Page 25 of Skating Towards Danger

His eyes soften, and he nods, then admits, “This one is written by me. I had the money transferred yesterday when the accountant explained you didn’t cash the check. I had a little feeling why you didn’t.”

My eyes tear up, and he smiles gently when I take the check but soon snorts when I mutter, “I don’t know how I feel having this amount of money. Maybe I can start a charity?” I look at Roman and ask, “Can I do that? Can I start a charity, maybe for orphans or…?”

He cuts me off, “Or to help underprivileged children to skate, which, yes, you can. It’s your money, Paige, you can do what you want, but all I ask is to get a better apartment and a car first please otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to tell Rocco, and if I don’t, my brother will just piss you off.”

I scrunch my nose up and ask, “What is his problem? Today, he acted like I was his worst enemy, and he doesn’t even know me, heck I hadn’t even said one word to him until today.”

Roman sighs, “He’s just having a bad week.”

I raise a brow, not believing him, but nod and look down at the check.

I shouldn’t have this money.

“Get out of your head, Paige,” Roman demands softly, and I look at him confused. He shrugs, “You believe you shouldn’t have the money, but your dad saved his ass off so you can livewithout concern, so get out of your head and honor him by making sure you have somewhere safe to live and a means to get around.”

I swallow but nod and then ask, “What else do you need? "

He smirks, not shocked that I clocked him instantly. I may have been off my head most of the time, but Uncle Rocco taught me well.

“You’re not some meek girl, are you?” he confirms, and I snort.

“You’ve met my uncle, right?” I reply, and he grins, then sighs and admits, “I didn’t want to get involved, but I thought you had a right to know, Andrew is cheating on you and got someone knocked up, someone who tried claiming the baby as Dante’s, wanting the lavish lifestyle.”

I chuckle, making him frown with confusion, but he soon smiles when I admit, “I know. I didn’t have feelings for him or anything, I was just trying to see what dating was like. I heard him screwing Marie last week, then again two days later. I’m not hurt by it, Roman and honestly not shocked he knocked someone else up.”

He nods, then asks, “But the question is, were you hurt by Dante having a woman all over him today?” My eyes widen, and he nods like that is all the answer he needed, but I stutter, “I-I, that uh is insane, I don’t even know him.”

He smirks, then mumbles, “Good to know,” ignoring my ramblings before he walks past me, but I don’t move, shock filling me.

How did he know that it hurt me to see that? I can’t even explain it. I don’t know Dante, only of his reputation, and I’m telling you now, it’s not a very good one where women are concerned.

He makes high school me look like an innocent virgin and an innocent virgin I am not.

“Get inside, Paige,” Roman says loudly, and I jump, nearly dropping my keys before doing exactly as he asks, then bolting the door behind me.

I hear several moans from Tanner’s bedroom and wince before rushing towards my room. I unlock the door and head inside, bolting the door behind me and locking it. Then, throwing my keys on my mini fridge, I swallow hard as I look down at the check that I know I’ll have to cash tomorrow before my roommates find out about it.

I don’t want to spend the money and I don’t want anyone to know I have it but I can cash it and just leave it, at least then Roman will be off my back.

My heart skips a beat, and my stomach tightens, nausea hitting me.

I don’t deserve it.

Shaking my head, I jump on my bed and lie backward. I'm kind of happy I’m off today and don’t have to see Andrew, who keeps calling me.

A memory of Dante’s dark blue eyes hit me, and I squeeze mine tight.

I don’t want him, and I’m not hurt over a stranger, I’m just not.

Chapter 9

Dante

I grit my teeth as I watch Paige storm out of the rink while Amy, who, shocker, followed me here, knowing I train at this time of day with the rink normally quiet, licks up my neck, making me want to gag and slice her fucking throat while everything inside me wants to run after Paige, a girl I don’t even know that well.

For the past twenty minutes, I stood in the shadows, watching her skate as her life depended on it, trying to keep her tears at bay and failing each time she tried.

Rhett was right, she was born to be a figure skater. Her poise, her moves, how everything disappears for her, she’s amazing. It also pains her to be out there, her tears proof of that, and fuck me, the feeling of needing to help her, the anger that keeps trying to take over because she’s struggling, it’s consuming me and I fucking hate it. I fucking hate her for it.

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