Release

by Lucia Franco

  "Okay."

  "I am serious, Adrianna. There is more to him than I want to disclose, and I will not get in to it right now, so do not ask."

  I nodded solemnly. I thought back to the day in my hotel room where I sat on his lap as we discussed his actions and my perception, and I remembered how Kova said he had a gut feeling one day someone was going to report him. Dread creased my forehead. I didn't want to go there, but I had to wonder if he was one of those coaches who were more than hands on and got away with it.

  I frowned, my stomach churning with rancid thoughts. "Don't tell me he—"

  My words were stopped short when he stepped up to us and intruded in on our conversation.

  "Konstantin. Pleasure seeing you here." I recoiled while Kova appeared calm. A sour taste filled my mouth. But I knew him. I noticed the veins that twirled down his arms like snakes contracting with power, the way his hands contracted into fists. There was bad blood between them, and I wanted to know why.

  "Too bad I cannot say the same for you," Kova responded with no tact at all. I choked back a laugh. His Russian accent ground out each word and I loved when it made a show.

  "Why don't we let bygones be bygones already," he suggested. Kova stood stone still and silent. "I've been following you this year. You wouldn't have gotten as far as you have without me and we both know it." Blatant disgust bled from Kova for the man in front of him. "Except for this one." He pointed to me, his eyes glistening. He made my skin crawl. "Where did you find her?"

  "Adrianna," he said without looking at me, "go get ready. I will be there soon."

  I didn't move. I was too enthralled, and luckily Kova didn't notice because his rage took center stage.

  Kova stepped up to his former partner so they were nose to nose. My heart stopped. The fury burning off him chilled me to the bone. I took a small step back. I'd seen him all shades of angry, but never like this.

  "Let us get something straight, sobaka," he spat in Russian. I made a mental note to look that word up. "I got where I am today because of me, of the work I put in, and the work my girls put in. Not because of your piece of shit self. I taught you everything you know. Not the other way around. You got lucky because of me." He scoffed, jabbing a finger into the man’s chest. "For more than one reason, might I add. This is your only warning—stay the fuck away from me and my girls. I let you off once, but I will not do it again. I do not want to see you, smell you, or hear your name mentioned. I do not want you within a fifty-mile radius of me and my gymnasts. If we are at the same meet, you will keep your distance."

  "Or what?" the guy rebutted. "What do you think you're going to do acting so tough and macho?"

  "I am not acting, just defending those who cannot defend themselves against dogs like you. Do not fucking test me."

  He laughed. The guy actually laughed, but Kova was eerily calm and said, "I have enough evidence to easily have you placed in solitary confinement. Funny thing about prison mates, they eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast."

  His laugh died down immediately. His eye lids grew heavy then quickly shot to me. Kova looked over his shoulder and I froze. I'd heard everything. He didn't like that, but he didn't show it.

  Without another word, the former coach at World Cup turned around and walked away.

  "Coach." My voice was high-pitched. "What did he do?"

  Kova scrubbed a hand down his face then looked above my head. He seemed so guilty all of a sudden. "Nothing that we need to discuss now. You need to get ready. I want you focused on your routine."

  "I am ready and focused. Tell me."

  "Another time."

  "Please?"

  Kova sighed deep. Lowering his voice, he said, "I caught him." My brows furrowed, and he continued shifting on his feet. "I caught him in a position he should not have ever been in. The dating rule began because of his actions."

  My eyes popped. "Oh, my God. This is scandalous."

  Face drawn, he didn't share my excitement. "No, Adrianna, it is not. I almost killed him. I know what you and I did goes against everything I believe in, and the code of ethics set forth by the gymnastics committee. I knew it was wrong, but I never preyed upon you." I frowned. No, he never had. "But that bastard preyed upon one of my gymnasts and couldn’t control himself."

  Kova's eyes lifted over my head and I turned around to follow his gaze.

  Holly.

  I had tons of questions I wanted answers to, but now was not the time. I had to clear my head and get to my last event. Easier said than done after the bombshell Kova had just dropped on me.

  I blocked out all the noise and focused on delivering a flawless floor routine. Ninety seconds later I stood next to Kova waiting for my score. We both turned toward each other, our faces mimicked each other's. Another medal to hang on my wall, all thanks to our teamwork.

  On the plane ride home I couldn't stop thinking about Holly and that coach, coupled with the information Reagan had given me weeks ago on the track. I tried not to stare at Holly, but so many questions ran through my head. At the top was, what had Kova meant by that guy preying on her? Did he rape her? But if he did, why was there a no dating rule? That part didn't make sense. I couldn't flat out ask her, so I was left with more thoughts filling my head.

  * * *

  I'd forgotten I had my doctor's appointment early Monday morning and would be late to practice. Instead of texting, I called Kova as soon as I got on the road.

  "Allo?"

  "Hey, Coach, it's Adrianna."

  "I know who it is. Why are you calling me? Is it to tell me you are missing practice?"

  I chewed at my lip for a second, listening to a springboard rebound in the background.

  "Um, I forgot I have a doctor's appointment this morning I need to go to, but I'll be at practice afterwards."

  "What? What appointment? Are you sick? Why have you not told me about this?"

  The noise faded behind him and a door shut. He must've walked to his office. I stayed on the right side of the road and looked for the highway.

  "I guess I forgot."

  "Adrianna, I need to be made aware of things like this when they are scheduled, not last minute."

  "I know, and I'm sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

  Kova was quiet for a moment. His voice dropped. "Okay. I will give you that. Is there anything I can do for you?"

  "No, I just need a physical," I partially lied.

  "I expect a full update when you come in. I would like to do another treatment for you soon. Either before we leave, or when we get back. This weekend is a big one for you, especially after the way you qualified on Saturday. You are doing exceptional, Ria. People know who you are. Timing is everything in gymnastics, and we need to utilize it properly. We leave for the U.S. Classic in four days, and the head coach of the national team will be there inviting those to her camp who are in the top of that meet."

  I swallowed back hard. Ria. He slipped but I let it go. He only used that nickname when he was passionate about something.

  About five exits away, I grew quiet thinking I should just turn around. "Maybe I should cancel my appointment and just go when we get back."

  "No." His voice was firm. "Absolutely not. Your health is important. Go and do what you need to, just come straight here after."

  I nodded, as if he could see it.

  "See you soon, Coach."

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Finally. The door opened and Dr. DeLang walked in. She always seemed to catch me off guard with her height and youthful appearance. She was no taller than me with the same build, but about twenty years older. At least.

  "I apologize for the wait, Adrianna, we got a little backed up."

  A little backed up? I'd waited over an hour in the lobby, and almost another hour in the exam room.

  "No worries. I'm not in a rush." I plastered on a fake smile.

  She opened my patient file and leaned her hips against the counter as she began to scan page after page,
her pen running down each one. I waited quietly, wondering what she was reading, trying to slow down my heart rate. Doctor appointments always made me a little anxious.

  "Last time you were here we drew blood." She paused and flipped over another paper, taking her time to scan the page. "That was almost four months ago. And you haven't been back since to get the results?"

  "No." She eyed me. "I've been a little busy with training."

  "I understand life can get a bit hectic, but if you put your health aside and it deteriorates, how will you continue to train?"

  I flattened my lips and one of her brows pulled up. She had a point.

  "Are you on any medication right now?"

  "Other than doing the plasma injections, no."

  "All right, tell me about your symptoms and what brought you in."

  "What were the results of my blood work?" I asked.

  She closed the folder and set it on the counter. "We'll get to that. Tell me what's going on."

  My mind went blank and I started to stammer for some stupid reason.

  "Well, I'm-I’m really tired. Like unusually tired. To the point of exhaustion. Some days I don't know how I'll get through anything. I know I train a lot, and I probably overdo it, but I feel like I shouldn't feel like this."

  "Describe to me what it is you’re feeling."

  "My body aches, but it's deep in my bones, like inside of them hurts, if that makes sense."

  "Go on."

  "I have terrible headaches. Like the blinding pain kind of headache that makes me turn off lights and have to lie down. Sometimes there's a sharpness in my chest that catches me off guard."

  Dr. DeLang reopened my file and began taking notes. "What about your period? When was your last cycle?"

  I glanced at the ceiling for a second, then back to her. "You know, I can't remember. It's been on and off. I figured the irregularity was due to the heavy training."

  "For sure, it can be. You’re still training about forty to fifty hours a week, correct?"

  I nodded.

  "Are you on birth control to regulate your period?"

  "No."

  "Having sex?"

  "Sometimes."

  "But you're using protection, correct?"

  "Of course." Plan B was a sort of protection. The only other time I didn't use protection was in the shower with Hayden, and he'd pulled out.

  Christ on a stick! Was I pregnant this whole time and didn’t know it?

  No. There’s no way.

  I may have thrown myself headfirst into gymnastics because I’d been so consumed with everything else going on that I wanted to forget, but I think I’d know if I was pregnant.

  "Good. What about illnesses? Any that run in your family?"

  "As far as I know everyone seems to be healthy." Not that I knew much of anything about my biological mom, and I was too embarrassed to broach that topic.

  "No cancer? Any diseases?" she asked, jotting more stuff down.

  "No." I shook my head. She probably thought I was a hypochondriac.

  "How well are you sleeping?"

  "Some days I pass out as soon as I walk in and don't wake up until my alarm goes off. Other days I'm so exhausted but I just can't seem to fall asleep no matter what I do. I'm all over the place."

  "Any fevers?"

  "I had a fever a few times."

  She looked up at me. "How high was it?"

  "I didn't take my temperature."

  "Okay. Anything else I need to know about?"

  I started to shake my head no, then stopped, recalling something Madeline had said. "One of my coaches said it looked like I had a rash a few weeks ago."

  "Where was it?"

  I shrugged, helpless. "My cheeks?"

  Dr. DeLang made another note before setting the file down. She reached into a cabinet and pulled out a little clear cup with a lid. She wrote my last name on the affixed label before handing it to me. "I'll need a urine sample from you, and then I’ll send you for a new set of labs. I'd rather not go on your last blood panel since it's been so long."

  I perked up, the hair on my arms stood tall. "Were there things in it that concerned you?"

  "Your vitamin levels were up and down, your iron was below normal, and so was your red blood cell count."

  I froze. Her words caused instant anxiety to soar through me. I didn't know much about proper levels, but anything below normal scared me, especially red blood cells.

  "Not to worry." She must have sensed my alarm. "A low red blood cell count can be attributed to a lot of things. Nothing to get your mind going until we get the new results."

  I went to the bathroom and returned within three minutes. The doctor was busy noting stuff in my chart and looked up when I walked in. She put the folder down and pulled out a pair of latex gloves and snapped them on. She took the sample from me and stepped out of the room for a moment.

  "What are you testing for?" I asked when she returned.

  "Pregnancy, kidney levels, see if you have a UTI, your liver, blood in your urine, any bacteria. It's just a rapid test to see if I need to start you on antibiotics. The blood work will give us a more comprehensive look at what’s going on."

  I frowned, and jumped back up onto the table. I didn't think I had anything wrong with me in those areas, but I also wasn't a doctor either.

  Leaning over the counter, she reached for a referral sheet for the blood work and checked off boxes for what I assumed would be the standard lab tests.

  There was a light knock on the door before a nurse poked her head in. She handed a sheet of paper to the doctor and closed the door behind her.

  "As of right now, there's some protein in your urine," Dr. DeLang said after scanning the sheet.

  "What's it caused from?"

  "Protein in urine could mean a number of things. Typically, it's a sign to test the kidneys, but given your age, and the pressure you put on your body to train, it easily could be due to dehydration, strenuous exercise, and even extreme emotional stress. Your high protein diet could also easily be the reason."

  Emotional stress. Fuck. Of course, that was it. And coupled with my diet? A recipe for disaster. Only problem was, I couldn't tell her how stressed out emotionally I was without it raising flags for more questions.

  "I’ll see you back in a week or two." She peered at me over her glasses and gave me a look my dad would’ve given me to indicate he was serious.

  "I have a couple meets back-to-back so it may be a month before I can get back here."

  She eyed me, then handed me the lab sheet. I jumped off the table and stood up to face her. "No eating after midnight—you need to fast. Go first thing in the morning. Until then, go home and rest, Adrianna. Do not go to practice, go home. And don't make it more than a month till I see you again."

  I nodded, ignoring the rest part. I could rest when I was dead.

  "Could the protein be due to taking too much Motrin?"

  She tilted her head to the side, observing me. "The medication itself wouldn't cause it. You'd have to ingest a great deal of Motrin over time for it to affect your kidneys."

  "I have. I was going through a few big bottles a month at one point."

  Her eyebrows shot up. "While I don't think that could have caused any kind of long-term side effects just yet, absolutely no more until we get the results in." She paused briefly to look in my chart. "If I recall, you can't have any kind of anti-inflammatory with the plasma injections."

  I didn't answer. Just flattened my lips and told her I'd be at the lab bright and early.

  Pulling out of the office building complex, I dialed up Kova to tell him I'd be at practice within the hour.

  "Adrianna, go home and sleep. Lord knows you need it. I will see you tomorrow morning. And by the way, we are going to sit down and talk. I had no idea you had anything serious going on with you."

  My jaw dropped and I missed the entrance to the highway. "What? What are you talking about? There's nothing serious going on."

/>   "Do not take me for a fool. This conversation is over. I will see you tomorrow."

  "What? I have to practice!" I screeched, instantly heated as I made a U-turn. I'd just qualified to compete at the U.S. Classic, where the national team would be picked. I had to practice this week more than ever. "How do you even know?"

  "Your doctor phoned your father, and then he called me. Get your ass in bed."

  I ground my teeth together. I'd forgotten everyone was connected.

  "Did you just growl?" Kova asked.

  Maybe. "I assume you know everything, too," I said.

  "Of course," he answered flippantly. "Your father told me. I told you to stop with that fucking Motrin."

  I didn't respond, just hung up on him and threw my phone to the floor. Fucking Russian.

  * * *

  "What is wrong?" Kova asked behind me.

  I didn't answer him, I didn't even look over my shoulder. After a ten-hour day of practice, I got my items together and shoved them into my bag like I was punching someone.

  I was still upset that he’d made me take a rest day from practice during such a critical time for me. Nationals were just days away, there was no time for rest. While I may have slept all day yesterday until my alarm went off this morning, I didn't need to. I'd been bored and stewing with annoyance that I’d tried watching television only for my eyes to roll shut before the first commercial.

  "I asked you a question," he said. "Are you going to answer me?"

  No.

  Pulling out my hair tie, I fluffed my dry strands before tying it up in a messy bun. There was so much chalk in my hair that I didn't need to use dry shampoo.

  I reached forward and pulled out my sweats and my keys fell to the floor. I ignored them while I slipped my shirt on over my sports bra. When I pushed my head through the neck hole, Kova was standing next to me, jingling my keys in his hand.

  I stood and reached for them, but Kova lifted his arm and put them out of my reach. There was no smirk, no hint of laughter. He just stared at me, waiting on an answer. Something came over me, I'm not sure what, and I shoved his chest.