“First up, we’re going to do some sparring. Break into pairs and face each other on the mats. And no going with anyone you’re dating—this is Self-defense, not Hand-holding One-oh-one. Now go!”
Dyl breaks away from his spot and strides toward us. I freeze. He reaches us and I realize he’s here for Juliet, not me. My cheeks redden. He’s not himself right now. In this moment, he’s not my friend. He’s a Bad, and I need to be a Nice. It’s the way things are.
“You’re with me,” he says, looking her in the eye.
“I am not.”
“You are. You need to learn how to defend yourself and I can teach you. Now come on.”
“I can defend myself!”
“That’s why I had to beat those guys up for you? Come on.”
I step between them. “I’ll go with you, Juliet.”
Dyl’s hand presses on my chest, above my heart. I can feel my heartbeat thudding against his palm. He pushes hard, and I stumble backward.
“You’ve done enough, mate,” he says. “You can’t even protect yourself, let alone her. Juliet, if you want to learn to defend yourself, come with me. This is your last chance.”
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
And she walks to him.
Natalie rushes up to me. She’s smiling, but my entire body is shaking with rage and sadness and God knows what else. He won.
“No need to look so glum, Caden. I won’t go that hard on you.”
“Sorry, it’s just…” I turn my head and look at Dyl and Juliet. They’re touching. Fuck fuck fuck they’re touching. “That is happening.”
Natalie squeals and jumps up and down. “Oh my gosh, are you jealous? You are, aren’t you? That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. I knew you liked her! I knew it! Now stop being so obvious and fight me.”
I raise my hands to the sides of my head as Natalie walks into position. She moves slowly, taking big, sweeping steps. Her legs snap together and she grins.
“Ready?” she asks.
“Sure am.”
She ducks down and spins. Her shin hits the back of my calves. My legs fly out and suddenly I’m looking up at the ceiling. Whack! My back hits the mat first, then the back of my head follows, rattling my brain. I stare up at the high ceiling as my lungs splutter for air. A dull ache forms at the spot where my head first hit. Natalie walks over and offers her hand. I grab it and she pulls me to my feet.
She’s grinning. “You’re weaker than you look.”
Through watery eyes I look at Dyl. He’s holding Juliet close to his body. Really close. The entire length of his body is pressed against her. His hands are wrapped around her wrists, moving her through the motions of a punch. Her face is set in concentration, exactly like his. His eyes flick up for a heartbeat, find mine, and his lips curl upward.
Then he turns his attention back to Juliet.
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
Self-defense was the only class I had with Juliet today, so I spent every other class planning our next encounter. I didn’t see Dyl either, and that made everything worse. It took every little piece of self-control within me to stop myself from sprinting out of the classroom to track them down. What if they were alone? What if they were still looking at each other like they were before? There are so many possibilities and they all suck elephant balls.
The lunch bell rings, signaling the end of the school day, because the entire afternoon block is devoted to the swimming carnival. I leave the classroom, shove my books back into my locker, then head out into the courtyard. At our spot are Juliet, Natalie, and Trevor. They’re leaning in a row against the chapel. Everything looks normal. I reach them and wave.
“Hi,” I say.
Juliet lifts herself up off the stone wall. “Hey, Caden, sorry about not going with you in Self-defense. That Dyl guy can be pretty persistent, huh? He’s asked me to go with him, like, every class.”
“He sure can.”
Trevor steps toward me. “Have you got your trunks, Caden?”
My face falls. “Wait, that’s today?”
His eyes go wide. “You can’t be serious, man! I’ve told you, like, every single day for the past two weeks!”
I laugh, and turn around and show him my backpack. “I’m messing with you, Trev. Of course I do.”
He lets out a sigh. “Good. Can we head to the pool now? I want to get there early to be as prepared as possible.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We set off down the quiet street. The school is on the very edge of town, at the top of a hill, which means we have to walk downhill to reach the Mapleton Aquatic Center. It’s a Wednesday afternoon, so the town is pretty quiet. Most of the parking spaces are empty, and the shops are occupied only by lonely shop assistants. Trevor and Natalie walk in front of us, his arm around her shoulder. She’s holding a black gym bag.
I turn to Juliet. “So did Dyl teach you anything? He was kind of right, it would be good for me to learn how to defend myself.”
“Yeah, he did. He told me to aim for the eyes or the throat. He said punches are mainly for show, and that a quick jab to someone’s eye can end a fight in a second. He’s really smart.”
“Can you two be quiet?” asks Natalie. She’s rubbing Trevor’s forearm. “Trevor needs total silence in order to get into the right headspace.”
Huh? Kaylee wrote me an entire conversation to have with Juliet on the way to the pool, and now I have to give up on it? I breathe in. Think about it rationally, Caden. What would a Nice do? The answer comes to me quickly. A Nice would listen to his Chosen’s best friend and keep his mouth shut.
So I shoot her a smile and shut my mouth, and the rest of the walk passes in silence. Eventually, we reach the pool. It’s surrounded by two rows of sun-damaged bleachers, the silver metal dulled by years of neglect. Just past the entrance is a small bathroom. People dressed in school uniforms of differing colors are swarming around the place.
Inside, the air is thick and muggy and reeks of chlorine. Trevor takes in a deep breath that fills his enormous chest, making it look even bigger. His skin is a few shades paler than it normally is.
Natalie rubs his biceps. “You’ll be fine, babe. Remember, this is just a practice run for nationals. That’s the one that matters. Just focus on getting a good time.”
He jumps up and down and shakes his arms. “Yeah, but Dad said that everyone is getting faster, and the cutoff for Olympic trials is going to be at least half a second quicker than last time. If I can’t get low twenty-threes now, when there’s no pressure, then I’m totally boned at nationals.”
“Don’t stress,” says Juliet. “Trev, you’ve got this.” Her eyes land on me. “Good luck to you too, Caden.”
“Right,” says Trevor. “Thanks, guys. Caden, you’re with me.”
He takes the bag from Natalie and plants a quick kiss on her cheek. Then he turns and walks down a long hallway.
I follow after him. “So what’s the plan?”
“We’ll get changed, then we have to go back out and wait until our turn is called. Oh man, I’m so nervous.”
“You know they’re right, though, don’t you? I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, man, I hope so. But if I want to make the Olympics one day, which I do, I need to get a good time today. I know this race doesn’t mean much, but getting twenty-four or something now would be a nightmare, and it’d be almost impossible to bounce back from that. So I guess it’s normal to be a little nervous.”
Up ahead is a brick bathroom. Inside, there are three rows of benches. Two shirtless guys are in the corner of the room, chatting. Trevor dumps his bag on the closest bench, then he grabs the bottom of his shirt and pulls it over his head. I gape for a second before turning away. He’s maybe even bigger than Robert, the Bad from the LIC. He’s not as shredded as Robert is, but still, Trev looks stronger. I guess it’s because his muscles actually have a purpose; they’re not for show like a Love Interest’s are. I
chance another look. His skin is paler than I thought it’d be for someone who swims all the time, and a few dark moles cover his skin, one beneath his left nipple, another beside his belly button. They’re imperfections, obviously, but they’re also endearing. His body is unique in a way that mine will never be.
I shake my head and the thought dislodges.
I make my way to a bathroom stall and switch into my board shorts, which are blue and come down to just above my knees. I keep my shirt on, because if I’m going to strip, I need to do it in front of Juliet.
I walk out. Trevor is now wearing thin gray pants but is still shirtless. He looks down at my trunks and frowns. “Are you serious, man? You’re wearing board shorts?”
“What’s wrong with them? I got them especially for this.”
“Don’t you know how much they slow you down?”
I fidget. “I didn’t until now.”
He dismissively waves his hand. “It’s cool. Sorry, I forget sometimes what I care about doesn’t matter that much to other people. Let’s go see the others.”
It takes an hour for us to be called. I spend the time in the bleachers next to Juliet, watching the races, occasionally scanning the crowd for Dyl. Trevor sits on the row in front of us with his huge body bent forward. Natalie massages his shoulders, occasionally rubbing his back and telling him, “You’ve got this, babe.”
A speaker crackles. “Seventeen-to-eighteen boys for the fifty freestyle.”
“This is us,” says Trevor, and he stands up.
I rise and take a step after him. I should take my shirt off now, but to do so would be kind of weird because Trev is already shirtless, and I can’t make it seem like I’m stripping in front of Juliet deliberately.
Trevor presses a knuckle to his forehead. “God, Caden, this is like baby steps. Do you plan on swimming in your shirt?”
I shake my head.
“Then it can’t come to the pool. Come on, shirt off, hurry up.”
Thank you! I grab the collar of my shirt and grip it tight for a second, like I’m nervous about taking it off. Then I pull it over my head in one swift movement. I keep my eyes down as I scrunch it up and stuff it into my backpack, using the movement as an excuse to flex a bit. I chance a glance at the girls as I’m zipping up my bag. They’re both staring, no, gaping at me. Natalie’s mouth is open and her eyes are wide. Juliet is chewing her bottom lip.
“Fuck, man,” says Trevor. “And you say you don’t lift? Fucking liar.”
I cross my arms, covering my chest. A Bad would smirk, maybe even put on a show. But I need to be awkward and uncomfortable, like I’m as shocked by my body as they are. “I … um, it’s not that impressive, is it?”
“You’re gorgeous,” says Natalie. “Own it, man!”
I blush on cue, then scratch the back of my neck, tensing my muscles as I move. If I’ve pulled it off, I’ll look nervous but still mega sexy. It’s a fine line, but it’s one of the textbook Nice moves and I’ve practiced it countless times. I think I’ve got it down, but I can’t bring myself to look at Juliet to see if it’s had the desired impact.
“Let’s go, Tyson Beckford,” says Trevor. “You’ve given the girls enough of a show.”
We turn and walk away. As we step down off the bleachers I turn and look at Juliet. She’s whispering something to Natalie, which could mean anything. She could be talking about, I don’t know, how cute/buff/handsome I am, or about how she now thinks I’m a huge douche with no class for stripping in front of her. Trevor steps closer to me.
“You can wear your shirt to the pool,” he says. His eyes have lit up with maniacal glee. “But you should’ve seen Juliet’s face. You’re going to be in her dreams tonight and you’re welcome for that, man.”
I scratch my forearm. “I’m that obvious, huh? Do you think she knows I like her?”
We reach the sign-in area, which is just a row of plastic chairs basking in the sun guarded by a man holding a clipboard. He writes our names, then lets us pass.
Most of the spots in our row are already taken, occupied by guys in various stages of undress. I check them out, then realize what I’m doing is out of character, so I turn to Trevor. He’s also looking at the other guys, but it’s pretty clear he’s just sizing them up as threats rather than, well, appreciating them in the way that I do.
He notices me staring and points to two free seats. We make our way to them and sit down. My eyes snap open as the bare skin of my lower back starts to sizzle. I leap forward and rub the middle of my back with one hand, then lean forward so my back doesn’t touch the backrest. Still, I can feel the heat of the seat through the thin material of my shorts.
“To answer your question, Juliet is the smartest person I know,” says Trevor, who is seemingly oblivious to the hellfire he’s sitting on. “If I figured it out, she probably has as well.”
But you haven’t got it figured out. You’re so wrong it hurts.
Dyl appears out of the bathroom and starts walking toward us. He’s wearing a black T-shirt and track pants, and his hair is swept back behind his ears. He reaches the sign-in area and quickly signs in. Then he walks up to our row and picks the seat right next to mine. I sit up straighter and breathe out. Come on, man, don’t blush. That’s embarrassing. But he’s about to take his shirt off, I know he is, and I’m also shirtless, which is making the whole thing feel dangerously sexy. Like he could grab me at any moment and kiss me and I’d finally find out what it’s like to touch another guy’s naked chest. My stupid body betrays me, and I go kinda hard and my cheeks grow warm. Fan-freaking-tastic.
Dyl glances at me, then, silently, he pulls his shirt up and over his head.
His torso is even better than I thought it’d be. It’s not textbook Bad, because he’s not like a body builder, but I like what he has way more. He’s slim, but he’s got serious muscle definition, ticking off the classic hot-boy trio of pecs, abs, and abdominal V. And that’s not even mentioning his biceps. God, his biceps are a joke. Most of his torso is smooth, but a small amount of dark hair covers his chest. I didn’t think I was a chest-hair type of guy, but judging by the erratic things my heart is doing at the moment, I totally am. With a smirk, Dyl takes his track pants off, and I go even harder, because imagine if we were alone in a bedroom and he did that?
He drops the track pants and starts rolling his right shoulder. Now he’s wearing black trunks, and they’re sort of tight and they make him look so freaking good. They’re pulled down just enough to show the green waistband of his underwear, which Judy must’ve told him to do; it draws attention to his abs and to his underwear itself.
This is a major problem, because I’m fully hard now and I’m going to have to stand up soon. Crap! I lick my dry lips and try to think of anything other than Dyl’s bare chest, but it’s like he’s giving off this weird warmth, and I can feel this strange, sexy-as-hell energy in the space between us.
Farts. Old people falling over. Puppies. Old people having sex.
A horn blares and Trevor stands up. Shit! Old people doing nasty stuff to each other is doing the trick, and I’ve calmed down enough that I’m pretty sure my crotch won’t draw any attention. I take in a deep breath then stand up with Trevor, keeping my eyes as far away from Dyl as I can, just in case the mere sight of him is enough to cause a boner aftershock. Still, his chest lingers in my memory. I focus on the speckled concrete and try as hard as I can to dislodge the image.
The sun warms my bare shoulders, making my skin feel golden. Copying Trevor, I step onto the block and look out at the long stretch of still blue water that’s waiting for me. I roll my shoulders and chance a look at Dyl.
He’s staring right at me. He winks.
The horn blares, and I’m struck with a second of confusion. Dyl leaps forward, his arms pointed in front of him.
Go, Caden, go!
I leap forward and smash into the pool, my chest slapping the water so hard it instantly starts to sting. I kick my legs and straighten up, but everyone els
e is already half a body length in front of me.
He winked he winked he winked.
Why would he do that?
His face is stuck in my mind, the confident tilt of his stubbly chin, his long, dark eyelashes, his scarily knowing smile. Did he notice that I was larger than normal? Ignore him. It’s what I have to do. I kick my legs harder and pull my open palms through the water. I fall into a rhythm and pick up speed. Now I’m close to the others. The blue-tiled wall is up ahead. I give one last kick and move my hands forward.
I touch the wall. Breathless, I stand up and take in a few gulps of air before checking the scoreboard. I came in fifth! I officially didn’t lose!
“Not bad for a newbie,” calls Trevor. He’s smiling a huge smile.
“Did you do it?” I ask.
“I’m not sure, but I think so! It felt really fast.”
We high-five. Trevor pushes himself up and out of the pool. I figure if I attempt to copy him I’ll slip and look like an awkward fool, so I make my way over to the ladder. When I reach the top, I notice that Natalie and Juliet are standing on the edge of the grass, holding towels. Natalie shrieks and runs into Trevor’s arms. She slaps into his body and he picks her up.
“Twenty-three ten!” she calls. “I told you you’d do it!”
“Holy shitballs!”
“You did it, babe! If you can do that again at nationals, then you’ll definitely make the team.”
I reach Juliet. She offers me a white towel.
“Thanks,” I say, grabbing it and rubbing my hair.
Someone touches my arm for a second, then shoves me. I totter a few steps to the right, and Dyl takes my place in front of Juliet. I’m sort of expecting her to be looking at him with outrage for pushing me. But she’s not, and I can hardly blame her. A dripping-wet punk rock Adonis is bare-chested right in front of her. His hair spikes over his forehead, and it makes his eyes look even greener, almost like they’re emerald.
Dyl places his hands on his hips. “Are you going to congratulate me?”
“For what?” asks Juliet. “Coming in second?”
The Love Interest Page 12