Settling the Score (The Summer Games #1) - R.S. Grey Page 0,118

thank me later. This week is going to be insane, so I suggest resting up and staying caffeinated.”

She wasn’t kidding.

After our interview with Good Morning America, we did a fan meet-and-greet. Immediately after that, we flew to Washington D.C. where, over the next few days, we were honored with a special dinner and a parade around the capital. I shook the President’s hand and tried not to say anything inappropriate or gushy to Michelle Obama.

During the parade, Kinsley leaned over and nudged me.

“Make sure to soak this all up while you can. These moments are once in a lifetime.”

I stared out over the crowd surroundings the streets. They were all waving small American flags, screaming and shouting as we drove by on top of a fire truck. There were little girls wearing jerseys with my number on them, crying as I tossed candy and necklaces with tiny soccer balls hanging off like charms. I soaked in the moment, trying to smile and wave at every fan who was there to support us, and yet all the while, a part of me was 6,299 miles away in Rio.

Every chance I got, I’d check my phone for messages from Freddie. I craved his messages as much as I hated them.

…I miss you…

…I’m off to London tomorrow and I’ll be meeting with my lawyers right away…

IT WAS FOUR days after I’d cut off communication that he called me. I was alone, in my shared hotel room, and I glanced down to find his name flashing across my phone’s screen. I knew it would only make matters worse if I answered it, and yet I couldn’t resist.

“Andie?” he answered in shock.

My name, spoken from his lips, was enough to make me tear up.

“Andie?” he asked again when I didn’t speak up.

“I’m here,” I said, hearing the sadness in my voice.

“I can’t believe I’m finally talking to you.”

I inhaled a shaky breath and tried to pull it together. I knew I only had a few minutes before Kinsley and Becca returned to our hotel with food from a diner down the street.

“How are you?” he asked, so desperately hopeful that I had to answer, even though I hated the small talk.

“I’m good. I watched your final race today,” I said, staring up at the popcorn ceiling. “Well, not live obviously. We were visiting one of the children’s hospitals in D.C. and they were playing the footage from a few days ago.”

“It was a good race,” he said; I could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask him. How’s London? How’s Georgie? How’s that sixth gold medal feel around your neck? Did you go to the closing ceremonies? Have you talked to Caroline? Have you thought about me as much as I’ve thought about you?

“Freddie, I—”

“Andie, hold on.” I could hear him talking to someone in the background, but I couldn’t tell who it was. “Give me a second,” he told the other person.

The hotel door opened with laughter as Kinsley and Becca entered the room, arms overflowing with takeout.

“I hope you’re hungry!” Kinsley said, dropping two to-go containers at the bottom of my queen bed before glancing up and realizing I was on the phone. “Oops!” she said, covering her mouth.

I shook my head and mouthed, “It’s fine,” before slipping into the bathroom and locking the door.

“Freddie, are you still ther—”

My question was cut off by his own statement. “Andie, I’ve got to run. I’ve got a meeting with my PR team in the morning and my lawyer wants to go over a few things.”

“Oh, okay right,” I said, meeting my own sad reflection in the mirror.

“Yeah, I’ll try and reach you la—”

His sentence cut off.

“Freddie?” I asked, to no reply.

I stared down at the black screen. It’d taken four days to get a thirty second phone call. Four days of watching Caroline’s face splashed across every magazine, TV, and news story I stumbled upon. Four days of watching her dip into wedding boutiques and baby boutiques around London. Four days and all I had to show for it was a thirty second phone call.

It wasn’t enough.

I missed him so much and the more days that passed, the farther apart we felt. Thirty seconds couldn’t sustain me. Thirty seconds wouldn’t reassure me that he and I would work out. Thirty seconds was nothing.

“Andie, are you okay?”

I’d sunk down to the bathroom floor. Could they hear me out there?

I inhaled and swiped at my cheeks, trying desperately to get