Page 68 of Vipers & Roses

Lucy’s eyes connect with mine, but they are empty and distant as if she’s not registering who I am. I get the distinct impression that she’s disassociated from her body because she doesn’t seem to be enjoying it.

“Lucy?” my voice catches in my mouth. I clear my throat and speak her name again assertively, “Lucy.”

Lyons turns to stare me down with a hideous smirk on his face, but I focus on Lucy. “Lucy,” I shout, and she awakens out of her haze, and once realization hits her, anger emerges.

“Get out!” she screams, while Lyons’ smirk widens, his hips still pounding her aggressively. “Get out!”

Lyons’ smirk washes away when he spots someone over my shoulder who places a firm hand on my arm to drag me back into the corridor.

Gabe shuts the door on the pair and leads me back down the stairs. “I’ll come back later to speak to Lyons, as it looks like he’s busy,” he says softly.

I’m a little stunned by what I just saw, but mostly Lucy’s volatile reaction to me seeing them in the act. I felt her anger was fueled by embarrassment or shame, but it only made me want to speak to her to know that it was a consented act.

“That wasn’t his wife,” I exclaim hotly as I notice his warm hand is still grasping my upper arm, leading me out to the pool arena.

He doesn’t respond, and I glance back at him, and those steely blues reassuringly smile at me. “Sometimes men succumb to temptations,” his voice is leveled and smooth, and I wonder if he’s talking about me.

I open my mouth to respond when Cormac appears dripping wet and peeling his cap off. I expect him to be confused that I’m with his father, but he’s not surprised or bothered at all.

“Did you talk to him?” Cormac asks Gabe.

“No, he’s busy,” he answers, pointing his thumb behind him, just as Lucy comes rushing past us with her wet hair draping over her bowed head, hiding in shame or embarrassment.

I watch her race toward the locker room, wearing only her bathing suit. The shoulder straps are twisted as if she was in a hurry to slip them back on, and everyone knows how hard it is to put a wet swimsuit on.

“I better go and change as I have a shift in the gardens,” I say, clasping my towel tightly around my body so I can walk quickly without it falling down.

“Alright,” Cormac says in a friendly tone but frowning as usual. I’ll see you later, Rae.”

“Okay, “I smile back, although distracted by Lucy, and I flick Gabe a wave before heading to my destination, the locker rooms. When I arrive at the entrance, I am urged to look back at the two tall, beautiful men whose eyes are on me as they chat. Gabe has his hands in his pant pockets as if nothing fazes him, even catching his son’s coach fucking one of his students while Cormac is roughing up his short, wet hair with his fingers.

I spot Lucy in the corner, stripping her wet bathing suit off. She drops her head down when she sees me, pretending to scroll on her phone.

“Lucy,” I breathe, stepping closer to divert her attention from the screen.

“Don’t,” she warns me. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Lucy, please, just answer one question, and I’ll leave you alone,” I plead. “Please.”

She shakes her head and starts shuffling towards the shower cubicle area as three swim team members walk in, chatting about race times.

I step closer to her so they can’t hear, and Lucy makes it evident that she doesn’t want me near her. “Lucy, please, just answer me this one question. Was that consented? Between you and Lyons, was what I saw consented?”

Her mouth drops open in exaggerated horror. “Of course it was.” She exhales in a huff, turns her back to walk into the shower area, and hisses fervently, “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t. I promise,” I assure her, yet I’m unsatisfied with her forced and fake answer. Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Perhaps I want, no, need Lyons to be the bad guy to make it easier to kill him. He is my enemy, but it doesn’t mean he treated other women as appallingly as he treated me. I could be the only one—the chosen lamb to the slaughter.

After showering and dressing, I found Lucy searching through her bag in the changing area. When she glances up, I notice the skin around her eyes is red, as if she’d been crying. I open my mouth to say something, but she snatches her bag and storms out. I wait a few seconds before I follow her out to find Gabe waiting by the pool, and those twinkling eyes smile at me when I emerge.

“Got a spare ten minutes for a coffee?” he croons.

“With you?” I ask, stunned as my heart dances in my chest. Is he asking me out on a date? Jeezus, Rae, don’t jump to conclusions. It’s just coffee.

That handsome jaw relaxes into a smile, “Yes, with me.”

“Sure. I have a shift in the uni gardens soon, but I have time for a coffee,” I blabber like a childish fool on speed and want the ground to open me up and swallow me. I’m showing my age here as the mature forty-something walks and speaks calmly and nods along to my verbal diarrhea. Gosh, he’s so damn attractive.

He points toward the kiosk set up in the car park by the road, and I don’t want to tell him that the coffee tastes like a grease slick, which is why I prefer the coffee houses on campus.

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