Page 123 of Hate You Most

“I love you,” she repeated. “I love you and I've never stopped. And I know I don’t deserve anything from you. Not forgiveness and not another chance. Definitely not even a conversation after this, but you need to know that what happened back there—” Her breath faltered slightly. “That wasn’t real, Dakota. It was never real, because he wasn't you. I wanted him to be you so badly because loving him would have been easier. It would have made everything so much easier. But I don't want it to be easy. I don't want someone I'm supposed to love. I want you. I have always wanted you.”

She took one last, unsteady step closer, close enough now that there was almost no space left between them.

“And if this ruins everything,” she whispered. “Then at least it’s not a lie.”

Her gaze flicked briefly to Dakota’s mouth, then back to her eyes. Her heart pounded against her ribs.

Fuck it.

Fuck it all.

She reached for Dakota’s face with both hands, her fingers trembling as they curled against warm skin, and kissed her.

It wasn't polite. It was not the kind of kiss she would have given if she had been thinking about the cameras, the consequences, or what a person was supposed to do when their entire life detonated outside a nightclub beneath flashing lights. It was desperate and immediate and full of every emotion she'd hidden away. The world seemed to tilt around her. The music kept pounding, the lights kept flashing, someone somewhere shouted at them, but all Viktoriya took notice of was Dakota's lips on hers.

For one stunned second, Dakota didn't move.

Then she kissed her back.

The relief was so sudden and overwhelming that Viktoriya nearly sobbed. Some locked part of herself had finally given up trying to hold itself together.

Dakota’s hands caught at her waist, firm enough to anchor her, and that was when the tears finally spilled down her cheeks.

She'd lost control completely. She'd just kissed Dakota right in front of the paparazzi and the cameras were still going off as they parted. It was going on the front page of every article by the morning, and she didn't care. She should have cared, but she was so fucking tired of it all.

She had no regrets.

VOLKOVA’S SECRET ROMANCE REVEALED: THE RIVALRY THAT WAS NEVER JUST A RIVALRY

BREAKING: OLYMPIC RIVALS TURNED LOVERS? VOLKOVA CAUGHT KISSING SANCHEZ IN DETROIT NIGHTCLUB

RIVALS NO LONGER? OLYMPIC CHAMPION DITCHES BOYFRIEND FOR FIGURE SKATING RIVAL AT NIGHTCLUB

10 QUEER ATHLETES CELEBRATE VOLOKOVA AND SANCHEZ AFTER VIRAL KISS

PROFESSIONALISM QUESTIONED AFTER OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATING CHAMPION PUBLICLY KISSES RIVAL SKATER

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

May 11th, 2023.

— Mccullough Investigations Office, Detroit, Michigan.

Viktoriya needed a cigarette. Badly. Normally that was Dakota's thing, but the last few days had been the shitshow to end all shitshows. She needed to do something for just a moment or she was going to lose her mind.

She wondered if Dakota would scold her, if she was caught with a cigarette between her lips. She didn't even know where she hid them. She wished she'd found one before leaving the apartment.

Her hand was wrapped loosely around the strap of her bag as she stood just inside the doorway. She'd stood there for too long. It was starting to feel unsettling, even a little creepy.

The investigations office was small, tucked away on the second floor of a building she couldn't remember the name of. She'd imagined big glass walls, people in suits, and polished marble surfaces when Dakota had suggested going to them with the truth. Instead she was met with a singular long oak table, two laptops, a single whiteboard with color coded notes, and three people that were supposedly the best in the county.

She steadied herself and walked fully into the room.

A woman in her mid-thirties looked up with sharp eyes and dark brown curls. “You made it,” she exclaimed and gave Viktoriya a warm smile.

The woman studied her face, then introduced herself as Claire McCullough, the team's primary investigations officer and the one that would be leading her case. She gestured toward the long table. “Thank you for coming. I know this isn’t…” She hesitated for a moment. “Simple for you.”

Viktoriya let out a quiet breath. “No, it isn’t.”