way to ignore me. I stressed over how he'd act the next two days at the meet.
I still didn't know why I was going with the team. It was stupid.
I pulled into the driveway and parked my car near Hayden's. I took a minute to gather my wits and wipe my face clean of any emotion before I got out.
Katja opened the front door seconds later like she was waiting near it. My stomach plummeted. Kova’s guilt was rubbing off on me. I was insanely paranoid just looking at her face.
"Adrianna," she greeted, annoyingly drawing out the N’s in my name. She appeared utterly clueless with her megawatt smile on full blast, and while that was great and all, I couldn't help feeling like a horrible human being.
There was a black throne in hell with my name on it.
"You can put your bag here and go into the kitchen." She pointed to a cluster of bags near the door as I stepped inside. "You remember where it is, yes?"
"Yes."
She shut the door behind me. "Would you like some coffee?"
"I never say no to coffee."
Her face lit up and she clasped her hands in front of her stomach. "I offered the other girls coffee but they do not like it. I did not know what to say to that."
I laughed and the knot in my stomach eased a bit. "My mom got me hooked on it to help curb my appetite. I hated it at first sip, but once I found the right flavor, there was no going back."
Katja’s perfectly tweezed eyebrows angled toward each other. "To help curb your appetite?" Her eyes roamed down my body, then back up to meet mine. "So what Kova tells me is truth?"
Paranoia struck again, but I maintained my composure and kept my face neutral.
"I'm not sure. It depends on what he told you about me. I allowed a hint of uncertainty to layer each word.
"No, he did not tell me about you, but how gymnasts in general must keep an extremely strict diet. I knew some coaches enforced it, but I have always been curious about how the parents handled things behind closed doors, if they are strict or not."
We walked side by side toward the kitchen. "Oh, well, I can't speak for others, but my mom is extreme. She'll test any diet fad out to lose a few pounds. And if it works for her, she assumes it will work for me, and usually has me on it too. The only difference is that I'll eat when she's not looking so she thinks the diet isn't working."
We stepped into the kitchen together. I glanced at the group and said hi. My eyes softened when I spotted Hayden and I smiled at him.
"But why would you ever do that?" Katja continued.
I shrugged as if it was obvious and leaned against the marble countertop. "I wanted her to stop using me as her guinea pig and get off my back."
"Is she really all that bad?"
"Sometimes." I gave her an honest answer.
"Is who that bad?" Kova asked as he strolled into the kitchen. Good God, my blood pressure skyrocketed being this close to him and Katja at the same time. How does he stay cool and collected?
"My lovely mother and her obnoxious diet fads."
"Ahh. Joy. Does she still have those special meals ordered and delivered to you? I remember that being mentioned when you first arrived at World Cup," Kova asked. There was a distinct glimmer in his gaze that gave me such a rush. I tried not to smile like an imbecile, obnoxious teen but failed miserably. I liked that he remembered.
"Yes, but I do my own food shopping now," I answered. Kova's gaze shifted from me to his girlfriend. Katja handed me a cup of coffee, then leaned her elbows on the counter. We were shoulder to shoulder when a strong fragrance assailed me. I closed my eyes and inhaled, trying to sort out the scents. Jasmine and hydrangeas mixed with vanilla coffee. It was the most intoxicating aroma I'd ever smelled, and it seeped from Katja’s skin.
I frowned and opened my eyes just in time to see Kova step to Katja. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and dropped his chin onto the curve of her shoulder as he gave her the warmest hug. My stomach flipped when he looked at me, a reserved smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. I’d love to know what he was thinking.