by Laney Castro
Madison ventured to ask if he was still in Colorado right now.
“Oh! You still follow the news?” Zoe asked, sounding pleasantly surprised.
“I know where he’ll be next, but I don’t know his schedule anymore...”
“He’ll be in Baltimore,” Zoe was all too quick to reply. “He’s swimming the 100-m tomorrow. Madison—” her voice hedged, as if considering something. “He’s hurting. He’s hurting and he’s trying not to show it but I think he needs you.”
At those words Madison almost felt hopeful. Could there really be a chance then? But she didn’t want to cling onto those words alone. She still had a lot to prove to him and she knew she had to do it in person. “Thank you, Zoe,” she said truthfully.
Now at least, she knew what she had to do.
Chapter Twenty-one
Madison had never been to the East Coast before, but there wasn’t any time to act the wide-eyed tourist. With Elliott’s blessing, she flew to DC and took a shuttle to Baltimore. From the downtown area, she hopped on a cab to the sports center. The Splash Circuit Nationals were a bigger deal here than they were back home, but whether it was because of their popular hometown swimming heroes or because the Splash Circuit Nationals were coming to an exciting finale here, she wasn’t sure. But when Madison stepped off the cab and saw the sizable crowd, she felt irrationally happy that there were more spectators this time.
It was the final day of the Baltimore leg, and the sports center was charged with energy, even at nine in the morning. Already, the VIP section was filled with client-types from the meet’s various sponsors. She even caught sight of Frank but he was talking to someone else so he didn’t see her sneak by. Madison would have wanted to say hi to Aaron’s dad, but maybe this wasn’t the best time. Instead, she made a beeline for a seat at the very top of the bleachers, grateful for sun protection courtesy of the generous coating of sunblock she had put on and the bill of her much-treasured Harding cap.
If Madison had been anxious for Aaron during the Irvine leg, this time she was anxious for herself. She didn’t know what would happen when they met. She knew that she wanted to talk to him and apologize for what had happened between them, but she didn’t know if she’d even get the chance. She didn’t want to make him lose his focus, especially not now. Maybe it was going to be enough to just be here without him knowing that she had come. But she also knew that if she gave up without talking to him, then it would be so much harder to convince him to give her another chance.
She bided her time through the early heats, mentally willing the day to go faster. Then all of a sudden, it was his heat.
The Aaron Harding who came up to the deck was not her sweet and dirty-talking hotshot. His eyes were sharp squints as they survey the pool. His movements were brief and precise: the acknowledging arm once his name was called, the minimal jerk of his head. He was a stranger to her. What she wouldn’t give to have him smile again, if not for her then at least for the crowd.
Then unexpectedly, he scanned the bleachers and their eyes met.
She felt a sharp ache in every part of her that missed him. She stared back at him, unable to look away, unable to pull the cap down to hide her face. Aaron didn’t look like he had recognized her in the distance. He put his goggles on without even the slightest flicker of acknowledgment. Madison felt the ache even more keenly now but she had come this far. She watched him step on the block and get in position, and as he gathered himself to swim, so too did she stand to watch him.
Go, hotshot.
The swimmers shot off at the signal. Madison had seen Aaron race before, at the Irvine meet and on dozens of YouTube videos that she thought could help get him out of her system, but seeing him still took her breath away. His strong strokes were unmatched; his familiar form a sight to behold.
Madison’s fingernails dug deeper and deeper into her palms as the race progressed. Aaron was first at the turn, but he wasn’t about to rest. He dug in deep and sprinted himself to a convincing victory, extending his arms during the last ten meters. The cheers of an enthusiastic crowd—and one teary-eyed ex-girlfriend—greeted him as he touched the wall.
Madison fell to her seat, exhausted. More than the race, she was shaken by their earlier encounter, of seeing him and his blank face. He was so different from the man that she had come to know. He reminded her of Dr. Jekyll and Merman Hyde but that was so long ago, when they were still strangers. It hurt that that’s what they were to each other now because of her.
She drew her knees up against her seat and buried her head there. Eventually she raised her head to watch heat after heat, but her heart was no longer in it, her eyes just focused on the strip of water.
Then she heard a voice. “You came.”
She was the last person he expected to see there. There was no mistaking her tall and trim figure. Damn woman didn’t know it, but there was something in the graceful way she held herself that made Aaron pick her out in a crowd and made his senses go wild. She was seated, she had a cap over her head, but he could still tell that it was her in a split second.
He tried to school his features into a blank mask as he took deep breaths. When he had swum the 50-m finals at Irvine, he had let thoughts of her inside his head and he had lost. There were no two ways about it; he could only blame himself. But what had left him with so much doubt and hesitation last time now only steeled his spine.
Aaron had never wanted to win as badly as he wanted to do now. Not the Olympics, not some international competition, but here in this Baltimore pool for a preliminary heat. He felt as if he were back in guppy meet, eager for his dad’s praise, or strutting down the cafeteria with sweaty palms, hoping his seventh-grade crush took notice. Aaron hadn’t expected Madison to be there but damn, she was going to see him win nevertheless. It was childish. It was arrogant. It was everything he was trained not to do. It was pure alpha pride.
“Good luck,” Parker, who was swimming in the same heat, called out as they climbed their blocks.
He took his starting position and his muscles tensed. There was nothing else to think about. His body reacted to the beep, propelling him through the air and into the water. He let his training take over. There were so many things to remember about his body position but they already came so naturally to him at this point. Back flat. Stomach tucked. Toes pointed. He glided through the push-off and executed one powerful stroke after another. Elbows high. Fingertips down.
Aaron had no time to think. It all came naturally, the way his muscles remembered what to do. He kept himself streamlined. Every movement was perfectly timed, every catch and pull, every hand acceleration, every hip rotation, every efficient stroke. All those drills had paid off.
Breathe. As one arm stretched forward and the other pushed the water back, Aaron let his head roll to one side in sync with his body. He moved his head just high enough for his mouth to clear the water and take a breath. He rotated again to let his head re-enter the water and exhaled through his nose.
To someone watching from the stands, the whole thing was a blur. But to Aaron, there were lifetimes in those split seconds. Whole scenarios when something could go wrong, when an off-rhythm movement could shave off precious time, when even the smallest motion meant the difference between victory and defeat.
The wall was coming up now.
He executed a perfect turn and his powerful legs gave him the extra push he needed for the last length. His head and body was perfectly aligned; his chest, arms, hips, and feet worked overtime to bring him home. When his fingers hit the touchpad, he surfaced to take a breath.
The world above the water was still a blur to him. But when his opponents tapped him on the shoulder, he looked up and knew that he had won.
He ripped off his goggles and glanced at the stands, not at the board. Now there was only one thing left to race for.
“Coach Didion,” Madison gasped, unfolding herself and standing up. “I-I didn’t mean to disturb you guys,” she continued, stammering when he
didn’t respond. “I just wanted to see Aaron swim.”
“I hate to do this when you came all the way here, but I’d like to politely ask you to leave,” the older man said gently. People in the other rows tried to look disinterested in what was happening, but Coach Didion was a recognizable figure, if the bright yellow official ID he wore didn’t give him away. “Aaron can’t see you here.”
Too late, Madison thought miserably. She licked her lips, trying to summon her courage. “I really don’t want to bother him. But please let me stay and watch him. I promise that I won’t try to speak to him until after the meet is over. Just, please...” her voice dropped to a whisper, “... let me stay.” She knew that there was a strong chance her presence would be unwelcome and she didn’t want to jeopardize Aaron’s chances of winning. But she also knew that if she left now, it would be all over. She would never get another opportunity to talk to him again and tell him how she truly felt.
“Madison, I know you understand how much this means to him,” Coach Didion reminded her. “I’m giving you the chance to do right by him once and for all.” Coach’s tone was still kind, but there was no mistaking the undercurrent beneath his words.
People around them were looking on with open interest and over Coach Didion’s shoulder, she thought she saw Frank Harding looking over at them. She tried one last time, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Coach, believe me, I want to do right by him. That’s why I’m here. I know he never wants to see me again. I know he’s mad and he has every right to be. I screwed up. But I just want him to know that it hurts me that I had hurt him. If I could take it back, I would.”
Coach Didion looked sympathetic but that didn’t stop him from putting a hand on her arm. “Maybe it’s best for everyone if you wait outside—”
“Coach, you can’t just throw the woman I love out.”
She turned at the sound of the new voice, without registering what the speaker had said. Coach Didion let go immediately and discreetly stepped aside. A surprised murmur buzzed through the spectators. “Aaron,” she gasped.
It took all of her willpower not to reach out and touch him. He looked just as fit and fine as she remembered. He had removed his swim cap and goggles, the only evidence that he had been in the water at all was the open team jacket he wore over his jammers. To keep her hands from betraying her, she just used them to clutch her bag tighter. She thought she had rehearsed this moment but her thoughts were a jumbled mess in her head. I’m sorry that I hurt you. I’m sorry you had to see me before you swam. I’m sorry for everything. “I’m sorry I took your cap,” she blurted out instead.
“It has always been yours,” Aaron said in a low tone. His face was a chiseled block but his eyes were a soft gray fire that made her ache. That was when she realized what he had just said earlier.
“Aaron?” she asked, confused. “What did you mean—?”
“About what?” he asked, his tone slightly teasing.
Madison felt her cheeks heat up. “About not throwing the woman you love out. You can’t— I don’t—”
Where was all her courage? Gone, apparently. She felt the tears dampening her eyes. “How can you say that? I was the one who hurt you. I came here to apologize. I knew how much you wanted me to be there and I let you down.”
“I was angry,” Aaron admitted. “And I liked being angry at you because it gave me a reason to block everything else out. But with every day that we weren’t together, I had less of an excuse to be mad at you—and every reason to want you back. I love you, Madison. I love every part of you, the good with the bad. I love what’s important to you. I never wanted you to give up your dreams for me. I was going to give you time to figure out what you wanted, but I knew that when this meet was all over, I was going back to LA to work things out with you.”
Dear God, her name. She had missed hearing him say it. “But why?” she whispered. She came here with a heart full of apologies but he was the one saying that he was going to come after her anyway. She was undone by his words. She didn’t deserve him at all.
“The same reason you’re here,” he said. He took a step closer. “Because what we had deserves another chance.”
Once the words were finally out of her mouth, they were hard to stop. “I’m so sorry, Aaron. You don’t know how much I’ve regretted leaving. I went back that night but you had already gone. I just want it to be you and me once again. Just you and me. No more secrets.”
“I got all your messages,” he said, a faint twinkle in his eye that was immediately replaced by a serious expression. “Madison, I want to be the one you count on. I want to be the one who keeps you safe. But only if you let me.”
Madison fell into his arms. “Aaron, you do keep me safe,” she told him. “Safer than anyone. With you, I feel like I’m finally coming up for air. I was just too stupid not to realize that sooner.” His arms tightened around her. “I love you, Aaron Harding. I’m all yours, for better or for worse. I don’t want to let you go.”
Without another word, he pulled her up in a searing kiss. All those weeks they spent apart now melted into this moment. Aaron didn’t seem to care where they were. Madison’s arms curled up over Aaron’s damp neck and hair, wanting so much more of him. As their kiss stretched deeper and longer, she realized that she was no longer scared and uncertain. Their lips said it all: the longing, the apology, the promise. The warmth from their bodies coursed through Madison.
But all too soon, Aaron settled her down. It was all the signal the crowd around them needed to start talking, as if they suddenly realized that they had been eavesdropping on a very private conversation. But neither Madison nor Aaron cared. He stroked her shoulders, his eyes trained on her alone. "I'm afraid you're going to have to, Madison," he murmured without missing a beat. "We still have a meet to win."
Chapter Twenty-two
Aaron made good on his promise; it was a podium finish for all his day’s events. At the awarding ceremony, he brought home six medals for every leg of every meet where he had placed, four golds, one silver, and one bronze, all for the 50-m and the 100-m events. His combined points for the entire Splash Circuit Nationals had brought him in close contention for the grand prize, but the look on his face told her that he didn’t care about any of that. Aaron only had eyes for her.
There was a flurry of activities when Madison went down to meet up with her winner right after the award ceremonies. The swarm of reporters and well-wishers kept her from going up to him but she didn’t mind. She saw him beside Frank and a few feet from Coach Didion, fielding questions from the press. Despite this, she knew he had already seen her, the way he looked straight at her over the crowd.
She waited until the brief press conference was over and the group of reporters finally thinned. Aaron made his way to her, quickly giving his father a brief goodbye on his way. Frank slightly shook his head with a small smile, but her view was now obstructed by Aaron’s back.
Madison smiled up at him, mouth opened to say something, but the look on his eyes stopped her. His eyes had a fierce and intent look to them, completely focused on her face. He pulled her close to finally claim his victory kiss.
She wanted to keep it short since there were still people around, but Aaron had other ideas. He eased her lips apart, just as his fingers started to play with the waistband of her pants, gliding over the sensitive skin there. When they broke for air, he quickly tugged her towards the exit. “Let’s get out of here.”
He was silent during the short drive from the sports center. Aaron drove wild and recklessly, as if in a hurry to get there. Madison had to caution him plenty of times to slow down, even if she was getting impatient, too. She was already so aroused. His scent, his heat—all she wanted to do was to straddle him right now and kiss him senseless. His hand kept straying to her thighs and she was torn between opening her legs to satisfy both of them or to just keep them closed so that they could still reach the hotel in one piece.
When they got there, he all but almost d
ragged her through the hotel doors and towards the elevators. With a ping, the doors opened, and Aaron pulled her in as he punched the number to his floor. He then pushed her onto one side, his hands pressed on the wall on either side of her face. He gave her a look that could've melted her on the spot, piercing and hot. He leaned forward, his face only mere centimeters from hers.
“Mine,” he muttered boldly before capturing her lips with his in a heated manner, breathing her in.
A warm flush rose from within her. She knew that the elevators would have cameras, but she couldn’t pull away. His kisses always managed to render her weak, but there was something about this that was different. It was like had no plans of letting her go anytime soon.
When the elevators opened again, he didn’t break away from the kiss. In one calculated motion, as if he were back in the water and grabbing for that final push, he held her close and pulled her towards his room. Deftly, he fished a key card from his pocket and opened the door.
Aaron had her against the wall as soon as the door was shut, and made quick work of removing her clothes. Her jeans were tugged down around her thighs, her tank top rolled up to her chest. When he withdrew to shrug off his jacket, Madison’s arms automatically reached for him. She may have been forgiven, but she couldn’t help but think of making it all up to him. A thousand times over. She pulled him back towards her and kissed him desperately. Like a penitent pleading for mercy.
He growled in that sexy way that always turned her on, and he threw his jacket aside. It hit the full-length mirrors fixed against one wall of the room, but neither of them cared. The jacket was then followed by the rest of her clothes, then the rest of his.
On the bed they tumbled, and he continued where he had been interrupted: a slow, wet kiss on her neck, down her collarbone, the top of her breasts. He licked and play-bit, while his fingers grazed her front in slow circles.