CHAPTER 26
DIANGELO
Present
Another day,another yoga class. I’ve been informed that Isa will be at this class. I’m hoping that means a stress-free hour, but my optimism dies a quick death the minute I see the instructor. His name is Chase, which also appears to be his favorite pastime—chasing the women in his class.
The ladies all seem to love him. He’s a few years older than me but keeps himself lean and fit. He also wears so much spray tan that his skin has an orange glow and is way too goddamn handsy. I made a comment about him to Rina after a class last week, and she’s under the deluded impression he’s simply friendly. His touches don’t look friendly to me. They look suggestive. The asshole has probably laid half the women in the studio.
That’s when it hits me.
He could have already had sex with Terina. She’s a grown woman. Nothing says she can’t screw anyone she wants, but the thought has my fists balled so tightly that my bones ache.
Now my optimismandmy mood have left the building.
The lights dim. Sixteen participants, all quiet, focus their attention on Chase. The opening stretch poses begin with Chase leading by example. Once instruction moves to the core of the routine, he makes a demonstrative pass-through before walking among the participants to check their form as they repeat the series of movements.
When he gets to Rina, my shoulders tense.
I watch him like a hawk. His nose doesn’t twitch without me noticing. Rina can’t see it because he’s behind her, but I get a perfect view of the way his tongue swipes over his bottom lip before his hand presses to her lower back.
It’s not obscene. Nothing that would earn him a near-death experience, but I hate it, nonetheless.
I have to relax my jaw and move it side to side to prevent me from cracking a tooth.
Not ten minutes later, the little ass-wipe manages to find yet another reason to put his hands on Rina. This time, it’s her hamstrings, encouraging her to squeeze her glutes in a bridge pose.
Sounds reasonable, right?
Not to the demon in my head. All he sees is a man trying to touch Rina’s ass.
His rage is my rage, turning our vision red.
Chase has moved on by the time I cross the room, but I don’t care. We’re out of here.
“What’s going on?” she asks in a hushed whisper as I help her to her feet.
“Something’s come up; we gotta go.” Not a lie, but there’s no way I’m telling her the full truth. She doesn’t need to know the something that came up is a touch of insanity on my part.
Thankfully, she complies, collecting her things and giving Isa a reassuring nod before following me out.
“Is everything okay?” she asks once we’re in the car. Her words are hushed with worry, and I feel a tiny tinge of guilt. Not enough to trigger remorse. Just enough to sour my mood further.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” I answer gruffly, keeping my eyes on traffic.
Neither of us says another word until we’re back at the apartment. I thought that meant the subject had been dropped. I was wrong.
I set my wallet and keys on a console in the living room where I always leave them and go to the kitchen for some food.
“DiAngelo, what was that?” Rina asks.
I glance behind me to where she’s standing with her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed. Tension coils in my neck at the feeling of a storm brewing.
“We just needed to get out of there, okay?”Please, leave it at that.
She’s quiet for several seconds. I grab a protein shake and remove the lid.
“Is this … is this because ofChase?” she blurts, her voice rising.
