Playing Hooky with the Hottie - Maggie Dallen Page 0,32

it was while watching Hazel plow through the water like an unstoppable force that I remembered what she’d said about floating.

But there is no journey if you’re not going anywhere. You’re just…floating.

I dropped my camera, temporarily unable to take pictures. The girl was not floating. She was freakin’ flying.

All I could do was watch her. In awe. And with more than a little desire.

Also, with more affection than I knew I could feel for anyone outside of my immediate family.

My heart was in my throat as I watched her keep her lead over the girl in the next lane. Her head down, her arms moving with precision, her body looked like it was being propelled with sheer determination.

That was how this girl moved through the water, but it was also how she lived her life. Sure, she might take things too seriously, and yes, she could definitely use more fun, more laughter...but her smile shouldn’t be such a rare and fleeting sight.

But there was no denying, she was powerful. She was the strongest person I’d ever met, and I was starting to realize that...I wasn’t.

What Max had said earlier had me frowning as she reached the edge, coming up for air with a gasp and checking the scoreboard before her face lit with triumph.

It wasn’t a smile so much as a glow.

She’d won. She’d worked hard, and it had paid off.

Her gaze turned to her teammates who were standing above her, reaching a hand down to help her and congratulating her on her win.

Correction. Justin reached down for her hand.

And she took it.

I looked away.

My insides were not okay. My stomach was churning with a sick sensation, and my limbs felt weighted and heavy.

What on earth was this?

I lifted my camera and snapped a shot of Hazel in the midst of her glory.

I was happy for her. I was.

But I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. Everything she’s said at the lake was coming back to me as I watched her. As I realized that she’d given me an opening. A chance to go for what I wanted—who I wanted—and what had I done?

I’d frozen. I’d had so many emotions going through me. I’d wanted to kiss her. I’d wanted to tell her that I liked her—that I have liked her since the first time I saw her. I’d wanted to tell her, show her…

I’d wanted to fight for her.

But I hadn’t.

Justin had come along, and I’d just stepped back. Stayed out of her way. I’d told myself that she wanted him, and I’d be a good sport by getting out of the way.

I’d told myself she wouldn’t want me anyway.

Sounds like giving up before you even begin.

Hazel’s voice in my head was louder than any of the echoing cheers around me. It had my heart pounding and my mind racing.

It had me moving.

Haltingly, at first, but then my legs picked up their pace as I crossed toward her, heedless of the other swimmers and the coaches who were swarming the poolside area, congratulating one another as the meet came to an end.

“Hazel!”

She looked back with wide eyes, her hair long and wet down her back now that she’d removed the swim cap.

Justin and some of the others glanced back too and one of them said something to her, but she shook her head and turned back to me as they headed into the locker room.

Groups of swimmers still hung around, but no one was close enough to overhear as I reached her.

“You won,” I said. Why on earth was I out of breath when she was the one swimming as fast as she could?

Her lips curved up, and I caught that glow of triumph. She was always beautiful to me, but that glow was something exquisite.

I raised my camera just in time to catch it.

With the click, she sighed and arched a brow. “Did you just come over here to get a shot of the winner?”

“No.”

Her other brow arched up too as she waited for me to continue. I paused.

Okay, fine. I hesitated.

No makeup, her hair wet, and her cheeks flushed from swimming her butt off—no one had ever been more beautiful. I’d never seen anyone so determined, so strong, so genuine, so driven, so...brave.

She wasn’t brave because she won, she was brave because she competed. She was brave because she faced losing every time she got in this pool. She risked losing her dreams every single time, because if she failed, she’d lose the future she’d