“Why did Cain want to hurt you so badly?”
“Jealousy,” I repeated, well aware from the glint in her eye that her journalist’s curiosity had been pricked by my bland response.
There was more to Cain’s idiocy than what meets the eye, but it was formed in jealousy. Just not of my being the team’s next golden child.
Adam.
So pathologically jealous of Adam, so unable to comprehend why I didn’t like Cain, why I could see through him, that Cain wanted to hurt me… just to get to Adam. Just to shit stir. Just for laughs.
Pathetic.
So pathetic, and it had ruined his life, destroyed Adam’s, and wrecked mine.
It boggled my mind that someone could do that, but people were petty, and Cain? Well, he was a psycho. Adam had long since condemned him as that, and when a psycho was petty, it took things to a whole other level.
“Why did his family take you in?”
I had to be careful here, because Anna was still in politics. So, I couldn’t exactly say to look ‘good for the press.’
“They adopted me,” I corrected.
“Yes. Why?”
“They wanted to right Cain’s wrong.”
Though I could see there was curiosity in her eyes, I also saw that she knew I wouldn’t answer whatever question she wanted to throw at me on that score.
I knew she wanted to ask, ‘How could they right their son’s wrong?’
But I couldn’t answer, ‘Because Anna wanted to look good in the polls,’ could I?
She cleared her throat, a rueful smile making an appearance, and I wondered if she knew what I was thinking, then, she inquired, “You’re still close with them, aren’t you? I think I saw photos of you all together after your first win.”
Because that was an understatement, I rolled my eyes at her. “Everyone saw that picture.”
Her grin was sheepish. “You’re very photogenic.”
“Hardly,” I scoffed.
“Together, you’re even more so. There was speculation that you and Adam were an item. Is that true?”
“No. It’s not. We’re just friends.” God, how I choked on that lie.
She hummed her disbelief at that, and I couldn’t blame her. “The camera doesn’t lie. Your chemistry was enough to go viral.”
I shrugged. “I can’t control what goes around social media.” Even though I knew she was right. Hell, the power of that image had been enough to make Adam come to my dorm at the village… Seeing was believing.
“True.” Renee smiled at me, and asked, “What’s your next move?”
“I’m going on vacation. I’m excited.” It was off schedule. I was supposed to return home, but after the last couple of nights, I needed a break. I didn’t even care if my missing the champion’s welcome home tour caused a shit storm. I needed some time to myself.
I needed to find some peace.
“Where are you going?”
Warily, I eyed the recorder, and she laughed, then switched it off. “Off the record.”
“The Gold Coast. I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“Well, have a great time. You’ve certainly deserved it.”
“My Coach doesn’t know yet,” I said around a laugh. “He’d have me leaping straight back into training, but I just need a break. Need to get my head screwed on. I had high hopes for the Olympics, but hopes can be dashed. It’s weird to think that, this time, everything panned out as I’d dreamed.”
Renee smiled at me—oddly enough, it was a genuine smile. “I think you deserved it. And look.” She reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out a card, placed it on the table, then sent it floating over to me. “This is my number. I know what it means to come from an abusive family. If you ever need to talk, off the record,” she qualified once more, “then I’d like to think I’m a good ear.”
I frowned at her. “But my misery might make a good story.”
Her snort said it all. “You picked me for a reason, Thea.” She was right. I had. “I’m not rabid and desperate for a story. I like to report the news as I see fit.”
“True.”
“Whatever we talk about, we can talk about in confidence. Half of what you told me today won’t be included in the interview that goes live in the papers.”
“Why not? I thought it would be juicy. A lot of that’s public record.”
“True, and maybe someone else will uncover it, but I won’t be that person.”
My brow puckered. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“I’m a nice person in general. Not suited, at all, for journalism,” she admitted wryly. “I don’t have the cutthroat attitude that a lot of people in my line of work need to get the story. But you? Your story? It resonates with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I was like your mom. Only, I got out.”
My eyes flared wide. “How?”
“Lot of help from women’s centers around the country.” She bobbed her head, swallowing a couple of times like she was choking on the memories. “It was hard, and even though I had the law on my side, he’d still ignore the restraining orders. I switched towns, then cities, then states, and he never really let up.” A shaky breath escaped her, and the shadow of fear in her eyes spoke more than words ever could. “I only really breathed easily when he was dead.”
“How did he die?” I asked softly.
“Car accident. No, I wasn’t behind it,” she teased. “But I wish I had been. Some days, I really wish I had.”
Those shadows overtook her, and I reared back when I saw them bleed out of her features, her expression, and morph into the air around her until she was surrounded in them.
A faint pulsing began to throb through the light, and I realized it was in time to her heart.
It wasn’t the first time I’d seen an aura since Louisa’s botched healing, but I’d never seen them with the same frequency as before then.
To see one now, with this woman, put me on edge.
Was it a sign?
A warning?
To trust her or not to trust her? That was the question.
It was why, with Charles Linden, the Nike exec, I was thinking about accepting their offer over someone else. I had to believe that when I saw an aura now, there was a reason for it.
Swallowing, I muttered, “For your sake, I’m glad he died without your blood on his hands.” I grimaced. “And vice versa too.”
“Me as well,” she admitted. “Orange isn’t my color.” Releasing a shaky breath, she stated, “Well, you have my number. I don’t often do this, but if you give me your email, I’ll send you a copy of the article before it goes to the editor. I really wouldn’t want to publish anything that might hurt you.”
Taken aback by that generous offer, I gaped at her and queried, “You’d really do that?”
“I really would.” She clicked on the recorder, and I spelled out my email. “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, Thea.”
“You’re more than welcome. I’ll look forward to receiving the article.”
Because she looked like she was going to stay at the cafe, I climbed out of the booth we’d taken over. The tabby cat purred and pounced on my feet, coming out of nowhere to do so. I jumped, then laughed as I gathered my medals.
“She likes you,” Renee commented.
“Looks like she does.” I bent down after I’d stowed my medals in my backpack, then stroked her ears. “Bye, sweetheart.” To Renee, I murmured, “Speak soon.” And surprisingly enough, I meant it.
She smiled. “Speak soon.”
The cat followed me all the way to the door, and I actually felt guilty leaving her. As I stepped onto the pavement, however, thoughts of the cat faded away when I saw him.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, even as I loathed how every part of my body lit up like a firework show.
“Wanted to see you,” Adam rasped.
“Why? We have nothing to say to each other.”
“Because Dad told me
about your schedule.”
“What about it?”
He jerked his chin up. “Your vacation. We’re going on it together.”
I snorted. “Get your own vacation. You’re not spoiling mine.”
“Once upon a time, I’d have made it.”
“Yeah, that was way back then.” I pushed past him, pissed that he thought he could just pop back up and I’d welcome him with open arms. “Way back before you were married,” I snarled, justifiably, in my opinion, outraged at his damn nerve.
“We’re getting a divorce, Thea.” He grabbed my arm when I went to move past him and forced me to a standstill. “I’ve set the ball in motion. It’s why I had to go back to the States. I’ve published the first notice… I do it for two weeks in a row, and that’s it. The divorce can proceed.”
My mouth worked as I stared at him, but I couldn’t believe what he was saying. I couldn’t afford to have hope, because his marriage wasn’t the only thing standing in our way, so I shoved past him and walked away.
ADAM
There was a time when I’d have said fate was bullshit. That a man made his own destiny.
That was before I met Theodosia Kinkade.
She changed my life, and some days, I felt certain it wasn’t for the better. That it was, in fact, for the worse.
Knowing she was in this world, without me at her side, hurt.
Every fucking day, it hurt.
So I did what I did best.
I made money.
A lot of it.
I’d figured it out when I’d received my grandfather’s trust. I’d realized, thanks to the hand of fate that I often cursed, what I truly wanted to do with my life.
And it wasn’t swimming.
Nor was it to go to college.
I wanted to lead my own pack, lead my own way, write my own rules, write my own future.
Wasn’t asking for much, was I?
The second I’d had that two hundred and fifty thousand in my bank account was the day I’d started living.
Ironically, it was the day when Theodosia left.
That was the day after graduation.
One minute she was there, at the other end of the phone.
The next, she wasn’t.
Her phone was cut off, and she changed numbers. I knew she didn’t even give my dad that new cell number, because he always called her through Skype.
I knew, from that moment on, she was doing what I’d never thought she would.
Cutting herself off from me.
And even though it hurt, I moved on, because I had a kid and I needed to stay sane for him, needed to think of a future that was balanced for him.
I focused hard on proving my dad wrong, on making something of myself without his signature bankrolling it, just like he’d wanted, and from afar, I’d watched Thea make it big while I stockpiled for the future.
A future that was always going to involve us being together.
A future that was only just starting to morph into the present.
“You can’t get a divorce. You’re Catholic.”
Her words brought me back to earth with a bang. She’d stalked off, started to walk away from me, but even she couldn’t cut ties between us.
It was weird to think that all those years of striving had led to this moment.
Standing outside a fucking coffee shop filled with cats in downtown Tokyo, while the woman I’d lay my life down for was dithering on the sidewalk.
Yeah, that was what she was doing.
Dithering.
And I hated it.
Thea was many things, but she wasn’t a ditherer, but ever since...fuck, I didn’t even know what the catalyst was. I just knew that one minute she was there, we were training together, and the next, she wasn’t.
Of course, those last few months before graduation had passed swiftly. There’d even been hardship, for Thea in particular. I knew how close she’d been to the Lindens, the driver and his wife, and they’d both died in a car crash a few weeks after I’d received the letter from my grandfather.
Thea had buried herself in training and studying, but her schedule changed. Suddenly, I knew she was avoiding me, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop that.
A part of me felt certain it was the right thing to do.
That I needed space, she did as well. She was going to college, she was going to train for the Olympics, and me? I was going to be learning a whole hell of a lot about reforming properties.
I had a kid.
I had a lot of shit to deal with, and I wanted the best for Thea, so I let her go.
But only with an end date in mind.
When Cain was out of jail, and when Thea had earned her glory at the Olympics.
It was imperative to me that I go to her, that I change both our destinies once she’d fulfilled her goal. There was no way I was jeopardizing her plans to free her mom, so I stood back. I hovered on the sidelines living a half-life.
Watching.
Waiting.
Unfortunately for me, the Coronavirus had changed the timelines. Cain had been released last year for good behavior, and I’d had to wait until this moment, until now, to get my woman.
Of course, that involved her agreeing, but I wasn’t a kid anymore. I knew what I wanted. Knew what she was worth. And I’d fight for her like no one had ever fought for her before.
“I’m not Catholic.” Not much of a comeback, but it’s all I could think of saying at the moment.
She scoffed, “I know you’re not. At least, you’re not practicing. But Maria is. She’ll never divorce you.”
“She will. She has no choice. It’s called divorce by notice, remember? Three notices published, and that’s it, that sets the ball rolling. Anyway, I haven’t seen her in eight months. I haven’t fucking wanted to,” I grumbled.
Her brow puckered. “What about Freddie?”
“I see him. Mom collects him for me, but we video chat a lot. Especially ever since I’ve been in London.”
Her brow puckered, confusion flashing over it a second. “But she said—”
I arched a brow. “She said, what?” And which she? My mother? What the hell had that bitch been saying now?
Before I could get angry, her ponytail whipped from side to side as she dismissed the question, instead asking me, “Don’t you miss him?”
“With every bone in my body,” I admitted, without an ounce of shame. “But Maria isn’t good for me. And what isn’t good for me isn’t good for Freddie. The fights, the bitterness, it was starting to taint everything. That wasn’t healthy for him.”
Her eyes narrowed as her hand tightened on the strap of her backpack. “Are you going to fight for custody?”
“Would that be a problem for you?”
Her head tilted to the side. “If I said yes, would you not fight for custody?”
“No.” A shaky breath escaped me, because it had never occurred to me that she’d ask that. “He’s my son, Thea. I have to fight for him.”
Her smile was sweet. “Right answer.”
I blinked, and then irritation filled me. How could she do that to me? Every fucking time. Something about her made me vulnerable, and I fucking hated it.
I’d been no saint in the years since she’d gone to Stanford and I’d made a different life for myself. Just as she had.
But that life had been waiting on this turning point.
I ground my teeth for a second before I challenged, “Was that fair?”
“What? To question you? I barely know you anymore, Adam. The man I knew before would have never left his son behind. You just confirmed that you haven’t changed that much.”
Despite myself, I was irritated. “And since when were you the judge on whether a man is good or not?”
“You’re my man, aren’t you? Who else can judge you? Who else can judge me but you?”
My jaw flexed because she was right. Still… “Not fair, Thea.”
“Who said I played fair?” She hiked h
er bag higher up on her shoulder. “Who said anything in this life was fair?”
“I sure as fuck didn’t,” I snapped, and when I was certain she was going to carry on walking, evading me to the last, I grabbed her arm, slipped my hand down to her wrist, and questioned, “Where are you going?”
“Back to my hotel. I still have things I need to pack.”
“I’m coming with you.”
It was an order, a command, one I uttered without knowing if she’d agree to it, but my heart soared when she murmured, “Yes, I think you should.”
Even though I was relieved, her acquiescence surprised me. I’d expected her to argue, and when she didn’t, I just stood there, gaping at her a little.
“Cat got your tongue?” she sniped, her eyes flashing.
“Something has,” I retorted, and with a defiance that made me feel about six, I dropped my grasp on her wrist and grabbed her hand instead.
She didn’t fight the connection, didn’t avoid my touch. Instead, she peered up at me with those eyes of hers that seemed to see into my fucking soul and muttered, “This is a bad idea.”
“Is it? I think it’s the best idea we’ve ever had.”
“You don’t know why I—”
“Why you’ve been avoiding me? For years? No, you’re right. I fucking don’t.” I hated that I was snarling at her, snarling and criticizing when I was, essentially, getting my own way at long last. I was a fool, a moron, but I was also hurt. I’d never been able to pin her down on her reasons why. Even when she’d relented and let me inside her, she’d never given me a clue as to why she’d torn us apart. “But you’re going to explain it to me, aren’t you? When we go wherever it is we’re going.”
“You don’t know?” Her lips twitched, and my heart soared at the small smile. “And you still want to come? What if I wanted to visit Outer Mongolia?”
“Then I’d need some time to prep for the trip. I’ve only packed shorts and tees.”
That lip twitch morphed into a full, outright grin. “It’s going to be chilly, but not that chilly. I want to go to the Gold Coast.”
“Australia?” My brows sank, and I thought about the last time I’d visited on business. “My visa should still be valid.”
“You’ve already visited it?”
Her pout enchanted me, so much so that I reached up and rubbed her bottom lip. “Early last year. I went to Adelaide to speak with Justin Weave.”
Above The Surface Page 27