with Tim. He trusted Tim. He could be honest with Tim.
Another vestige of rehab was the suggestion that, when Isaac felt like he was in trouble, he needed to let someone know. He hated asking for help, he didn’t want to talk about it, and he worried Tim would judge him, but for the sake of his own safety, Isaac knew he had to speak up. He took a deep breath, inhaling Tim’s scent, and said, “I really want to drink right now.”
Tim frowned. “Are you okay?”
“A little sore. Anxious about all the interviews I have tomorrow. I’m okay, but everyone wanted to celebrate winning the relay tonight, and I….” Isaac looked away, struggling to say what he knew he had to. “I’m telling you I’m tempted, not that I will do anything about it. I’m getting better at knowing when a situation will be too much for me, so I came here instead of partying with my teammates. But in the interest of full disclosure, I’m jonesing for a drink more than usual right now. I just wanted you to know.”
Tim nodded slowly. “Thank you for trusting me with that.” He threaded his fingers through Isaac’s hair and pulled him into a kiss. “You still want to drink?”
“Yes. Always. Now that I’m here, away from athletes with beer, the urge is waning. But I gotta say, I really need the rest. USA Swimming set me up on a ton of interviews tomorrow, and I need to race in the IM final.”
“All right.” Tim stroked Isaac’s hair. “So rest. That’s important.”
“Thank you, Tim.” The words felt like a weak way to express the gratitude Isaac felt. Tim hadn’t judged, he hadn’t offered advice, he’d just looked at Isaac in that serious but kind way, and that was precisely what Isaac had needed. He could still practically taste cold beer on his tongue, but now that he was here with Tim, the need wasn’t as strong. He’d be okay. He’d done the right thing. He’d stayed on the wagon. He realized quite suddenly that ever since he’d gotten off the bus, his anxiety had spiked and his heart had been pounding, but now his body’s operations began to fall back to normal speed. He breathed slowly, calming down, thankful that Tim was here when Isaac needed him.
“You’re lucky I’m more tired than horny,” said Tim.
Isaac chuckled and settled back into the bed. He snaked his arm around Tim and pulled him close. It didn’t take long to drift off to sleep.
Chapter 19
Day 7
TIM SAW Isaac off to his car to the broadcast center before joining his diving teammates for breakfast. Jason and Kayla flirted like wild, which was new, but Tim thought it all in good fun. Jason came with Tim to the gym afterward, where Donnie made Tim perform what felt like five thousand aerial somersaults while jumping on a trampoline. Tim was sore now, especially his abs, and coated in a gallon of sweat. Jason looked similarly drenched when they wrapped up their workout.
“I could use a shower and a cold drink,” Tim said. “I’d kill for a lemonade.”
“Oh yeah,” said Jason, wiping his face with a towel. “You know where they have good lemonade? America House. The bartender makes it fresh-squeezed.”
“Too much sugar.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “I think they have unsweetened iced tea too.”
“I guess that’d get the job done.”
After quick showers, they walked together over to America House. Since only Olympians were allowed in the dorm buildings, it was the main place athletes went to meet with their families. Ginny was there having lunch with her parents; Tim and Jason waved to her as they walked to the bar.
Cold iced tea in hand—and a few jealous looks at Jason’s lemonade—Tim found a booth near one of the TVs. It showed the American network’s broadcast, which happened to be airing an interview with one Isaac Flood.
Everyone else in the room seemed to be watching the interview, so Tim could hear Isaac talk.
“I worked really hard for this,” Isaac was saying. “You can’t just wake up one morning and decide to go to another Olympics. I’ve been training for a year and a half. I radically changed my diet, and I’m in the best shape of my life.”
“Do you think some athletes are naturally gifted?” asked Nikki Kenmore, the Wake Up, America! cohost. “I mean, you had so much raw talent when you were younger.”
Isaac laughed. “That’s true to a point. My mother basically tossed me in a pool