“Good!” she shouts. “Again!”
Every one of her attacks is blocked by my foil. “Coach, you’re not even trying.”
“No, it’s not that,” she claims triumphantly while stepping back to wipe the sweat from her forehead. “You’ve learned.”
“What are you talking about?”
Her proud smile takes me off-guard. I lower my weapon, studying the special floors upon which we’ve fenced hundreds of times.
“Alexandra,” she says sweetly as she takes a new position. “Come on. Hit me with your best shot.”
“Are you sure about that?”
She laughs. “Come on!”
We fall into a new rhythm of fencing that feels less like teaching and more like sparring. My thoughts get away from me as I fight my instructor, doubt clouding my system. Should I really take over the Moretti empire? Am I ready for that? I dodge another attack easily, feigning left and stabbing right when she falls for it. A smirk crosses my lips. No, I can’t turn back. I have to protect myself and Evelyn.
“Better than ever,” Coach Neill praises while shrugging her shoulders. “And you haven’t even gone for my face.”
“That’s not very ladylike.”
She snorts. “No, it’s not, is it?”
“Neither is mistreating my closest friends.”
She pauses with her foil raised, curiosity written on her features. “Are you having regrets, Alexandra?”
“Yeah, about plenty of things.”
“Tell me about it.”
While fending off more of her attacks, I explain how Demetra and I fought. “I miss her even-tempered view,” I add, “and I’m thinking about apologizing to her.”
“Don’t.”
Her response catches me for a beat, but I recover my position easily, blocking another attack. “What do you mean?”
“You should let her stay angry at you.”
“But that’s not right, Coach Neill. That would destroy our friendship.”
She hums thoughtfully while hopping left and then regains the upper hand for a moment, confidently waving her foil. “You should keep your friends at a distance for everyone’s sake—the ones who aren’t involved in the crime world.”
“Coach…”
We spar a bit longer, emotions cresting just over the surface of my mind. No matter how strong the feelings get, I don’t lose focus on the task at hand, easily defending my position during our fencing match. It’s not until the fight is over that I realize I’ve won by a couple of points. It’s a close call, yet a worthy victory.
Coach Neill simply smiles as I put away the protective gear I’ve been wearing.
I’m not the student anymore, I realize while putting away my foil. I’ve mastered all I need to know from Coach Neill. That’s why she’s smiling at me like that.
When I meet her gaze, I don’t mention what’s on my mind. It seems she understands me in the same quiet way I understand her. But the way she holds my gaze and the way her eyes crinkle when she grins makes my heart pound harder.
I race across the room and embrace her tightly. “Thank you.”
“You’re ready to lead, dear Alexandra,” she whispers. “You understand the form, discipline, and art of this sport. Use it to your advantage.”
I nod tearfully. “I will.”
“I’m so proud of you.”
After a quick goodbye, I leave, carrying with me the kind of pride I never thought myself capable of feeling. It makes me think about the boys and how I truly feel for each of them, my experiences differing in such unique ways that it’s hard to say what’s real and what’s staged.
What do they think of me? It’s a strange thought, but it lingers, persisting long after I’ve wandered through the hallways toward the courtyard out front. Most of the lot is empty, hosting only the car I’ve been borrowing from my mother for a while. Seeing the way the simple black polish winks with daylight imbues me with strength.
I know where Soren and Parker stand. They’ve told me directly. I whip out my keys, unlock the car, and slide inside, sighing at the warmth of the leather against my jeans. But Tomas might feel differently. Maybe he’s just following along with the others.
I’ve always preferred Tomas to the others. He has a gentle way about him that doesn’t stink of pride and greed. Though he’s abused drugs and alcohol, he’s certainly earned that right, considering how I’ve treated him. Maybe I shouldn’t have hurt him. Having his support now would be vital to my empire. He’s followed along in the past.
When I start the car, I turn up the cold air, pointing the vents at my hot face. There’s only one way to figure out how Tomas feels—and that’s to go visit him.