Page 14 of Twisted Trails
That nothing has ever broken me this way before, not even the crash that almost ended my life?
“He made me mad,” I finish weakly.
“What?”Dane lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Why? He was the first one at your side, Alaina. Finn was with you in the helicopter and next to you every second they would let him. He talked the UCI out of following and finding out your secret. Hewas therefor you. He doesn’t deserve you acting like that.” His voice softens. “If you want to act out, act out onme.I’m the one who wasn’t fast enough to be there.”
My chest aches, and I blink back tears.
“You’re never the problem,” I whisper. “I’mthe problem.”
Dane sighs and shakes his head. “Sure as helllookslikeit right now.” But it’s not cruel. Just soft, sad. His hand ruffles over my hair like I’m still six years old, and I haven’t made a total wreck of everything.
“Calmed down a little?” he asks, after watching me carefully for a few moments. “I can go grab him. I don’t even think you have to apologize, and he’s definitely not mad about you calling him yours.”
Fuck, I did say that, didn’t I?
I want to scream, cry, or throw up.
“No,” I choke out, the nausea crashing over me again. “Please, I feel sick. Can you call a nurse?”
Dane studies me for a long moment before finally nodding. “Of course.” He leans over and presses the call button, but his other hand stays right where it is, resting gently on the top of my head.
“Don’t think for a second I’m buying your bullshit, though,” he murmurs.
And then the room is still again, except for the storm in my chest.
CHAPTER THREE
Luc
“Fuck all of this,” Mason growls, storming down the hallway.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” I call after him, running to catch up, then keeping pace with him as we head toward the exit. “What is even your problem? Thata girlwas faster than you?”
He spins on me. “That’snotmy fucking problem.”
“Then what is?”
“That shelied, Luc! God, do I have to spell it out for you?”
I throw my hands wide. “DoIhave to spell it out foryou? She didn’t lie toyou. She came here like this. She didn’t plan to get close to us.You think she showed up disguised, racing the men’s circuit, just to fuck with our heads?”
His dark eyes bore into me. “Why did she do it then?”
“The fuck I know! But that’s the whole damn point, I want toaskher, not punish her. We don’t get to decide her reasons before she’s had a chance to explain.”
Fuck, I’m confused as hell too.
I thought I fell in love with a guy. And yeah, after my birthday and that kiss, I was more thansureI’d fallen hard. And it’s not a guy after all, which is fine by me. It’s whatever at that point. It doesn’t change how my heart reacted every time she looked at me like she could see under my skin, or how I wanted to make her laugh just to hear it. Hell, it explainsa lot, though.
But mostly I want to understand her. I want her tolet me in, into that big, complicated, beautifully fucked-up secret that is apparently calledAlainaCrews. I want her to look at me and know I can handle the whole truth, even the messy parts.
And if I’m being honest, I’m relieved, because for weeks I thought her refusing to be my friend had something to do withme, that I’d said the wrong thing or wasn’t worth the space in her life.
Turns out, she was just hiding a whole-ass identity.
Which makes me feel a little better, maybe a lot better. I’m a vain bastard, and it helps to know it wasn’t about me.
“Explain what?” Mason bites out. “How I spilled my fucking guts to her, told her shit I’ve never said out loud, only to find out she didn’t trust me the same way?”
