“I know you said you’re not mad, but I’m seriously sorry. Like, eternally,” Lexi grovels, bringing a laugh out of me as I adjust the straps of my swimsuit.
“Dude, if I was mad, believe me, you’d know,” I assure her.
She secures the towel around her waist and slumps on the bench facing our gym lockers.
“Yeah, but if I hadn’t been sloshed, I would’ve been able to keep a better eye on you, and—”
Her sentence cuts off when the girls from the dance squad pass by, casting their dirty glances our way as usual.
Once they’re out of earshot, Lexi sighs before continuing. “If I’d been sober, I could’ve told someone your purse was in my car, and they could’ve gotten your Epi. I just—”
“Seriously. Stop,” I say with a laugh. “I’m alive. No harm, no foul.”
She nods in agreement, but it’s clear she still holds a ton of guilt. I get it, but it isn’t warranted.
“Fine,” I sigh. “If you want to make it up to me, meet me here after tryouts today. I need a little more swim practice before Mrs. C. evaluates us for the quarter.”
Lexi’s expression doesn’t change, but she nods. “Deal.”
“Come on. Let’s get to the pool.”
She follows when I yank her off the bench. Then, the smell of chlorine gets stronger the second we exit the locker room and pass through the double doors. We’re two of the last to make it out, so, of course, every eye shifts toward us.
Mine, however, go straight across the pool, meeting West’s emerald stare. My chest flutters when he smirks a little, then lowers his gaze to the water.
No wicked glare. No intimidating stare-down. Just that one, smoldering look that now has my heart racing.
And I may as well confess, I’ve been … looking forward to seeing West this hour.
I know, I know. Feeling anything for that dick is a heinous crime, but it’s my current reality.
Things with him are … different. I think it really hit home how different when I awoke in the hospital yesterday morning to find that he’d stayed. Sure, he looked super uncomfortable in that tiny chair, and he was way too tall to fit his whole body under that hospital blanket, but … he stayed.
All night.
It shouldn’t have meant as much as it did but knowing neither of my parents would’ve even shown that type of dedication, I guess I took West’s gesture to heart.
I force myself to look toward Mrs. C. as she explains that we’re near the end of this unit. With West’s help, I’ve gotten over my fear somewhat and graduated from treading water to actually swimming less than a week ago. Which means I stand a chance of passing this semester.
“Ok, hop to it!” Mrs. C. announces, and the next second, we’re all in the pool.
I’ve gotten into the routine of getting in at the shallow end, and then waiting for West to swim over. Today is no different. As he pops up from beneath the surface, pushing water from his eyes and face, I’m aware of how much deeper I breathe as I watch it run down his chest and arms.
Usually, he just starts barking orders, but not today.
“Hey,” he says first, leading with an actual greeting.
I try not to let on that I notice it’s different.
“Hey,” I say back.
It’s weird. Like, I’m not sure how to act around him now. He feels it, too. The awkward tension. I see it in his eyes. I suppose you can’t touch someone the way we’ve touched each other and not see things change. Guess it’s a good thing we stopped when we did. Even if my body still hasn’t quite accepted this fact. Every inch of me wanted him the other night. Had it not been for Parker barging in, there’s no telling what would’ve happened.
“I uh … I guess we should get started,” he finally says. I nod, agreeing.
First taking a deep breath, I plunge beneath the water and get my entire body wet and acclimated to the temp. When I pop up and clear water from my eyes, he’s staring. Not at my face, but at my boobs.
I can’t help but to wonder if he’s thinking about it, too—what could’ve happened at that party, the missed opportunity.
“Should I maybe try making it across?” I ask, pointing from the four-foot marker on this side to the one on the other side.
The question seems to draw West from whatever thoughts he’s having, and he focuses again.
“Sure you’re up for that?”
I’m confused by what he means.
“Um, should I … not be up for that?” When I smile, he glances at my lips before his gaze flickers back to mine.
“You could’ve died Saturday,” he reminds me.
I shrug awkwardly. “Yup. Could’ve, but I’m all good now. So—”
My smile tightens and he is clearly not amused. The stoic look he gives tells me he’s not so convinced. It also tells me … he’s concerned, and I’m not really sure what to do with that.
“Don’t you think you should take it easy?” he pushes. His voice is low and stern, which, surprisingly, draws a laugh out of me.
“Relax. I’ve been dealing with this my whole life. Once I get meds and the episode passes, I’m in the clear.”
He’s still not buying it.
“What are you gonna do? Hold my hand during basketball tryouts this afternoon, too?” I ask, still smiling.
He still isn’t smiling.
“Skip it,” he says all authoritative-like. “I’m sure you can talk to one of the coaches and get them to let you do a run through next week instead, considering.”
“What?” I scoff. “No! I’m fine.”
I’m sure, to him, it sounds like I simply want to go to tryouts, but the truth is that I have to go. According to Dr. Pryor, at least.
“I think you’re pushing it,” he states firmly.
“West—”
“I know your mom isn’t around, and your dad probably doesn’t even know you didn’t come home Saturday night, but…”
He pauses and I hold my breath, seeing something I never expected.
It seems West has been … affected, traumatized by what happened over the weekend.
“You don’t remember how sick you were,” he adds, holding that same stern tone.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he even cares a little.
I don’t mean to, but I find his hand beneath the water and hold it. It feels wrong. It feels right, but still, I let go quickly.
“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time,” I fill him in. “Which means I know my limits. If I didn’t feel one hundred percent, I’d speak up,” I add. “In fact, I feel good enough to even meet Lexi here after tryouts, to make sure I’m ready for Mrs. C’s evaluation.”
His brow twitches, but he doesn’t speak. I’m pretty sure he has plenty to say, but instead, that tense look remains in place. When he barks an order, things feel a little more like normal.
“Down and back,” he commands. “One time.”
He steps back and I eye him, fighting a grin. “You sure you don’t wanna grab me some floaties?” I tease.
His jaw tightens.
“Seriously,” I add. “I think I saw lifejackets in the—”
“Shut the fuck up and swim,” he cuts in, clearly trying not to smile.
I take the lap from one side of the shallow end to the other, feeling super accomplished when I touch the tiled edge of the pool. Pushing my hair behind me, I glance up at West where he’s standing beside me.
“Was that good?” I ask, already knowing I’ve improved tenfold from when we first began.
He nods once. “It was decent.”
“Whatever,” I laugh, rolling my eyes when he downplays my performance.
“I’ll admit you’re getting better, but your form still needs work,” he scolds me.
“Which I already know. Hence the reason Lexi’s meeting me here later,” I remind him. “I just need a little more practice and—’
“Yeah, those plans are canceled,” he interjects, drawing a frown out of me.
“Excuse me?”
His eyes darken when they land on me. “If you fail, guess who gets blamed,” he reasons coldly, but I’m not buying his excuse. It feels like there’s some other hidden agenda.
“Mrs. C. made you my responsibility,” he continues. “So, I’m seeing this through myself. No way I’m putting my rep in Rodriguez’s hands.”
My chest rises and falls when his command frustrates me. He doesn’t even blink and I know that, regardless of whether I cancel with Lexi or not, West will be here.
“Whatever,” I say again, too infuriated by his arrogance to come up with something more intelligent than that.
“Down and back,” he orders.
I glare at him and ready myself to go again.
“And keep your head down this time.”
“And kiss my ass this time,” I mumble to myself.
It isn’t until I see him grin in my peripheral that I realize he heard that.
“Just name the place, Southside,” he teases, responding to what was never meant to be an invitation. When I meet his gaze, he eyes me in that lust-ridden way of his.
And just like that, I’m thinking things I shouldn’t be thinking, aware of the need to put space between us. So, I take off into the water, knowing his eyes are glued to me.
Keep it up, King Midas, and we’re going to get ourselves into more trouble than either of us are ready for.
Trouble I’m starting to think might be worth whatever hell there will be to pay afterward.
