Page 52 of Death Drop

Nancy obviously hadn’t expected that declaration. Her mouth hung open for a moment before she gathered herself. “Well. That definitely sounds like it’ll be exciting to see. It sounds like you’re really embracing your freedom as an adult skater and this… unique relationship you’ve found yourself in.”

“Yes,” I said automatically. “I absolutely am.”

My mind tripped back to my time on the rink with both Lou and Jasper. Watching them train and getting their encouragement while I worked on my own routines.

But the best had been that day when the three of us had really skated together, both of them offering me tips and demonstrating, Jasper and I passing Lou back and forth between us. More than anything that happened with us outside of our sport, right then I’d felt like I was part of something bigger than just myself. Bigger than anything I’d ever imagined was possible.

A flicker of inspiration lit in my head. I hesitated, letting it weave through my thoughts, and a smile I actually meant stretched across my face.

“You know, Nancy,” I said, “I think the world should keep an eye on us. Because we might have something to show off that’s a lot more worth watching than that stupid video.”

Curiosity sharpened the host’s eyes. “And what might that be?”

I let my smile widen. The answer would depend on how Lou and Jasper reacted to my pitch, but I was sure I could convince them one way or another. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

TWENTY-TWO

Luciana

Niko loweredhis phone with a sigh that he quickly did his best to compensate for with a smile. I sat up on the sofa where I’d been slumped, my chest tight with trepidation. “What did they say?”

His smile tightened. “The skating officials are going to have a meeting tomorrow to make an official decision. I’ve reminded them as clearly as I can that the current situation isn’t your fault and has nothing to do with your skating careers. If they make the right choice, they should allow you to go forward with the competition.”

Jasper let out a rough sound from the chair where he was slouching and rubbed his face. “Shouldbeing the operative word. They’re really not happy with us.”

Rafael grunted from his post by the door. “You’d think they’d appreciate the publicity you’re bringing to the sport.”

I grimaced. “Not this kind of publicity.”

Niko wagged his finger at us. “Don’t make any assumptions. We can’t know what the verdict will be until they’ve discussed it. The facts are on your side.”

The good humor in his tone didn’t reach his eyes. I was sure he knew as well as I did that facts didn’t mean shit in a case like this.

What mattered was that the most private details of my sex life were being shared all across the internet, and there was fuck-all I could do about it. For the rest of my life, I’d run into strangers who knew how I moved and what I sounded like in a threesome.

That wasn’t the kind of fame I’d ever have wanted.

I wrapped my arm around my stomach, willing down the queasiness, and a new worry rose up. “Shouldn’t Quentin be back from his interview by now?”

Jasper frowned. “It was only a half hour ago that he texted to say he was on his way back. I wouldn’t call that late yet.”

“I’m sure he’ll be in a great mood too,” I muttered sarcastically, not that I could complain when my spirits were at least as low as everyone else’s in the room.

We’d come all this way. I’d worked so fucking hard. Surely all that passion and effort weren’t going down the drain because of an illegal sex tape, of all things?

But I couldn’t see any way out of the fate that felt more certain with every passing minute.

The lock in the apartment door clicked. I pushed to my feet just as Quentin stepped inside, his head high and his lips curved with a… grin?

As I stared at the newest of my boyfriends, blinking in my confusion, he kicked the door shut behind him and aimed his grin at all of us while he rubbed his hands together. “I’ve got an idea. It might be crazy, but it could actually be perfect.”

His eagerness tickled into me with a jolt of hope. “What are you talking about?”

Quentin turned to Niko rather than me. “Okabe, do you figure you’re up to the challenge of throwing together a very unique routine, incredibly quickly?”

Niko took a swig from the Calpis he’d brought from the kitchen and eyed the younger man with an air of growing amusement. “I’ll never refuse a challenge. But what would this routine be for?”

Quentin gestured vaguely in the air, his gaze seeking out mine and Jasper’s. “I want to show the world just how well the three of us can collaborate—and that our relationship isn’t something they should see as dirty. It can be art too. It’s something amazing when we decide what part of it they should get to watch.”

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