Page 162 of Law Maker
“He’s my biggest supporter,” Rys said. “Everything I am and everything I have is thanks to him.”
I stopped walking, eyes fixed on the ocean, the late-afternoon sun turning the surface to molten glass. “Why therapy, then?”
He shrugged. “Precisely because of that. I imagine athletes like you go, too. The pressure must be enormous.”
“I don’t think it helps as much as people think.”
“I didn’t think so either. But eventually it got too heavy to carry alone. Speaking of therapists, I’ve got a call in half an hour. I should head back.”
“Me too,” I said. “But if you want to ride around sometime, I’ll show you the area.”
Emrys smiled. “I’ll take you up on that.”
***
Grandma wasn’t home when I got back. I sat on the bed with my phone, thoughts spinning.
The upcoming races. Emrys.Her.
Had she been happy graduating? Where would she live once college started this fall?
Grandma believed we’d find our way back to each other, but she didn’t know Russell.
He’d cut off Kaia’s tuition the second he found out about us. I couldn’t let that happen.
Helplessness seeped in. Like too many nights since the breakup, I pulled up Kaia’s Instagram for a fix.
She kept her account public, but I still used a burner profile.
Several new posts waited.
Kaia with Alba on a beach in Mexico, her smile brighter than the turquoise water behind her.
Another shot, this time with a group in matching purple T-shirts stamped withEnseña por el mundo—Teach Around the World.
A quick search showed it was a nonprofit. Volunteering? When Alba told me to ship the books to Mexico, I thought they were on vacation.
Then her story popped up.
Kaia sat in the sand, chin propped on her hand, gaze far away. Gorgeous, thoughtful. A flash of ink on her wrist.
A tattoo.
One word.
Nunca.
The same word I once whispered against her skin, swearing I’d never leave. She’d trusted me with everything—her body, her heart—and all I’d done was hurt her.
I tossed the phone aside and dragged my feet to the en suite.
The mirror reflected a pale face, haunted eyes. I’d let everyone down and couldn’t stand looking at myself.
Annoyance and disappointment twisted into rage. My fist shot into the mirror. It shattered, shards cascading into the sink. Pain split my wrist, red streaking down my knuckles.
Fuck.
What the hell had I done?
