The Swan and The Sergeant - Alana Albertson Page 0,32
sat inside a booth.
As the warm cocoa coated my throat, I grimaced. Though my chemistry with Dima on the floor was electric, our true feelings toward each other were more familiar than sexy. But I wanted passion, true love.
And more importantly, I could never forgive Dima for the way our relationship started.
I took a deep breath. It was now or never.
But before I could speak, Dima did.
“Selenichka, I’ve been thinking. I should get back together with you, and we get married.”
I almost choked on my hot chocolate. “Married? Are you crazy? We’ve been broken up for three years, and you want to get married?”
Marriage to Dima was the exact opposite of what I wanted.
“I do. I think it would be good for our result. The judges like to see the couples who marry win.”
Well, at least his proposal made sense. I knew he didn’t actually want a real marriage. But for a result and control, marriage seemed like a great idea.
To him.
Anger seethed inside me. “For our result? It would help, I know, but that’s not a reason to get married. I mean, we’re not even dating right now. Does everyone in this business only live their lives to get results? Today, when I saw Eric, he was kissing another man. What does that mean, Dima? Is he gay? Are he and Nicole only married for their result?”
Dima threw up his hands. “Why do I care who it is that Eric kisses? It is none of my business if he is a gay. He is the champion. I don’t see how their marriage is important to us.”
I knew Dima wouldn’t understand my point. “It’s not about them. It’s about us.”
Dima’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? I just needed a break from you, but we will end up together, Selenichka. We placed third in Blackpool last year. And Fabio and Gia will retire this year. This is not the time to lose focus. This is our time.”
“Forget it.” I looked down at my feet.
Dima stirred his cocoa. He lowered his voice. “I love you.”
My lips quivered.
I tried another approach. I got up from the table and snuggled next to Dima. “Dimka, I’ll always love you. You have been everything to me since I was a little girl. But I want to have kids. And I’m twenty-eight years old. I can’t wait forever. I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t have a family.”
Dima clutched my hand. “Maybe after we win Blackpool, we can discuss it.”
I didn’t want to discuss it. I wanted to end it.
A waiter walked by with a tray full of plates. One of the men at the next table erupted in loud laughter, clapping his neighbor on the shoulder. This wasn’t the place to do this. But it was the time.
“I’m sorry, but I have to give this back to you.” I slipped off my diamond ring. The day he had proposed at the Palace of Fine Arts had been one of the best nights of my life. Back then, I’d still believed in the ballroom fantasy and thought that Dima and I could have it all—success, a family, true love. I was younger then, and we had plenty of time to start a family. But I ached every time I saw a father playing with his kid. No amount of success would be worth the pain of not having a family. And I didn’t want to have a family with him.
He grasped the ring. “What does this mean, Selena? You are bound to me. We have contracts, competitions, products, videos, studios. You can’t leave me. I will wait for you to get ahold of yourself, and we can talk.”
“Dimka, we’ve been broken up for three years. You’ve been with women during that time. I never went on more than a few dates with anyone.” I felt strong. I’d been having doubts for a while and finally had no hesitation about my path. “You’ll always be in my life. We can still dance together and work on our projects. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me over the years. But I need to find myself. I don’t want to have any regrets.”
He pointed his finger at me. “This is about Bret. Have you slept together with him, Selena? Tell to me!”
“How could you ask me that? You and I aren’t even dating, and I never cheated on you. Ever. I never questioned you about all the rumors with your celebrities.