“Your girlfriend is a bitch,” RTS says to Todd, and I feel his body tense.
“Stop it, Rebecca.” Gretchen whips around. “Are you seriously still going there?”
RTS looks like she just got slapped. “Well, it’s true,” she says with a shrug.
“Enough, Rebecca. It’s enough!” Gretchen shouts in her face, making this all feel even more surreal. I can’t believe Gretch is sticking up for me.
“Wow, Ash, I may have underestimated you all these years.” Brian gives me a sly smile as he hands over the bag of ice.
“I didn’t hit her, Brian.” I smile back.
He raises his eyebrows. “Watch out, Rebecca. She’s got a bad-ass right hook, but I guess you already know that,” Brian continues to push the issue, and I kind of love him in this moment.
Todd puts his hand out to hold Brian back, giving him the signal to stop. “You missed the part where she just told me my girlfriend is a bitch.” Todd gives him a head nod and then turns back to RTS. “Rebecca, you’re a friend, and I would never hit a girl, but, man, was I glad Ash punched you that night. You need to watch your step because she is my girlfriend, and she is his sister.” He gestures toward Ryan “So, if you want to start throwing threats around, you’re going to need to come through us first.”
Ryan takes a step closer to her on those words as a physical statement that he’s backing Todd up. I love them for protecting me, but this is my fight.
“Listen, it was just a misunderstanding. Thanks, boys, but I’ve got this.” I press Todd back a bit as I give RTS one last glare before I grab his hand. “Thanks, Gretch,” I whisper to her as I turn to leave. She gives me a shrug and a smile back.
Todd’s hand tightens in mine as we walk toward the parking lot. Once we are out of earshot, he gives me his crooked smile. “Misunderstanding, huh?”
“I learned from the best,” I say, drinking him in. His hair is still damp and hanging in his eyes, and he’s wearing my favorite, beat-up, gray EHS football shirt, showing the perfect amount of his defined arm muscles. His arms are tone, but they aren’t big, just incredibly defined. And, thanks to the shower, his thick eyelashes are even darker, which accentuates just how blue his eyes are.
“What happened?” he asks once we are in his car.
I take a deep breath. “She wanted payback, I guess, and Gretch got in the way.”
“You need to watch your back with her, Ash. She can be a little crazy.”
“What? RTS? No.”
“RTS?”
Shit. I didn’t mean to let that slip; however, I can’t help laughing because of it. “It’s a nickname I came up with for her last year when she was throwing herself at you.”
“Oh, yeah?” His crooked smile is back.
“Rebecca. The. Slut,” I say with a grand gesture for each word.
“What?” He laughs.
“Well, it’s not like it’s not true.”
“Man, I love you, Ash.” He shakes his head then leans across the seat to kiss me. It’s deeper than I expected, but I will always take every opportunity to kiss him, so I return his kiss just as deeply to show him I feel the same way. Then, suddenly, Casey pops into my head.
Why? I know I need to tell Todd the truth, and I need to give Casey an answer today.
Reluctantly, I pull back. “Todd?”
“I know; we should stop. We’re in the school parking lot; you’re right. The guys will be coming up any second.” He slams himself back down into his seat. “Sorry, Ash. I just can’t help it.” He runs his fingers through his hair and then glances back in my direction with a sly smile that makes me want to give him my whole self right here.
But I can’t.
“No, it’s not that. I have something I want to tell you.”
His smile drops instantly. “It sounds serious.”
“No. It’s not. It’s nothing really, but I need you to know first.”
“What, Ash? You’re making me nervous.”
“It’s just the texts from Casey; they were asking if I wanted to join the winter swim team. I guess George wants to keep the summer team together.”
Todd slams his fist into the steering wheel. It’s so unexpected I jump, but he doesn’t notice. He’s too enveloped in anger just at the mention of Casey’s name.
“Dammit, Ash. Why is it always him?” There is a long breath of silence before his eyes meet mine. “Why is he the one telling you and not George?”
“I guess because he’s captain.”
Todd squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. Then he stares at the steering wheel he just punched. “I can’t tell you not to do it. I won’t tell you that. I know you love to swim. I just hate that it’s with him.”
I run my fingers down his toned arm. “I know,” I whisper. “That’s really the only reason I wouldn’t do it. Then I thought about it, and that’s not fair to me. I mean, you have football and baseball and the band. I have swimming. I forgot how much I loved it until this summer.”
“Can’t you swim on our school team?”
“I checked; it’s too late for this season, but I can try out in the spring.”
“Okay, so it’s just a few months.” He smiles at me.
“Just a few months,” I repeat then lean across the seat to give him a kiss that shows him he has nothing to worry about.
Chapter 4: Practice
TODD
I hate that she is swimming with him, spending every afternoon with him, while I’m stuck here at practice. And I’m sick of running laps. When I run, I have time to think, and I don’t want to think about any of it: Ashley in her bathing suit, him staring at her.
I squeeze my hands tighter and slam my feet against the track with more force. I’m taking my anger out on this run, and it feels great. I lose sight of everything else surrounding me except my feet pounding against the asphalt. Sweat is dripping down into my eyes, but I don’t care. I push harder, run harder. Every time I allow myself to think, I see his hands on her hips, his arms wrapped around her, his lips on hers, and I can’t take it. I hate this.
Then I hear Coach’s whistle. “Hamilton! We’re done. Hit the showers.”
I look around to find the track is empty and everyone is far across the field, walking toward the locker room.
“How many more did I run?”
“Two laps. I would have let you keep going, but I didn’t think you were going to stop on your own. You okay, son?”
No, I think as I run my fingers through my soaked hair, my shirt clinging to me, drenched with sweat. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Coach gives me a questioning smile, letting me know he doesn’t buy it, but he doesn’t push. “All right, just keep your head in the game. I know a lot of scouts are interested. You’re so close to the next level, don’t blow it. If you need to talk, I’m here.”
“Thanks, Coach. I’m good.” I give him a reassuring smile, though I’m pretty sure he doesn’t buy that either.
“What’s up, Forest Gump?” Brian says as I join them at the lockers after I’ve showered. They are already dressed and ready to go.
I need to pull it together.
“What’s going on, Todd?” Ryan asks, always the voice of reason.
“Nothing.” I shrug as I slide my shirt over my still wet chest.
“Maybe you should join the track team, our little track star!” Brian says in a high, motherly voice as he squeezes my shoulders.
“Shut up,” I tell him as I throw my stuff in my locker.
“Seriously, what’s up? You were in a zone out there,” Ryan says, his face filled with concern.
“I just felt like a good run today,” I excuse with a slam of my locker door. “I’m good.”
I don’t want to get into this here, and I don’t want to bring up Casey. This is between Ash and me.