was in the water, swimming like the little mermaid herself, she managed to right the difference between us, and in barely the blink of an eye, it was my turn.
I mounted the diving board, prepared myself for Jamie’s touch to the wall, and I soared.
The instant I was airborne, my entire body seemed to tingle, and it only stopped when I glided in a smooth arc into the water.
Exhilaration pounded through me, excitement too, but mostly, it was joy. Just sheer fucking happiness to be back in here.
The sounds of the crowd faded to nothing, the whisper of the swimmers around me was nonexistent. All I felt was the water, the waves their strokes caused, and I was at peace.
I slipped down the lane at a time that surpassed my own record, but I didn’t know that. I didn’t know that I left Jemima Markel, the fastest swimmer on Mercedes’s team, in the dust as I surged down the lane, owning it, reigning over it as I finally touched the wall.
My heart didn’t stop pounding until I looked up and heard the screams from Rachel, Lori, and Jamie. They were dancing around like lunatics, and I had my answer without having to look up at the board, without even having to ask.
We’d won.
THEA
As I joined my hands together, I pressed my thumbs outward and raised them to gently touch the center of my forehead.
Yoga centered me in a different way than swimming, but I couldn’t be in the pool all the time, and with such a busy schedule, so many people I came into contact with, I often found myself a little flustered.
It was stupid to be that way, stupid when I could be a sociable creature, but at heart, I chose to be sociable. It wasn’t in my nature. Not really.
Too much time alone, too much time spent evading others, trying to blend in and never stand out, had taught me how to behave, how to be. And it also meant that I didn’t particularly like myself, which was something I had to work on in the future.
I blew out a breath, then opened my eyes. A feeling of calm washed through me, and I flopped back onto my yoga mat, uncaring that I’d technically just finished my practice, and lay staring up at the ceiling in a Savasana pose.
Lori, still celebrating her gold medal and the fact she was no longer in any races, was out somewhere trying and failing to get over Jonas, and I’d had no desire to go with her. She’d swum her last race today, but mine was in the morning.
Nerves churned inside me in a way they never had before. It was strange how I’d come here wanting to make records, uncaring about winning, and here I was, five golds in, and somehow, more nervous than a rookie.
A knock sounded at the door. “Lori, if you’ve lost your keycard again—” I started to call out, only for a deep, husky voice to have my nerves instantly pinging in reaction as he interrupted me.
“No. It’s me.”
My heart stilled for just a fraction of a second. “Go away.” I knew why he was here.
That look by the pool.
But I also knew what would happen if I talked to him, if I let him stay, and I couldn’t afford that. Not tonight. Christ, maybe not ever.
“No.” A sigh that I felt deep in my soul boomed from the other side of the door. “Don’t be difficult, Thea.”
My nostrils flared at that. Difficult? He thought I was being difficult? He was damn lucky I was as easygoing as I was.
Any other woman would have wished him to hell. Me? I kept on talking to him.
God, maybe I was a fool. Either that or just fucking cursed.
“I don’t want to talk to you. I need to focus.”
“You can only focus so much.”
“And what are you going to do to make me feel better?” I retorted. “Wash all my worries away?” I scoffed, finally getting to my feet because there was no point in trying to relax anymore. Not when he was outside.
The persistence that had him coming to Hawkvale Community Center day in and day out to visit with me was something I knew he hadn’t grown out of.
He was quite capable of staying there until Lori wandered back and let him in—either accidentally or on purpose because she knew I had feelings for Adam, and would probably think letting him in was doing me a favor.