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“Did the doc say I could leave? I want to get back to the team house. I’ve got a Chem quiz on Thursday.”
He looked at me for a long time and I felt the weight of his worry, that tight tension only worsening the longer he watched me. But then, I offered him a smile, hoped he got that I didn’t want to have a heart-to-heart while my teammates crowded into the locker room. Moving his hand off my shoulder, my father nodded once, letting the worry go. I knew he wouldn’t ignore it forever.
“Yeah,” he said, lifting the ice from my knee. “Just a little inflammation. You should be good.” My father’s presence was looming, and the way he moved his gaze at me as I pulled off my uniform and limped toward my locker had me just on the tip of losing my temper. But that wouldn’t do either of us any good. It wouldn’t settle the problems I’d created for myself since the accident, or since. “Listen, why don’t you grab your books and come home with me? I have to get back soon, and I know Keira would want to see you.”
“Why you hurrying back?”
Dad nodded at his assistants and a couple of linemen as they passed him. “Lea
“Lea
“Who?” He had no clue, that much I could tell by the confusion making my father frown. You’ve got to be kidding me.
“The instructor from Lea
“Keira didn’t mention it and we’ve been bouncing through some of Lea
That was bullshit. You don’t say you’re going to do something and then flake out. Who does that? Assholes do that, but I honestly hadn’t picked up that Aly was a liar. Dad yawned again and I realized I’d have to let some of my temper surface. I didn’t care who this girl was, I’d scare the hell out of her if it meant my parents could get some damn sleep. “No. I’m good Dad. I’ve gotta get dressed and head to Metairie.”
He moved to my side when I shuffled in my locker for my clothes, ignoring the jabs I heard around me from my teammates. They stopped when my father waved them off. “I thought you were going to study.”
“I am,” I said, slamming my locker, “but first I need to go to the studio.”
6
The music coming from the dark studio was familiar. The drumming heartbeat thumped slow, two quick beats, then a lengthened third, some sort of pop that beat gentler than a pulse and yet pounded deeper. As I walked through the glass doors, a few lines from the song resonated, lyrics sung through a rasp, the language I recognized as Portuguese.
Since we were kids Lea
“No, step on the one, skip the two.” That was Lea
Once I stepped over the threshold, Lea
But then the woman looked away from the floor where she watched her feet caught in a step, practicing whatever dance Lea
“Ransom? What’s wrong?” Lea
“No,” I said, looking over Lea
Aly’s expression transformed from quiet surprise, likely at my anger, right to obvious a
The anger I’d managed to keep below the surface threatened to seep out as I stared down at Aly, but it confused me, too. Plenty of people lied to me—girls who’d tell me whatever they thought I wanted to hear to get me to touch them, coaches who promised I wouldn’t be pushed beyond my limits, teammates who assured me that I’d have fun following them into debauchery. Hell, that wasn’t anything new to me. So why did this woman lying have me itching to slam my fist into Lea
“You said you’d call. Who does that? Who promises to do something and then just flakes out?”
“Everyone, jackass.” I had to give her credit, Aly didn’t cower away from me. Not when my temper flared and my voice got loud. Not when I stepped right in front of her, glaring at her with my top lip curling up. She just stood there, arms crossed, face tilted like no amount of warning would make her back down. “Besides, I said I’d give her a call. I just haven’t yet.”
“That was days ago. And she needs help now.” This woman was unbelievable. Didn’t she get how desperate we were? Didn’t she understand help meant now?
“She’s not my mother. Why don’t you help her?”
“You think I don’t want to?”
“Modi, I have no idea what you think. And I really don’t care.”
“You’re a selfish, greedy…”
“Hey, you grosoulye bata,” that cool attitude fractured just a little and when Aly’s bottom eyelid twitched and I saw a quick rush of anger, one that could probably match my own. She jabbed her finger in my chest and I let her, floored that she had to nerve to touch me. I didn’t quite get why I let it slide, why I didn’t brush her hand away. The anger in the room felt heavy and hot, like something you should avoid, but are too tempted to test how quickly you’ll be burned. Aly’s eyes were wide and the low light around us glinted against the gleam like glass. “You don’t know me. Don’t you dare start slinging insults at me.”
“That’s enough. Stop it now.” Lea