by Claire Adams
Chapter 12
Tate
I should have called Val sometime during the week, but between dealing with my mother, the cops over Daniel, work, and school, I was beat. She was just a pretty girl who had learned a little about kindness from me. Nothing more. It was better to just let things go between us. Pushing it would only leave her in the awkward position of having to pretend like my poverty didn't matter when she came face to face with it. I didn't care what Jerry said. Rich people were still rich people.
After packing my swimsuit and a towel in my backpack, I drove to the campus with a sense of trepidation sitting heavy on me. Val might have sweet-talked some poor schmuck into giving me the chance to try out, but there was no way they were going to let me on the team. It didn't matter that I was better than most of them and equally gifted as the rest. I was from the poor side of town and my tats were a sign of rebellion that the rich kids didn't seemed to appreciate. Or at least the guys. Their girls would spend hours tracing them if given the chance.
I parked the bike under the canopy at the natatorium and walked in to the smell of chlorine and the sound of water lapping.
A large group of guys were running drills, and their coach glanced up at me as I walked in with my torn jeans, leather jacket, and shit-kickers. If he was judging me, I couldn't tell. His face was rather expressionless.
Another guy about my size moved from the group and extended his hand. "You must be Tate. I'm Martin, Val's friend."
"Nice to meet you." I shook his hand and glanced around the room. "There a locker room where I can change?"
"Yeah." He turned and pointed to the far side of the room. "Just over there, and that's Coach Dalmoth. He's strict as shit, but a good swim coach."
"Great, thanks." I walked toward the coach and extended my hand again, not quite sure what to expect. "Thanks for the chance to try out today."
He shook my hand and gave me a tight smile. "We'll see what you’ve got and go from there."
"Sounds good." I turned and ignored the stares and mumblings about my clothes, my hair, who the fuck I was. Guys were worse than girls at being judgmental.
After changing into my suit, I stopped by the mirror and ran my hand over the shadow of my six-pack. I needed to get back into the gym, but if I made the team, they would provide a routine of sorts, anyway.
I grabbed my towel from my bag and walked back into the larger room with my shoulders pulled back a little. I knew I was going to catch some shit over my tats, but it was what it was. They each had an assigned meaning, and I loved the way they looked and made me feel.
"Tate, over there." Martin waved me over with a worried look on his face. "Coach is going to let you try out and then we'll start practice. The guys aren't too thrilled you're here, but I'm sure you're perceptive enough to pick that up."
I rolled my shoulders and nodded. "Yep."
"Tate, what's your last name, son?" The coach motioned for me to move to the front of the group of guys that hovered around the edge of the pool. It was a good damn thing it was warm in the room, or I wouldn't have been much for sporting nothing more than my swim trunks.
"Phillips." I tossed my towel onto a nearby chair and stepped up beside him as my insides turned to mush. I'd been swimming my whole life in the lakes surrounding our small town, but having these guys watch me intently left me unnerved. No one would be the wiser over my internal struggles, but they were there, nevertheless.
"Alright. Let's see what you’ve got, then. I'll time your full lap. You beat more than half the team's times, and you're on." He patted my back. "Take a few warm up laps and tell me when you're ready."
The grumbling got worse around the room, but Coach Dalmoth glanced around and gave everyone a warning look, which shut them all up. It was almost humorous.
"I don't need a warm up, but thank you." I jumped off the side down into the pool and glanced up. "Let's do this so you guys can get back to your practice."
"You sure?" His incredulous look caused my stomach to relax a little. He was being sincere, which was good. The last coach the swim team had was a total dick and wouldn't even look me in the eye.
"Yep. Ready?" I turned and positioned myself. Either I was going to beat the time, or I wasn't.
"I'll hit the timer when you start."
I didn't wait another second before submerging myself in the warm water and pushing off. Thoughts of Valentine filled my mind. I let my desire to reach out and pull her into my fucked up life push me harder. The want to take her to my bed and touch every part of her raced over my skin as I kicked and worked my arms with efficiency. I needed to call her. I wasn't going to shake her as easily as I had hoped to. It was fucking selfish, which was something that I rarely – if ever – was, but this time I wanted something for myself.
Her.
I came up at the end of the pool after swimming the length of it twice and took a deep breath.
The coach was smiling, which seemed to be a good sign. "Incredible, kid. Martin here is our best swimmer, and you just matched his time. Welcome to the team."
I took the coac’s hand and pulled myself out of the pool with his help.
"No way. I say do it again. There's no way this guy just smashed all of our records. Look at him." A tall redhead beside me gave the coach a scathing look.
I turned and shook Martin's hand as he offered it. "Impressive."
The coach took on the horde of angry guys as I walked back to the locker room with Martin beside me.
"Thanks. Just doing what I love to do." I dried my hair and tried to let the warmth of finally proving myself to someone that could help me get on the team wash over me.
"You do it well. There's a party tonight out at Ben Thatcher's place. He's a jerk and a half, but you're on the team, so you're invited. You're not gonna fit in, but you knew that. These guys are assholes, but they chill out some after you step on their dicks a few hundred times."
I laughed and rolled my shoulders. "Thanks for the invite. I'm not sure about my schedule with work and all, but I'll give you my number, and you can text me the information."
"Sounds good. If you come, just hang out with Val. Everyone loves that girl. They aren't going to start anything with you if she's beside you." He gave me a cheeky grin. “Don’t worry about practice today. Coach won’t require you here until you’ve signed all the forms and been officially added to the roster.”
I nodded and gave him my number. “Sounds good.”
A party later that night with Val beside me sounded like heaven. I couldn't stop thinking about her, which was hazardous to my health.
After dressing, I grabbed my stuff and headed for the exit. Several guys stopped me by the front door and crowded around me as if I was easily intimidated. None of them said a word, which was almost too comical to hide.
I moved past them and glanced over my shoulder as I pushed the door open. "Alright, girls. Have a nice day."
*
"You did what?" Sam paced the floor in my living room later that day, his hands running through his hair over and over. "They're going to find you in a back alley and kick your ass."
"Dude. They're swimmers. They're not going to do anything." I chuckled and took another drink of my beer.
"Maybe, but you didn't have to show off to that extent." He turned and pinned me with a hard stare.
"Yeah, I did. I wouldn't have been put on the team, otherwise. I'm sure Val had to do something to get me that tryout, I just pray it wasn't anything I'd not be happy to find out about." I ran my hand over my chest as an image of her played along my mind's eye. "I hope she's there tonight."
"Me, too. I want to meet this chick that has you getting that far-away look in your eye." He laughed and worked to get his coat on. "Did you text her to see if she was going?"
"No, I'd rather surprise her." I got up, finished the beer, and grabbed my coat. "Take your truck and I'll take my bike. I wanna have it in case she agrees to let me take her somewhere for the night."
"Y
ou bringing her back here?" Sam stiffened beside me. He was my best friend and knew my concerns about other people knowing my situation.
"I'm not sure." I shrugged and pulled open the door as the icy winter wind smacked into me. "Fuck. It's going to be a rough ride tonight."
"Just get in the damn truck with me. Your mother would be upset to know you're riding that bike, anyway." He closed the door behind us. "Speaking of...how is she?"
"She's good. Better. She's at work tonight, and yes, she's taking something for her cough. They checked it out in the hospital and hooked her up." I pulled on my helmet and nodded at him before starting the bike and riding toward the party.
My first hope was that Val was going to be there tonight, but my second was that she'd let me take her out to the lake for a little while. It was incredible out there, and even though it was far too cold to be out and about, we wouldn't stay long. I just loved how beautiful it was up there and had yet to get the chance to share it with anyone.
I owed her something for helping me with the swim tryouts – or maybe I didn't.
Either way, I wanted to do something nice for her. It was a bit self-serving seeing that my true desire was to drag her in deep and see her again. The plan was to take it slow and let her warm up to me before I unleashed just how badly I wanted her in my bed – and maybe in my life, as well.
That part would be up to her.
Chapter 13
Val
"I'm really not in the mood to do this," I mumbled as I worked hard to pull myself from the brinks of depression. I shouldn't have taken my friends to my mother's earlier that day. It had all of us in a shitty mood as we headed out to Ben Thatcher's party. It was sure to be a lot of fun, but being in our current state, it was going to take more than some handsome guys and good beer to pull us through.
"Me, either, but we're not letting your mother win." Katelyn reached over and squeezed my arm. She was riding shotgun and my other two friends were in the back, chattering about something.
"True. I just wish I had something to look forward to." I ran my fingers through my hair and pulled into the half-frozen field in front of Ben's house.
"Maybe that cute football player will be here tonight." Katelyn lifted her eyebrows at me.
"Kade? No, thanks. He's a good guy, but I'm going to butter him up for Amy back there." I smirked and turned the car off.
"I'd love you forever and a day if you could do it." Amy squeezed my shoulders from behind me before we all piled out of the car. "Something tells me that you're much more his type than me, though."
"You never know." I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and let out a long breath and started to chant, "I'm going to have fun. I'm going to have fun."
"Yes, we all are." Lucinda moved up on my other side as we approached the large house ahead of us. All the lights were on and music was blaring from the open front door. Seeing that we were halfway out in the country, there was nothing to be concerned with, nor anyone to really bother. Ben's nearest neighbors were a mile back toward town.
"Woohoo, more pretty girls." Some random guy greeted us at the door and lifted his beer toward us. "The liquor is in the kitchen and condoms in the bathroom. We're sure glad you girls are here."
"Brother." I rolled my eyes as I slipped past him and tried to settle myself. I might be hanging over the edge of a shitty mood, but the party would help. I didn't mind mingling so much, and there were plenty of people in the room that I didn't know.
"There she is!" Dill reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me into a group of basketball guys. "She totally scored the first three points. Tell them, Val. They don't believe me."
I shrugged. "No clue what this guy is talking about. I'm head of the homemaking group at UMN."
He laughed loudly as I turned to find my friends again.
Katelyn was wrapped around Martin in a far corner of the living room. A twinge of jealousy raced through me. I didn't want a perfect match by any means, but it would have been bliss to simply find a guy that I could spend my time with, maybe invest in a little.
"Here you go, my friend." Amy handed me a glass of blue punch. "Bottoms up. This night is sure to get better after we have a few of these."
"Who's designated driver? I thought I was?" I accepted her offer and took a quick sip. The tangy punch was delicious, and I could see myself taking out a pitcher of it all on my own.
"Lucinda is going to take your turn. You need tonight more than the rest of us." Amy brushed my hair with her fingers as her eyes moved across me. "Did you invite Tate tonight?"
"No, but I wonder if he went through with the try outs today." I turned to find Martin and Katelyn taking a momentary break from their make-out session and decided to go straight to the source. "Let's go find out."
"You do that. I'm starving. I'll catch up with you in a minute." Amy smiled before heading back into the kitchen, where I assumed Lucinda was.
"It's my lucky day." Kade moved in front of me as I started to walk toward Martin.
"Oh, hey." I took a tentative step back and smiled at the handsome football player.
"Hey, yourself. You look damn good tonight." His eyes moved over my face and surprisingly enough, stayed there. "You wanna dance?"
"I do, but let me touch base with some friends first. Find me in a little bit after I've had too many of these to refuse you." I lifted my glass, and he chuckled.
"I'll hold you to it." He moved out of my way, and I continued to forge a path through the large crowd of people milling about in the living room.
"Hey, guys." I stopped beside Katelyn and turned to see where Kade walked off to. He was a cute guy and would fit into my life quite well from what I could tell, but I wasn't crazy about him. I wasn't sure I was crazy about Tate, either, but the warm desire that filled me when I thought about him and his unruly tats and dark eyes left my heart beating a little too fast.
"Hey." Martin pulled me into a quick hug. "Great choice on Tate. He killed it this morning. Tied my fucking score, and I'm the best swimmer on the team. I love it."
"Really?" Excitement pumped through me as I laughed. "That's great news!"
"He didn't text you?" Katelyn's smile faded. "That's not cool."
"No, it's okay. Really. We're just friends and barely that. I didn't get him the try out to get anything in return for it. I was paying him back for being so good to me the other night when I was stranded." I took a long drink of my drink, hoping that my friends wouldn't be able to see just how disappointed I was that Tate hadn't told me the good news himself.
Probably for the better.
"He's supposed to be here tonight. I told him you would be here, too." Martin shrugged and lifted to his toes to look around.
My heart leapt into my chest, and it was hard to breathe all of a sudden. I forced myself to stay focused on them instead of turning and searching the crowd manically like I wanted to.
"Awesome. Well, I'm sure I'll run into him, then. Thanks again for letting him try out." I moved in beside Katelyn and let my eyes scan the crowd slowly until I found Amy and Lucinda. "Alright... I've been relieved of my designated driver duties, so I'm off to find something stronger. I'd like to forget today happened."
"No shit, right?" Katelyn rubbed my back softly. "You deserve a great guy that makes you forget your last name is Scott."
"Another shitty day with your folks?" Martin asked with sincere concern on his face.
"Yep. Every day is a shitty day with my parents." I forced a smile and moved away from them. I couldn't help but notice that Kade was talking with a pretty girl in the corner of the room. Some part of me wanted to be jealous over it, but it was for the better. I didn't want to date someone that left me lukewarm. I wanted my next boyfriend to be the first one that made me soar high just by watching him walk into the room.
Tate.
A loud group in the corner of the living room was cutting up and having entirely too much fun. Carolyn was in the middle of it, and her laughter sent a nasty shiver d
own my spine. I hated the fact that wherever I was, that bitch was, too. There was no getting rid of her, and honestly, the one way to really get back at her for being so horrible was to take the presidency away. I didn't want to run the Gammas, but between needing to prove to her that she wasn't queen and wanting to shut my mother up, I was going to have to grab the leadership role in May.
"Should have done it last weekend when she was getting stoned to death in the kitchen," I mumbled and moved up to the edge of the crowd. A cute boy with dark-rimmed glasses and a crooked smile glanced over at me.
"Oh. Hi." His mouth lifted farther.
"Hi there." I turned as I realized that the guy who was currently the center of attention in Carolyn's crowd was Tate. I touched his back, tapping lightly until he turned.
His eyes lit up in a way that stole my breath. He might not have texted, but he was glad to see me.
"Val, what a great surprise." He moved toward me and pulled me into an unexpected hug.
I returned the favor and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him softly before moving back a little and letting out a laugh. "Congratulations, you ass. You couldn't text me that you go on the team?"
"I told him to." The boy beside me moved closer to us and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm Sam, Tate's best friend."
"Oh." I turned to Sam. "Nice to meet you."
"You, as well." Sam lifted his eyebrow and glanced over to Tate, who stood in silence. "You weren't lying. She is breathtaking."
"Right?" Tate released me and took my hand, instead. "Come on. Let's get you something good to drink. That's glorified Kool-Aid."
"Sam, come meet my friends." I grabbed his hand with my free one as Tate moved us toward the kitchen. I couldn't help but feel a moment of victory as I caught the look on Carolyn's face. I wanted to tell her that I was sure her beloved would show up soon, but I let it go. No need to rub salt in her wounds, though she would do so to me without another thought. I almost enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to react to her or anyone else if I didn't want to. I could just be me.