Chapter 28
~Riley~
Although I’ve made up my mind to break up with Trevor for good this time, I don’t want to do it tonight. Whether he deserves it or not, I don’t want to sabotage him before one of the most important skates of his career so far. Having that weighing on my conscience won’t do me any good.
When I open the door, he’s leaning against the door frame, one leg crossed casually in front of the other with a nonchalance that screams sexiness. His freshly-washed hair has been left to dry naturally, and it looks enticingly soft.
Not that long ago, my body would have reacted instantly to the sight of him. I would have pulled him into the room, run my fingers through that hair, and thanked every power in the universe that he was mine.
Tonight, I still appreciate his attractiveness, but in a more intellectual way. Yes, he’s good-looking, there’s no denying it, but it no longer feels like it has anything to do with me.
“You haven’t answered my texts,” he chides me gently. “I thought we were past you ignoring me.”
“Oh. Sorry. I must not have turned my phone back on after we got back from the rink.” Between my conversation with Hannah and the one with Hudson, the phone hasn’t crossed my mind. I honestly haven’t seen any texts he might have sent. “Did you need something?”
A line of confusion forms across his brow at my business-like tone. “I wanted to see you. Do our post-skate routine. The usual.”
The usual. Normally, after the first skate of a competition, we’d go through what we did right or wrong, do some positive affirmations and visualization of how the next skate would be perfect, and curl up to watch some comfort TV before having an early night in.
It worked for us for two years, but he altered that routine at Skate America when he decided to go out after his win instead of staying in with me before my skate the next day.
What did he do at his last competition when I wasn’t there?
“Have you slept with anyone else since I left?”
I blurt out the question before I can even figure out exactly why I’m asking. He would have been entitled to hook up with someone else, since we were broken up, so I wouldn’t blame him if he has. I’m just curious.
Something gnaws at the back of my brain about the night that he ended up with Evelyn.
Like a lot of skaters, Trevor is superstitious.
He doesn’t change his routine without a good reason, but that night, he did.
Maybe he didn’t intend to spend the night with Evelyn, as he claims, but did he have other plans?
Trevor throws a glance down the hall, checking if anyone heard me. When he turns back, the lines across his forehead have grown deeper. “Can I come in so we can have this conversation in private?”
From the corner of my eye, I can see the closed bathroom door where Hudson is waiting inside. I should just get rid of Trevor, but I also want my question answered, and since the next time we speak, I intend to break up with him, this might be my only chance.
Hopefully, it won’t take too long and Hudson won’t mind waiting.
“Hannah will be back soon,” I warn him before stepping aside so he can come in. That should get the message across that he can’t stay long.
Inside, I take a seat on the chair to keep my distance while Trevor sits on the edge of the bed. There’s no trace of the smile he wore when I first opened the door.
“Is this why you’re still being so weird with me? Because you think there’s been someone else?”
I ignore the part about me acting ‘weird’ and focus on the second question. “Has there? I won’t be upset if there has been. We didn’t speak for six weeks.”
Rather than answering, he cocks his head to the side, his eyes searching my face. “You wouldn’t be upset?”
“No.” I give him the warmest smile I can muster, hoping to reassure him. “We were broken up. You could do whatever you want.”
Instead of looking relieved by my words, Trevor’s eyes narrow. “Is this your way of telling me that you’ve been with someone else? Who is it? Baker?”
Interesting that he immediately jumped to Hudson, despite me telling him last night that we’re just friends. Obviously, he doesn’t believe that, and maybe that’s because it’s not entirely true.
At least when it comes to sex, I can be clear. “I haven’t slept with anyone else, and you still haven’t answered my question.”
Normally, I don’t push him like this. If he changes the subject, I follow, but this time, I want answers, and his eyebrows lift in surprise when I don’t let it go.
“If you don’t care, why do you want to know?”
“Because I’m trying to figure out what it is about me that you miss. And since you refuse to answer me, I assume the answer’s ‘yes’.”
“And what if it is?” he challenges, all but confirming my suspicion. “Fucking someone else means I don’t miss you?”
Yes? I mean, if I thought there was a chance we’d get back together, I would never even kiss anyone else, much less sleep with them.
“So, now that we’re back together, even though we’ll be long distance, you’ll be celibate when we’re apart?”
Trevor’s nose wrinkles in disgust, as if he can’t believe I just asked that. “Of course. What we have is deeper than just sex, Riley.”
I thought so too. But is it deeper than my mom’s bank account? That’s what I really want to ask, and even though I’d decided not to have that conversation until tomorrow, my mouth opens to say the words anyway.
Before I can get them out, a loud thump echoes from inside the bathroom.
Trevor immediately spins around, scanning the room before turning back to me. “Is there someone else here? You said Hannah was out.”
Fuck. I did say that, and it would have been a perfect excuse if I could say she’s the one in the bathroom. Since I can’t, I’m not sure what else to say.
He reads the panic in my eyes much too easily. “Who’s in there, Riley?”
“It’s… uh, it’s Natalie,” I lie. “Another skater from Riverbend. Her bathtub isn’t working properly so she’s borrowing ours.”
As lies go, I think it’s a decent one. Making up stories with Hudson is making me quicker on my feet, but in this case, Trevor sees right through it. He mutters something I can’t make out under his breath before getting to his feet and heading to the bathroom door. His fist pounds against the wood.
“I know that’s you, Baker. Show your fucking face.”
I can’t decide what would be worse: if Hudson answers him or if he doesn’t. I’m not the one deciding, though, and my chest squeezes tight as the bathroom door clicks open and Hudson appears.
“Hey, McDavis. Fancy meeting you here.”
Trevor’s hand, still in a fist, trembles at his side, and for a moment, I’m afraid he’s going to punch Hudson. Have any skaters ever got in a fist fight at a competition before? This might be a first.
After a long, tense moment, however, Trevor takes a step back, turning back to me with disappointment and disapproval written across his face. “You never used to lie to me.”
“Don’t fucking guilt-trip her when you’re the one who messed up,” Hudson warns, his usual easygoing posture shifting into something harder. “I think you should go.”
Trevor’s jaw clenches so tight, I’m surprised his teeth don’t crack. His head slowly swivels back to Hudson, and after another charged staring contest, Trevor inches slightly forward. “This is your fault, isn’t it? You turned her against me.”
“Excuse me?” I’m up from my chair in an instant, and manage to insert myself between the two men before Trevor does anything stupid. “I’m capable of making my own decisions, you know. And right now, I don’t want to be your girlfriend anymore. We’re done, Trevor. For good.”
That isn’t how I planned to end it, but the contrast between the two men has never been clearer, and I don’t want to pretend anymore, not even for one more day.
Trevor blinks down at me in surprise. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do, actually. Please leave.”
As his gaze darts between me and Hudson, his upper lip slowly curls into a snarl. “I’ll go for now, but this isn’t over. I’ll see you tomorrow, Baker.”
On that rather ominous note, he strides out of the room, letting the door slam shut behind him.