this have to do with Myles?”

Ian let out a long breath. “Myles liked her, too. He would say that he saw her first—and I stole her away.”

“Did you?”

“He might have seen her first,” Ian said, shrugging. “But she never liked him. I couldn’t steal something that was never his.”

“Of course not.”

“But that fact was not—still is not—relevant to Myles. He liked her, and that was all that mattered.”

“That’s why he hates you?”

Ian nodded. “That’s why he hates me. I ruined his life, and now he is determined to ruin mine.”

“But she wasn’t into him!”

“He feels, very strongly, that he could have won her over.”

“But you’re not still with her?” I asked, to confirm.

“No.”

“You broke up?”

Ian seemed to hold his breath. “In a way.”

“So what’s his problem?”

“I’ve wondered about that a lot. I think Myles is the kind of guy who needs an enemy. He needs an enemy to fight so that he can feel like a hero.”

“But he’snota hero!”

Ian looked over and gave a little shrug. “I might be a villain, though.”

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