Page 31 of Your Pace or Mine
Selena sighed. “Honestly, no. It’s a big deal moving abroad, and I’d miss seeing you.”
“I’m over there a lot for races; we’d still see each other nearly as much as we do now.”
“I know, but I don’t want Dad to feel like I’m leaving him.”Like Mum didwas the unspoken truth that hung between them. Darius got up from the table and gestured for her to follow him. “Walk me out?”
Selena nodded and followed. Once they were at what Darius deemed a safe enough distance from the house to speak his mind, he started. “You know he’s the adult, not you, right?”
“I know that, Darius.”
Darius scoffed.
“I’m serious, I do. And I know you two don’t see eye to eye, but I can’t imagine him here on his own.”
“He has friends, Lena, or staff at least,” Darius said. “Listen, regardless of where you go, you’ll be away from home. You need to make the choice that’s best for you.”
“Yeah, I know,” she replied. “I’m not great at that, putting myself first.”
Darius laughed. “I can give you lessons if you want. I’m great at it. In fact, Icouldn’t have picked a more selfish career if I tried.”
“Well, that sounded pointed. Who’s been saying shit like that to you, and can I punch them?”
Darius sighed. It hadn’t even hurt that much when Jamie had said it the day before. He’d kind of figured he deserved it for the dig he’d made about Jamie being fame hungry. But being here, being the subject of his father’s continued disappointment, it made it all cut a bit deeper.
“Just something someone said at training yesterday, it’s nothing.”
“It clearly wasn’t nothing to you.”
“Seriously, Lena, it’s fine. Jamie didn’t mean anything by it. I’m the older brother, you don’t have to take care of me… and you don’t have to take care of Dad either.”
Selena stopped in her tracks. “Jamie?” she asked. “Jamie, the hot blonde that crashed into you and knocked you over all rom-com style?”
“Ok, first of all, that was not a rom-com moment. My favourite jumper was ruined.”
“I’m sure you can afford a new jumper, Darius,” Selena replied.
“Well, I’m sure you can afford to go to university without a full-ride scholarship, but here we are.”
Selena linked her arm through Darius’s. “So what did you say to him to upset him so much?”
“What makes you think I said something?”
“I’ve met you,” Selena deadpanned.
Darius kicked a rock down the gravel path. It barely moved an inch, but he did manage to scuff up his dress shoes. “Why’d you really apply for that scholarship?”
“You’re deflecting,” Selena announced, the excitement in her voice palpable. “You’re deflecting because you like him, but you fucked something up and he hurt your feelings.”
“I am not,” Darius replied. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Me thinks thou doth protest too much.”
“Don’t come at me with your Shakespeare quotes, Selena, I can out-Hamlet you any day of the week.”
Selena rolled her eyes, looking very much like the teenager she was.
“Fine, we won’t discuss your love life,” she agreed. “When’s your taxi arriving?”
“Ten minutes, and there is no love life.”
