by Toni Aleo
I slowly rise out of my seat and go to her, wrapping my arms around her as she takes me into her arms, hugging me so tightly to her chest. When I said I wanted to meet my sponsor, I never in my life thought it would be someone I know. Someone I love.
With her voice low, she whispers, “I truly believe James sent you to us.”
Holy crap. I squeeze my eyes shut as the tears leak out. “Or he sent you guys to me.”
“Oh, Sofia,” she gushes, hugging me close to her. “You are an incredible woman. We all knew it from the moment we met you.”
I swallow hard as I nod. “I can’t begin to thank you.”
“Don’t. It’s unnecessary,” she insists, pulling away to look up into my face. “All I ask is that you continue to do what you’re doing. Make your dreams come true, and don’t ever give up. My God, Sofia, you make me work harder. You give me hope that, no matter how much I get knocked down, I will get up. You are inspiring, you are beautiful, and I can’t express how lucky we all are to know you. To love you.”
Her words knock the air out of me. “I love you too.”
She gives me a watery grin before hugging me back to her. While I knew it before, I now know I can’t ever give up what I am working for here. Not only would I let down my mom and myself, I’d let down the legacy Mr. Justice has built. I can’t do that. I never knew the man, but if he was even a fraction of what Ryan is, then there is no way I can disappoint him. And if the pressure to succeed weren’t already so ingrained inside of me, it is a billion times over now.
But what does that mean for Ryan and me?
Chapter Forty-Two
Sofia
When I come out of the building from my Lit class, which I’m pretty sure will be the death of me, I’m convinced my day is crap. It’s a meet day, but that class will ruin me. I hate literature. Why do I need it? I know how to talk to people, and I won’t need it when I’m a gym owner. Dammit!
But then I see Ryan.
He’s leaning against the tree outside the building, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and his backpack hanging off his shoulder, looking so damn fine it’s hard to believe he’s all mine. His hair is a tousled mess. He must have just gotten out of the shower. But that isn’t what has me breathless. It’s the slow grin that comes across his face as he pushes off the tree, his eyes only on me.
I’ve missed him so.
Letting my head fall back dramatically, I groan as I go to him, my arms extended, ready for a hug. He laughs loudly, the rough sound tickling my stomach as he envelops me in his tight embrace. His lips come to my temple, then my cheek, before finally meeting my mouth. Sometimes, it’s like kissing him for the very first time. Leaning into the kiss, I wrap my hands around him tighter, needing him to become one with me.
Maybe then time will stop and the future wouldn’t be looming over us.
Ryan pulls back first, his lips in a smirk as he gazes down at me. My hands slide up his back, his backpack a heavy obstacle in my way. “What’s wrong with my beautiful girlfriend?”
“I miss you,” I say with a pout, and he fully grins at me. “This sucks. I want to go back to break-us.”
“Break-us?”
“Yeah, when we slept in the same bed, cuddled, and spent every moment together. Campus was empty, and no one bothered us. I happened to really like that.”
He chuckles, his lips grazing along mine. “So did I, but that’s not real life, Sof.”
“Real life is overrated.”
He chuckles as he wraps his arm around my shoulders, and we start for my dorm. We have a few minutes before I have to change and get to the gym for pre-meet activities.
“That class is going to ruin me. Please tell me you are good at literature.”
He smirks knowingly. “Don’t you know by now? I’m good at everything.” He nips at my bottom lip, and I giggle, turning into his chest.
“I don’t know about that,” I tease, and he scoffs.
“I happen to remember a certain someone riding my face, screaming—”
“Ryan Justice!” I cry out, smacking his chest.
“Yeah, that. Ryan Justice, you are a god. The most amazing—”
His voice is loud, and of course, people hear him, laughing as I smack him some more. “Stop!”
He chuckles as he nuzzles my neck. “You love it.”
I roll my eyes when he kisses my jaw. “Whatever.”
He presses his lips to the side of my mouth and then pulls away. “But, yes, I’m good at literature. I can help. Which reminds me…” He clears his throat, and I take his hand in mine, lacing our fingers, which is sort of awkward since it’s at my shoulder, but I just want to touch him. “My buddy Taylor is on the track team, and he has a sponsorship like you. I don’t know if it’s the same person, but he was telling me that if he finishes with a 4.0, he gets a bonus. You should read your paperwork. That would be awesome for your gym!”
My heart tightens in my chest. I didn’t tell him what his mom told me. She didn’t ask me not to, but I decided it was implied that I needed to keep it under wraps. I felt sort of bad for not telling him, but at the same time, I don’t want it to make things difficult. It’s already a little weird for me that his dad is paying for my education, but I’m trying not to see it that way. I have a sponsorship, and its goal is to help me succeed. That’s all I really need to know.
“Yeah, it would. I’d have to check. I don’t remember seeing that though.”
“I asked where it was, and he told me on the last page, under graduation.”
“Oh, cool,” I say as we reach my dorm and head inside. “We can check when we get upstairs.”
“After or before I feel you up?”
“During?” I suggest, and he nods.
“Great idea. Two birds, one stone.”
We laugh together as we head up the stairs. The gymnastics dorm is busy. Everyone is running around, getting ready for our first home meet in a long while. Since we are a new team, we are the ones traveling all the damn time. But today, we are hosting, and it’s gonna be a blast. I feel damn good, and I’m so excited. I’m ready to do this. I’m ready to win for my school.
For Ryan.
When we reach my room, I push the door open and enter as he shuts it behind me. Before I can even get far, he pulls me back into his chest, his hands moving down my stomach and cupping my already throbbing center. Dragging his mouth along my neck, he whispers, “Okay, before.”
“Before?” I ask as his hand moves into my leggings and panties. He opens me up with his fingers, brushing them against my clit. “Oh, oh yes, before.”
But just as his mouth captures mine, the door comes slamming into his back.
“Oh, crap, sorry. But damn, move, you big idiot,” Amelia teases, and Ryan removes his hand very quickly.
He doesn’t move, though. “I can’t kill her?”
“Nope, we love her,” I say, turning and taking his hand with mine. “But later?”
“Oh yes,” he answers as I pull him toward my bed. “All night long.”
“Do you have a place in mind?” I ask as Amelia comes in, throwing her things on the floor.
He thinks that over and then nods. “Amelia, if I give you fifty bucks, can you not come back to this room tonight?”
She eyes him, one of her brows rising. “I could be a bitch and take your money, but I already planned on going to Shelli’s tonight.”
Ryan flashes me a grin, and I grin back. “Cool.”
“Awesome.” I waggle my brows at him as Ryan sits me down in his lap, kissing my neck.
“I was going to invite you,” Amelia says to me. “But it’s obvious what the answer will be.”
Crap. Things have been okay between us. As long as we don’t talk about Drew, we’re great. “Oh. Well, I mean, I can come—”
“No, it’s fine. You’d be bored anyway. We got some new makeup we want to play with.”
“Yeah, see? No way,” Ryan whines, and I laugh as I reach for my computer.
“Fine. Thanks anyway.”
“Of course,” she says as she falls back on her bed. I turn on my computer and wait for it to load. “Am I doing your hair?”
I nod without looking at her. “Yeah, if you don’t mind.”
She smiles. “As long as you get out of my brother’s lap so I can do it, then I don’t mind.”
Ryan glares, and I laugh. “No problem.”
His arms tighten around my waist as I bring up my sponsorship PDFs. I go to the page he told me about, and sure as shit, there is a bonus. “Wow, there is.”
“I wonder how much it is,” he says, and I shrug.
“It doesn’t say.”
“What?” Amelia asks, and I look over at her as I set my computer back down.
“I get a bonus from my sponsorship if I keep a 4.0.”
“That’s supercool. Can you do that?”
“Yeah, I can,” I say. Though, I’m not completely confident about it.
“You can,” Ryan says in my ear. “I’ll help you.”
I look over to him, bringing my lip in between my teeth. I want to ask what will happen when he leaves, but I don’t see the point. It’s stupid. It’s all just stupid and unfair. Ignoring my negative thoughts, I ask, “When does your mom and Elli’s plane land?”
He looks at his watch. “In about forty-five minutes. I should probably head out.”
I groan. “But I only got ten minutes with you.”
He kisses my jaw. “Twenty-three, and I’ll see you after the meet, remember?”
He lifts me with ease, sitting me on the bed.
“Yeah, I guess.”
He chuckles as he stands, flicking me playfully on the nose. “I should make the meet right on time, depending on traffic.”
“Okay,” I say softly, looking up at him.
“You’ll win for me?”
“Yeah,” I say with a grin as he leans down, pressing his lips to mine.
“Damn right, you will. And maybe—” his voice drops even lower “—I’ll let you ride my face again.” He winks, and my body burns for him.
“You don’t let me do anything,” I throw back at him. “I take what I want.”
His eyes close as he shakes his head. “Evil ass. I’ll see you in a bit.”
He flashes me a grin before pulling on Amelia’s ponytail. She cries out before smacking him as he rushes out of the room, leaving us with only the trailing sound of his laughter. As the door shuts, I let out a sigh.
“You’re not putting space between the two of you at all,” Amelia sings, and I lie down, cuddling the pillow to my chest.
“Nope.”
“And you’re not going to?”
“Nope,” I say once more as I turn with my back to her. “I can’t.”
“You need to. From what I heard, he has a meeting with the Hawks next week.”
I know this, and I also know he has meetings with four other teams. His agent has been working hard, and it’s gotten Ryan very excited. All it’s done for me is bum me the fuck out.
“I know.”
“Awesome. Great talk.”
“Yup.”
I dig my face into my pillow. I want so much to scream in frustration, but I don’t want Amelia to hear me. Closing my eyes, I push everything out of my mind. I can’t worry about a 4.0 or Amelia’s concerns. Or the fact that I only have four more months with Ryan before he graduates and we find out where he is going.
I can’t. I have a meet today.
And I want to win.
My head itches.
“You did these braids too tight,” I complain to Amelia as we stretch, our hands locked as we pull one way and then the other.
She rolls her eyes. “I did not.”
“You did. They itch.”
“Well, they look amazing,” she says, and I have to agree with her. I love how they feed into my ponytail, holding all my hair in place, but still, they’re tight.
“Yeah, you aren’t wrong.”
“Never am.”
I give her a look that says otherwise, and she rolls her eyes again.
“Don’t do that, not today.”
“Fine.” I pout as she pulls me down into the mat. “You’re still going through with it?”
“I am,” she says as I come up, pulling her.
“Won’t you miss this?”
She looks up at me from where she is lying flat on the mat. “Yes, Sofia. I’ll miss you dearly, but I have to follow my heart.”
I really wish she’d fall on the beam and knock some sense into herself. She won’t have that chance today since she wasn’t picked to compete on beam, but she’s getting there. She’s doing bars, and we’re really excited for that. Hopefully, she will get a clue before she leaves the team and ruins her life. Pressing the bottoms of our feet to each other’s, we stretch ourselves as I look out at the crowd. I don’t see Ryan anywhere.
“Ryan is going to be late.”
“They probably got caught in traffic,” she says, waving me off. “Posey had a game up in Ohio, so Shea took her and the boys. That left Ryan to get Mom and Elli.”
I know this, but I still really don’t want him to be late. We have vault first, and that’s his favorite. I don’t want him to miss it. Once we are done warming up, we get in our lines for announcements. I stand next to Amelia, and when her hand slides into mine, I look over at her.
“You won’t hate me, will you?”
“Hate you?”
“When I go. Like, we’ll still be besties?”
My heart crumbles in my chest. “Of course, Amelia. Always.”
She doesn’t smile, but she nods as she looks out at the crowd. “Good.”
I don’t know why she asked that. Maybe I should have said no in the hopes she wouldn’t go. Though, I’m pretty sure nothing will keep her from going. As the announcer introduces UT’s gymnasts, I look around, hoping Ryan has arrived, but I still don’t see him.
“He’s coming. Don’t worry,” Amelia says, and I smile over at her.
“I don’t want him to miss it.”
“He won’t,” she promises, and we share a small smile.
When it’s time for our team, I plaster a huge, overly fake grin on my face as I wait for my name. The gym is full, the student section is overflowing, and it’s exciting. Everyone is chanting GymBulls, and with each gymnast’s name, the cheering gets louder. It’s so much fun.
“With an average of 39.42, Sofia Castilleja!”
Stupid floor judge at the last event gave me 9.8 when it was a 9.9 routine, at least! Yet I grin before I throw my hands up, bouncing on my toes as I wave to the crowd.
Until I hear a familiar voice.
“Ah! Bella! Yes! Go, my bella!”
My heart stutters as I whip my head to the left where I hear the voice, and there she is.
My mom.
She’s sitting on her walker, her long brown hair in a twist on her head. Always looking her best, with her face fully made up. She wears her ratty old “Sofia’s Mom” shirt that I am pretty sure she’s had since I was four. She has the biggest grin on her face as she waves her hands above her head, and I’m stunned.
My heart beats so fast, my eyes fill with tears, and I can’t. I just can’t.
But then I see Ryan standing beside her, an equally large grin on his face and a sign that says, “Surprise.”
I come undone.
Before I even realize what I’m doing, I’m running toward them. I make it around the beam, over a mat, and somehow, I make sure not to slam my head on the bar. God bless her, my mom stands, and I manage to slow down before I wrap my arms around her, crying into her chest. “Mom!”
“Ah, bella! Look at you,” she gushes, pulling back to look at me, her tear-filled brown eyes roaming over me as my tears fall in rivers down my face. “Always beautiful. The pictures don’t come close. Look at you. I love you so much!”
“I love you,” I cry as I wrap my arms back around her, holding her close to me as she kis
ses my neck, my ear, and then my cheek. She’s shaking in my arms, and I can’t believe she’s here. My mom is here. For my meet. I pull back, cupping her face, and I shake my head, knowing my makeup is running, but I don’t care.
“You’re here!”
“I am. I can’t believe it either.”
My lip quivers as I look up to Ryan, and my tears fall faster and harder down my face. “You did this?”
He shrugs, looking adorably shy. “I did.”
I let go of my mom, knocking the sign out of his hands, and I climb him like a tree before pressing my lips to his mouth. I wrap my limbs around him as he smiles against my lips, holding me close. Our kisses are demanding, full of love, and I can’t believe he did this for me. I kiss him two more times, ignoring everyone calling my name, because, damn it, I don’t want to let him go. He continues to blow me away, to knock me off-kilter, and I don’t want him to ever leave.
When he pulls away, his eyes are a little damp as he gazes into mine. “I’d do anything for you, you know that.”
I try to hold in my sob, but I can’t. James Justice just came out full force in his freaking amazing son. I cup Ryan’s sweet face in my hands and press my forehead to his. “I love you, Ryan Justice. I don’t care how hard that’s going to make things, but I love you. I love you so much.”
His eyes widen, but then his lips turn up into a grin as he holds me close. “Damn it, Sofia, I’ve loved you since the moment I met you.”
I’m breathless as he presses his lips to mine, and I don’t want to let go. I can’t believe this. He did this for me. He gave me the one thing I didn’t realize I needed so badly. My mom. He clutches me to him. Our mouths move together sloppily, and I don’t want to let go. We both know I have to, though. He pulls away reluctantly and puts me on my feet. He grabs my face, running his thumbs under my eyes and catching all my tears. “Now, you go out there, and you win this all for her.”
“And you.”
He inhales sharply, shaking his head. “I love you.”
“I love you more,” I promise as I walk backward.
When I glance to my mom, I see Mrs. Justice and Elli standing behind her, all of them crying too. I want to laugh, but then my gaze is back on Ryan’s, and his smile makes any day feel like the best day of my life. His eyes are so full of love, and it’s only for me.