Between Hearts: A Romance Anthology

by Alexander, Erica

  I stare longingly at the finish line, where Liv stands with Gabe as other juniors come in. Uninjured. The jealousy I feel shocks me. I have no right to it. But I like this girl way too much, and she didn’t even care enough to help take care of me like her friend did.

  At least I did my best.

  I competed.

  And I fucking won the race.

  If I don’t make the club because of my disastrous bike ride, I can do triathlon for myself. And I can stop thinking about Liv Samuels. Because it has never been more obvious that she’ll never be interested in me.

  Chapter Three

  Declan

  After Nurse Hawkins patches me up, I’m sent home with instructions on how to care for my wounds and no idea about who made the team. Sarah believes they’ll make the decision by the week’s end.

  Thursday passes with no word.

  Friday comes and goes — still nothing.

  Saturday arrives, and as I down a bowl of cereal, my phone rings. I shove the spoon into my mouth and pick it up, even though I don’t recognize the number.

  “Hello?”

  “Declan?” The voice is deep and sounds somewhat familiar.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s Gabe,” he starts, “From the triathlon club.”

  “Oh.” A combination of relief and dread rushes through me. “Hey. How’s it going?”

  “We’re making the calls about the club this morning,” he says. “Liv, Mike, Sarah, Coach Syl, and I are thrilled to offer you a spot if you want it.”

  My heart practically jumps into my throat. I worked so hard . . . and I made the team. “No shit?”

  “No shit.” He laughs. “Practice starts Tuesday.”

  “Cool,” I respond, trying to not appear overly excited.

  Holy fuck, I made the team.

  “We’re inviting everyone to Sarah’s house today for the initiation.”

  “Oh.” Those nerves that died when Gabe said I made the team zing back to life.

  “It starts at three,” he continues. “You know where Sarah lives?”

  I pause for a second. “They live in that house up on Old Highland Road, right?” I’ve been to a party or two at Sarah’s house.

  How is this going to go? Who else made the team? Will Liv be there?

  “That’s the place.”

  “Then I know where it is,” I confirm.

  “We’ll see you then.”

  My voice cracks as I ask, “Is there anything I need to know?”

  Gabe chuckles at my question and obvious nervousness. And I want to hate him, but I can’t. He’s the one bringing me this good news. “Nah, man. Just be ready to have a good time.”

  “All right.”

  “See ya.” And he hangs up.

  I stare into my cereal bowl, my heart thumping as I remember the stories my brothers told me about their teams’ initiations.

  While triathlon isn’t a varsity team, it feels like the initiation is going to be as intense as those for our school’s well-established sports.

  My brother, Sam, who played varsity basketball, cackled about initiating new members when he was a senior. He never said what happened to him, but when he and his friends were in charge, their new teammates were forced to elephant walk around the basketball court and surrounding facilities in the middle of the night.

  I didn’t know what that was when he mentioned it in passing. I was horrified to learn later that he and his teammates forced their recruits to walk in a line naked, holding the dick of the guy in front of them the entire time. If that’s something you want to do in your free time, cool. If it’s something you’re forced to do to be on a team? Fucked up.

  Chase one-upped Sam’s initiation story. Not only did the football team perform the ritualistic elephant walk, but they also invited girlfriends and female friends to inspect the new players, ranking them and their physical aspects.

  Of course, these traits included dick length and size.

  While I don’t know if my twin brothers were truthful about these initiations, knowing the stories makes me nervous. They aren’t something a guy forgets. And while my brothers spent their childhoods playing team sports, I spent mine outdoors and hanging out with friends. I was never interested in team sports until Liv.

  Well, I’ll show her. Just like I did at tryouts.

  I’m going to the initiation this afternoon, and it’ll be whatever the hell it is.

  So what if I have to wrap my hand around another dude’s dick? So what if they stand us in a line and rank my body? I don’t have anything to hide. Hell, half the people who tried out were just as naked as I was at the end-of-year bash. And it wasn’t a big fucking deal.

  So what if they do something else to humiliate us?

  I’ve made it this far, and I can deal. I will blow them out of the water when we start competing. And I’ll be competing . . . for myself.

  Liv

  It’s precious how nervous our new teammates are. They’re clustered together on a hand woven heirloom rug, looking around Sarah’s parents’ impressively posh living room with wide eyes as if we are going to announce we require a virgin sacrifice to get the party started.

  When Sarah, Mike, Gabe, and I formed this club, they insisted we host an initiation. Not knowing any better, I wholeheartedly agreed. Not only would it help the team bond, but it would be a way for us to get to know one another.

  Turns out that I knew nothing about Parkview initiation rituals. After my friends explained what goes down at these events, I got nervous. Tales of elephant walks, involuntary stripteases, and forced sex acts made my hackles rise. I’m all for people having a good time. However, I’m not for forcing my peers to do what I consider fun, and I’m not into humiliation.

  With these feelings in mind, we planned accordingly. Sarah and Gabe insisted a day-to-evening initiation was not unheard of. Everyone expects this from a new team, they said. And so we planned this event.

  Gabe stands from his spot on the couch, looks down at our eight new teammates, and clears his throat. He’s wearing a pair of ratty grey sweatpants and no shirt. Because why would he be wearing a shirt?

  No, really. I asked him where his shirt was earlier, and that was his response.

  Guys . . .

  Our new teammates’ nervous chatter stops, and they stare up at Gabe.

  “Good afternoon, and welcome,” he says, sounding hilariously foreboding. Three of the girls sit up straighter, pushing their chests out and looking at Gabe with barely-disguised interest. The other one looks shell-shocked. She’s gonna have to get over that fast.

  Of course, they don’t know Gabe’s secret. Then again, it might not matter if they knew Gabe was perfectly comfortable fooling around with me this past year.

  Gabe continues his prepared speech, welcoming our neophytes to the first initiation of the triathlon club. My mind wanders as he drones on, having heard this speech many times already since he practiced it in front of me last night. It’s not like I need to hear it again.

  “But instead of this being like other Parkview initiations,” Gabe says, breaking my train of thought. A small smile forms on his lips as he reveals the next piece of information. “We want this to be fun for everyone. Which means we aren’t requiring anything. We invite you all to join in if you feel comfortable.”

  He shoves down his sweatpants, showing off a tight-fitting pair of briefs to our new teammates.

  The four girls — Susan, Kristina, Stacey, and Cherie — look like they’re going to pass out from potential excitement or embarrassment.

  The four guys — Declan, Dennis, Evan, and Jamie — look skeptical at best. They shift uncomfortably and a few eyes dart toward Sarah and me. I wonder if they’re thinking what I think they’re thinking?

  No, we’re not hosting an orgy.

  We want everyone to drink and swim and have a good time. And if hookups happen, they happen.

  Lame by the standards set by teams before us, but we don’t care.

&
nbsp; “Who’s ready to swim?” Gabe asks as he steps out of his sweatpants and saunters to the sliding glass doors. They lead to the over-the-top pool, complete with waterfalls, a stone grotto, and a massive marble statue of mermaids sitting on a rock.

  Our new female teammates twitter nervously to one another and follow Gabe.

  The guys look to Sarah and me again. A genuine smile raises the corners of my lips, and I grasp the bottom of my tank top, yanking it over my head to reveal the strappy teal sports bra that I’ll use as a swimsuit for the remainder of the day, assuming I don’t lose it at some point. What I’ve learned this past year is Parkview kids are pretty lax on nudity, especially at initiations like these. And that’s fine with me. I’m more comfortable in my natural state, anyway.

  I toss the tank in their direction, and when I lead, they follow.

  Before long, everyone makes their way outdoors, shedding clothing, grabbing drinks from the stocked bar, and jumping into the sun-warmed water.

  * * *

  After a rousing game of water volleyball, we break off into groups of twos and threes, swimming, talking, and hanging out as we get to know our teammates. I’ve never been a part of an initiation. I’ve never cared to be a part of any team before, but this feels right.

  Thanks to Sarah’s parents’ liquor cabinet, everyone is feeling good — some of us a little too good, unfortunately. I spy Stacey as she stumbles out of the pool. Evan follows, grasping her arm to steady her as they walk toward the house. I catch Mike’s eye, tilting my head in their direction. He follows to confirm she’s all right.

  I sit perched on the side of the pool, sipping the coconut rum drink Sarah foisted into my hand earlier, and observe our team. Declan chats with Sarah and Jamie in the deep end. He holds a beer in one hand as he treads water easily. His golden hair shines in the afternoon sunshine, and his tanned skin looks smooth. He throws his head back and laughs at something Sarah says, and it makes my heart clench.

  He’s gorgeous.

  It’s a shame he’s a junior.

  Gabe startles me when he swims up, and he shoots me a knowing look. He slyly gestures toward the grotto near the edge of the pool that overlooks the valley below.

  I deposit my drink on the side of the pool and jump into the water. Without a word, we swim toward the stone structure. I feel a set of eyes following my movement, but I don’t turn to see who it is.

  Once we swim beneath the waterfall and are hidden in the shadows, Gabe pushes me against the far wall. The rock is rough against my back, and he smirks. “I saw you staring at Declan.”

  “Yeah?” I don’t bother denying it. He can read me better than anyone. He knows as well as I do that the guy is hot.

  “You want him?”

  “He’s a junior,” I say, as if that explains my stance.

  “He’s an old junior,” Gabe contends. “He turned seventeen in June.”

  “So why is he not our year?”

  Gabe shrugs before he adds, “I saw him sneaking glances at you, too.”

  “Yeah?”

  “The rumor is he’s into you.”

  “Good for him.”

  “Good for you.” His voice trails off before he suggests, “If you want it to be.”

  I try to form a response, but before I can speak, his lips crash into mine. I open to him, enjoying the slide of his tongue along my bottom lip.

  “I thought today was about our initiates,” I murmur. “Not about us getting off.”

  He trails sucking kisses from my chin all the way up my jawbone to my ear.

  “I know,” he mumbles, nipping the soft skin just beneath my ear. He knows my sweet spots, and his move causes my thighs to clench instinctively around his waist.

  My gasp bleeds into a moan, and I cannot find it in me to protest. He knows what he’s doing, and it feels damn good.

  “I want you. And I know you want me, too.” He takes another nibble and grinds his hard-on into me. “And who knows what the cat might drag in? He watched us swim over here.”

  Gabe’s suggestion lights a fire in me, and I relish in the feel of his hardness.

  “He wants you,” he repeats. “And if he’s brave enough to come in here, you should give him a chance.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” he confirms and seals our lips with a kiss, silencing my thoughts as my body responds to his.

  Declan

  Liv and Gabe swim toward the grotto, acting all casual when I know exactly what’s happening. I stare, tuning out Sarah and Jamie as they prattle on with whatever we were discussing. I make an excuse about needing to check my bandages, but instead of climbing out of the pool like a sane human being, I make my way toward the stone structure instead. I need to know what the hell is going on.

  Even though I’m unbelievably frustrated that she did not notice my performance earlier this week, I’m still drawn to her.

  Honestly, I’ve been interested since I saw her.

  And since I’ve got a buzz from the two beers I drank, the sting of her rejection doesn’t phase me.

  There’s so much wrong with what I’m about to do, but I still swim the short distance. When I hear the distinctive sound of kissing, the truth slams me like a punch to the gut. Gabe and Liv are together.

  Unfounded jealousy wells in my chest. She’s not my girl, even though I want her to be. Even though she doesn’t even know. Even though I tried out for this fucking team for her.

  The kisses keep coming, more frantic now, and dammit, I don’t want to do this, but I have to. Without stopping to consider my actions, I glide beneath the waterfall and into the grotto.

  I need confirmation with my own eyes. I need to see that Liv is no longer a possibility. As if she were ever one in the first place.

  God, I’m a masochist.

  When I rise out of the water and shake it from my eyes, I find Liv pushed against one of the stone walls, her hands roaming Gabe’s back.

  The two of them are in their own world.

  Embarrassment wells inside me. This was a mistake.

  I’ve just interrupted a horribly intimate moment between two of my teammates.

  Not only was Liv never interested in me, but she’s involved with someone else. Someone I’m going to have to interact with, talk to, and train with every fucking week from here out.

  Fuck my life.

  Of course, the two of them notice there’s an interloper as I have this realization. Liv’s eyes snap open in surprise and meet mine. She pushes against Gabe’s chest, and she lets out a barely audible whimper.

  Gabe extracts himself from Liv. She slides down the wall and back into the water, a small splash resounding around the grotto. He turns, and we stare at each other for a moment before he does the strangest thing. He smiles.

  “Declan, my man,” he greets me. Liv peers over his shoulder, her face not giving anything away as she treads water easily, occasionally reaching out to steady herself on Gabe’s shoulder. “Nice of you to join us.”

  Wait, what?

  I expected him to close the distance between us and throttle me. I interrupted this dude’s make out session with the hottest girl in school, and he thinks I’m joining them? That wasn’t my intention, but now that I think about it . . .

  They notice my confusion. Liv snickers and Gabe’s grin grows wider. I’m clearly missing something because this makes no sense. He’s not going to punch me? If I were in his place, I’d punch me. Hell, I kind of want to punch myself right now to end this embarrassment.

  “We’re a team here, McCoy,” Gabe explains softly. His eyes are half-hooded, like he’s in on some secret I don’t know yet. “Which means we help each other out. We share, man.”

  “We share?” I repeat dumbly, unsure if Gabe is implying what I think he’s implying.

  What does that even mean? They share?

  Fuck me running. Is this some sort of cruel initiation trick?

  “Stop torturing him.” Liv smacks Gabe’s naked shoulder. She meets my eyes once
again and swims over to a small underwater bench, sliding onto the seat. Her feet don’t touch the bottom of the grotto like Gabe’s and mine do. “What he’s saying is he’s seen the way you look at me.”

  Oh, fuck.

  “And you’re welcome to join us if you want,” she finishes with a raised eyebrow.

  “Look . . .” I say, suddenly unsure what to do with myself.

  “You’ve wanted Liv since when?” Gabe asks as he tilts his head. “The day she showed up? The first week?”

  I close my eyes, pinch the bridge of my nose with my pointer finger and my thumb, and take a deep breath. As I drag air in and out — another trick my mother taught me during her yoga phase — I focus on calming thoughts and ways to keep myself from slamming my head into the stone wall. This is mortifying.

  But even though I’m many things, I am not a coward. I look him in the eye as I answer, “Since the first time I saw her.”

  “Now’s your chance, man,” Gabe encourages, sounding genuine enough. “We’re a team. And she wants you.”

  This information comes as a shock. What the hell? When did this happen?

  Liv must understand my thought process because she says, “I noticed you the first day of tryouts and wondered why I’d never seen you before.”

  My eyebrows rise in response to her revelation. Well, shit.

  Gabe laughs. Liv continues earnestly, “I like to keep my personal business my own, Declan.”

  “Okay.”

  “And I don’t gossip about what I do.”

  That would explain why the entire school thinks she’s a choirgirl, keeping to herself and not dating.

  “So this is me telling you the truth,” she says, and she beams in my direction. “I want you.”

  “Wait.” I shake my head, a realization hitting me. I point toward Gabe as I specify, “You don’t talk to your girlfriends, but you share this stuff with him?”

  Liv nods. “He’s my best friend.”

  “And fuck buddy,” Gabe supplies with a smirk.

  Oh. I guess that explains what’s going on with them.

  She beckons to me with the flick of a wrist, so I wade toward the two of them, the chest-deep water slapping against my skin.