Page 70 of The Front Runner
Silence descends as we all work on getting some food in us. Chugging wine on an empty stomach is a rookie move. And we’re all too old for that shit.
“Speaking of sexist pigs… I was at the second chance fundraiser last night,” I tell them. “Patrick Cassel was arrested.”
“What?” Billie drops her food onto the plate and stares at me, mouth agape. “What for?”
“Doping horses without their owner’s consent or knowledge, among other things I assume.”
A low whistle erupts from Billie’s lips. “Goddamn. I knew that guy was a piece of shit, but that’s really just the cherry on top, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. My brother has been slaving over taking that guy down for months,” Nadia mumbles over a mouth full of food.
My eyes go wide, and Billie’s head whips to her. “Stefan?”
She nods right as Violet pipes up, “You make him out to be a lot worse than he is, B. Your grudge-holding ability is next level.”
All I can hear is my heart pounding in my ears. This is toeing the line awfully close to my secrets spilling out. And with a warm buzz coursing through me, I wonder if it would be so bad to just get it off my chest. Just blurt it out and get it out in the open.
“I hate that fucking guy,” Billie grumbles as she rips at her bread again.
“Hey, hey, hey now, that’s my big brother you’re talking about,” Nadia chimes in just as Violet scolds her with a whisper-shout, “Billie!”
I take a contemplative swig of wine. A really big one. “You realize he saved your horse, right?”
She scoffs, agitation lining her every movement. Billieisa championship grudge holder. Ask her parents. I appreciate she’s got her baggage, her reasons, but I’m feeling protective of Stefan. The Stefan I know doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment.
“We’d have figured something out,” she says. “The guy is a slimy fucking snake in the grass.”
My cheeks heat with indignance. “No. That foal would have died.”
She rolls her eyes and chuckles, trying to lighten the mood. “Okay, Mira. When you’re done fondling Dalca’s balls for doing us one little favor, let me know.”
I take another large swig and then rest my head back on the chair, looking up at the darkening sky, feeling the heat of the fire soak into my bones. “I did a lot more than fondle his balls.”
Violet spews water all over herself.
Nadia groans and shakes her head with a small smile. “Fucking gross. I knew it.”
Billie stares at me, shock painting her pretty features. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“Sorry, B. No joke.”
“Okay…” She settles back in her chair, pressing her lips together. Clearly mulling over what to say next. She steeples her hands in front of her face, tapping her fingers on her nose before pointing them back at me. “Is this you going deep cover? Like when a CIA agent bangs the bad guy to uncover enemy secrets? Because I could probably admire your commitment.”
I tilt my head to the side and smile at her with sadness. I recognize she’s not going to like this, but when have I ever done things the way other people wanted me to? “No, B. It’s…”
I worry my bottom lip between my teeth as I search for the right label for Stefan and me.
“It’s real.”
24
Mira
I feel lighter walking backto my loft apartment above the barn. Actually, I feel almost giddy. Part of that is the wine, and part of that is just the general feeling of relief at ditching one of the secrets that’s been weighing on me. I didn’t like lying to my friends, and I didn’t like treating a man who’s been nothing but incredible to me like I was ashamed of him.
The fact of the matter is, I’m not ashamed of Stefan Dalca.At all.
Luckily, Billie sort of let it go after I dropped that atomic bomb on girls’ night.
