By Chance (Accidentally In Luck #1)

41. Training Almost Comes in Handy - Cora

His eyebrows knit. "You sure? You look like you're trying to swallow a lemon."

I gave him a dry look. "Ha ha." I can't tell him. I can't tell him. So what do I tell him? "It's nothing. I mean, you know how I feel about your fighting."

This time he nodded. "Yeah, I do. I have something to tell you about that too."

Still looking at him, I raised my eyebrows silently asking him what the heck it is.

He cleared his throat. "Well—" he started but cut off as Jay and Elle pulled up outside my window. He shot me a quick, nervous grin. "Later, ok? It's nothing insane, but I'd like for you to know."

I dropped my head against the headrest and groaned. "You can't just tell me now?"

His grin grew. "Nah. I'm gonna torture you a bit and make you wait. Now come on, time to head in. This tournament's finally gonna be over."

I poured myself out of his car and met the others by the hoods of the cars.

I saw Jay and Elle and immediately noticed their joined hands. My smile at them faltered thanks to the raging feelings inside of me.

It was so, so wrong, but I was angry them and so jealous of them that it made me angry at myself. I loved Jay and Elle together so much, they were great together, but it just reminded me of how much I loved E and how much we just couldn't be together.

"Sup, bitch?" Elle asked, a content smile on her face.

I plastered a smile on my face again. "Not much, mon amie. How about you? Despite the fact that I just saw you like 20 minutes ago."

She laughed and I immediately noticed that her and Jay both looked at each other, just 'cause. "I'm pretty damn good," she responded happily.

I nodded and turned away. It's not that I don't want her to be happy but watching her being that happy while Theo was standing right beside me was a bit too painful.

I heard E's voice, but I tuned him out. I was in my own world and I was going to stay there for a minute longer. I did too until I felt a hand on my back.

"Hey," he said as I turned, "what's up?"

I shook my head. I can't exactly tell him what's up. "Nothing, just ready for tonight to be over."

He nodded and I saw him start to turn away, but he stopped and looked hard at me. "You know, watching them together isn't any easier for me. Especially when you're right next to me. They have exactly what I want with you and I hate it. I'm happy for them, but I hate it."

I looked up at him, shocked and wondering how he could always read my mind like that. I managed to nod, and he gave me a sympathetic grin as we headed in for the finals.

***

Sitting ringside with Elle was an experience in itself. She was constantly yelling and cheering and trying to talk to me. It didn't matter if she knew what she was yelling at or if I could hear her, she was just excited and didn't care. It made me happy we only had about 10 minutes before E and Jay's match.

I busied myself by looking around the crowd. I didn't expect to see him here, especially not after he confessed everything, but I thought if I were ever going to see him again, he would be here.

I was just ready to abandon the search when a mop of dark blonde hair jumped out at me. For the third time in as many months I saw Daniel from across a room, minding his own business. He was just taking his seat and starting to talk to a familiar and intimidating guy with scars and tattoos lining his arms. It was the same guy that had told Mom, Dad, and me that Daniel had died four year ago and, as I remembered Daniel's story, I could only conclude that the guy was Neo. And that had to mean that the man who was sitting next to them had to be the Mr. Roi person Daniel had mention.