Hayden's brows shot to his hairline. He ran his fingers through his messy bed hair. I loved this look on him.
"You're going to be gone that long?" he asked. "I assumed you'd be back shortly after the new year."
"That was the original plan, but after what happened, I don't want to be the only one left here when everyone is at a meet I should be at too. I think it'll be a good time to clear my head and regain my focus, remember what I came here to do in the first place. You know?"
My heart squeezed at the thought of missing the gymnastics meet, but this time I wouldn't allow any more tears to fall.
I drew in a deep, clean breath and exhaled the bullshit.
This morning when I woke, I decided I wouldn't dwell on the past, or my sticky relationship with Kova. Nothing good could come of it. What's done is done, and nothing could be changed at this point. My plan was to move on and work harder than ever before, no matter how much pain he caused me.
"Think Coach will have a fit?"
I gave him a droll stare and drew an imaginary circle around my face with my index finger. "Does this look like the face of someone who gives a shit?"
Hayden let out a laugh and I shrugged.
"What can he do that he hasn't already done? I'm pretty sure he can't—and won't—do shit if I take my time to come back. I have too much on him." I paused with a pair of yoga pants in my hand. "Speaking of having something on him, what were you guys talking about yesterday?"
"Uh, it was nothing." He looked away for a guilty second and cracked his knuckles. "It was just something he helped me out with in the past. Nothing important."
"Whatever it was, it has to do with the dumb dating rules he enforced."
A dim shadow appeared in his eyes and he looked away. Hayden shifted from foot to foot and tried to crack his knuckles again. Whatever Kova had helped him with was serious, and that made me more curious than ever.
"It's really nothing, Aid. Nothing I want to talk about anyway. A secret I swore I wouldn't tell anyone."
"A secret?" I giggled. I couldn't picture Hayden exchanging secrets with anyone. "Who do you tell secrets with?"
"My sister."
"Oh." I paused, my smile fading. I hadn't expected that. "But you know about my secret, and it can't be worse than that. Please," I begged sweetly, batting my eyes. "Tell me what it is. Tell me why your sister is the reason we have dumb dating rules."
"Aid. Let it go."
Of course, I couldn't let it go.
"If it weren't for your rules, I wouldn't be in this mess."
His eyes flared. It was the wrong thing to say.
"I know you can't be fucking serious right now. You're in this mess because you had sex with your dickhead, possessive coach who has mental issues. This had nothing to do with me."
"Jeez." I pulled back, not expecting the severity of his voice. "I was only half-kidding."
Hayden sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping, but I'm not going to talk about it. Okay? So just drop it."
"Fine." I'd just ask Kova anyway.
"Want to get brunch before you leave?"
My stomach grumbled and Hayden lifted a brow. "I wish, but I'm going to see my mom soon. I need to be as thin as possible for her."
His forehead creased with lines of confusion and his eyes narrowed. "Thin? Have you looked at yourself lately, Aid?"
Hayden stood up and guided me to stand in front of my closet mirror. Standing behind me, he placed his hands on my waist. I wore faded denim shorts that sat extremely low on my hips and a simple buttercup yellow tank top. Few colors matched with my dark auburn hair, but this was one of them. Mom hated these shorts. She called them Daisy Dukes and said I looked like white trash wearing them. Naturally, I loved them.
Lifting my shirt, his callused palm roamed over my toned stomach. Hayden tried to pinch the skin around my abs and hips, but he couldn't grab it.
"See what I mean? No fat."
I shook my head. "I know, Hayden, I know, but I can't eat. I want to, but I can't. My stomach is in knots as it is. I'm sorry."
Hayden wrapped his arms around my shoulders and tugged me to his chest. I leaned back, relaxing into him. He was a foot taller than