“It’s not like we’re, I don’t know… You do this all the time,” Mara said. “I thought it didn’t mean anything to you. You said it was nothing.”
“You’re the literal worst.”
“What did you expect? Don’t you hook up with people all the time? How was I supposed to know I was any different than anyone else?”
“Real nice. Using my sexual history as a dig.”
“It’s not a dig!” Mara raised her voice. “I am genuinely asking. What have you ever said or done that would make me think it was anything besides blowing off steam? What did you say that day after the Janette Collins interview? You wanted hot and meaningless. That’s what I thought this was. Yes, we’re compatible in bed, but that doesn’t mean you have feelings for me.”
“If you can’t tell, then you’re?—”
“That’s unfair,” Mara interrupted. “The most important thing to me was competing. This”—she gestured between them—“is not something I am willing to lose sleep over right now.”
“Yes, God forbid I have a feeling. Sorry that’s so inconvenient for you.”
“I thought we were on the same page. You’ve been saying the same shit about me in interviews,” Mara snapped.
“And you’ve been giving it right back. I thought we… I thought it was understood. That it was?—”
“A game?”
It was a game. But Kirby’s feelings didn’t feel like a game anymore.
“Yeah.”
“Yes,” Mara snarled. “And I love joking about the worst day of my life. How fun for me.”
“Losing one race. What a privilege for that to be your worst day. Give me a break.” Kirby felt done andmean. It wasn’t a good combo. It hadn’t served her well in relationships in the past.
Mara’s cheeks were red, and her body seemed geared up to fight. She was tight as a bowstring and practically shaking. Not the cold, little princess after all.
Kirby crowded her against one of the fancy wooden lockers. They were both breathing hard. Mara licked her lips, and Kirby wanted to kiss her. She wanted to pin Mara to the wall, bite the join of her neck and shoulder, and make her come apart.
“You know what?” Kirby whispered, venom in her voice. She touched a curl of Mara’s hair that had fallen over her shoulder. One last touch. “You’re right. You’re not worth losing focus over. Or spending time on. And just to be clear, you’ve been using me as your emotional crutch for twelve days, since that very first time, princess. So I wanted to exchange a few pleasantries beforereducing you to nothing but a begging hot mess. Sue me. And grow up.”
A throat cleared. “Umm.”
Kirby jerked away from Mara at the sound, and Mara basically threw herself across the room. It would have been funny if Kirby had been capable of accessing her sense of humor at that moment.
Lindsey was standing in the doorway, her sports bag in her hand. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.
“Hi,” Kirby said. Cold sweat broke out on Kirby’s back, and adrenaline made her ears ring.
“Hi.” Lindsey glanced between them. “So.”
“No.” Mara shook her head, one quick jerk. “No.”
Kirby felt upset. But Maralookedupset. She wasn’t hiding it. It was a douse of cold water to see Mara’s live reaction to being romantically associated with Kirby. Not exactly a confidence boost.
“Nowhat?” Lindsey said very slowly. “I didn’t, you know,see or hear anything very wild and out of the ordinary.”
“No,” Mara repeated. “I can’t… No.”
Kirby wanted to come to Mara’s rescue. But she didn’t. Mara was a big girl.
“I guess, umm.” Lindsey turned to Kirby. “I could give you guys a few more minutes.”
“It’s fine. I’m done here,” Kirby said coldly.
