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One of the stall doors opened and I flinched, expecting another confrontation.
Instead, a girl with short black hair emerged from the stall, her mouth stretched in a satisfied smile. “I thought for sure you and Jake would be inseparable now.” She clicked her tongue and turned on the sink next to mine. Her eyes moved over my body from her mirror as she washed her hands. “Why are you wet?”
I swallowed once, giving myself a moment to compose myself. How did she know about Jake? I turned to the sink and tucked my hair behind my ears. “It’s raining.”
“I thought after this morning you would have avoided the rain. Unless—” She closed the tap and turned to face me, her hands dripping between us. “He kissed you!”
I choked. “What?”
She grinned broadly. “Jake hates PDA, so he took you outside to kiss you? I would have picked a sunnier day.” She went to the towel dispenser and grabbed a few sheets. “At least he finally took the next step!”
“Um,” I mumbled, my brain going blank. Why did Jake have this effect on me?
“Fancy!” The girl pulled my wrist to hers. She moved her finger over my watch. “Where did you get that?”
“My mom,” I said before I could stop myself.
She frowned, looking up at me before narrowing her eyes. “Bri, did you take your contact out?”
The name shocked me as it had the night before. I stared at the girl. A million questions fired in my mind. Who was this Bri girl and why did people keep calling me by her name?
The girl checked her phone. “I need to eat something before Mr. Henry’s class. Come on. We can talk more after your swim practice.”
She held the door for me.
“I’ll be right there.” I’d finally found my voice. I needed this girl to get the hell away from me.
“We have like ten minutes left.”
I snatched my bag and headed for the door. “I forgot something. I’ll see you later.”
The girl said something as the door closed. The line for the cafeteria was gone and no one remained in the hallway. My eyes started to burn. Was this some sort of cruel joke? I decided to retrace my steps and jogged in the direction of the entrance I had come in earlier. My shoe slipped, the soles still damp, and I nearly went down. I slammed my hand against a locker.
Someone grabbed my arm and I cried out.
“Sorry,” said the guy, holding his arms in front of him. “I thought you were going to fall.”
I ripped my arm away and glanced up at him. His leather jacket was covered with beads of rain. He towered over me. His forest green eyes widened with recognition. My eyes moved over his face; his sharp features were pulled even tighter as with each passing second he appeared to get angrier.
His jaw clenched. “You don’t belong here.”
My stomach twisted. My mind flashed to another time and place with a different guy. I quickly shoved the memory away. I lifted my chin. I wasn’t going anywhere without answers. Before I could open my mouth the bell rang again.
The guy reached for me but I ducked under his arm and bolted in the other direction.
“Hey!” he called out but I was already halfway down the hall. I looked back and saw him only a few feet behind, until kids poured out of the cafeteria, separating us more and more with each second. I turned down the next hallway in an attempt to lose the guy. Clearly something had gone wrong or maybe I’d misinterpreted the note. Either way I had to get to a quiet place to collect my thoughts. Like hell was I giving up that easy.
CHAPTER FOUR (#u7d1e1e32-a5f2-5b41-ad70-1c40257c3bf7)
Bri
“Come on ladies, hustle!” Coach Kendra called across the natatorium.
Bri pulled herself from the pool and onto the slick tile floor, unable to hide the grin on her face. She’d kicked Chloe’s butt in that last relay and both of them knew it. The obvious anger on Chloe’s face when she surfaced and saw Bri already halfway out of the pool was perfect. Bri wished she had a camera.
“Yay, Bri!” Max called from the top of the bleachers. She had books and notebooks spread across her lap. Max didn’t like being home in the afternoon. Her parents worked third shift at the hospital so she had to be silent while they slept.
“I didn’t realize hustle meant walking like frickin’ zombies!” Coach Kendra clapped her hand against the clipboard permanently attached to her other hand.
The twelve girls who made up the swim team picked up their pace until they huddled around Coach. Her beady brown eyes captured each of them in her gaze before she spoke. She looked the part of a female high school gym teacher with her too long and unflattering shorts and shirt big enough to swallow any sense of her figure. Even with her tough-as-nails exterior she was a great coach. They’d won most meets since she became coach at the beginning of the year after her parents had passed away, leaving their home to her.
Her eyes touched each of the girls as she spoke. “All of your times were below last season. You need to treat every single second you’re here as if you’re in a race. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Coach,” the girls chorused.
“Now do it again. Group together and I want two hundred and four hundred yard freestyle relays.”
Chloe snorted and Coach narrowed her gaze. “Another two hundred for you.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. They’d had this battle before and Chloe never won.
Coach lifted her whistle to her lips and blew. The shrill sound echoed off the walls and the girls partnered off.
Bri nudged Gina, a mousy freshman. She had the best backstroke on the team. As captain, Bri had taken Gina under her wing. “I’ll go first,” Bri said, giving Gina a break after the last relay.
Gina heaved a sigh of relief into her towel.
Bri took her place at the block and dropped her hands down close to her feet. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the air out slowly through her slick lips. She opened her eyes and focused on the water below. It rippled and moved over itself as if it were alive and waiting for her.
Coach blew the whistle and Bri dove into the water, her body slicing through it. She pumped her legs and arms until she resurfaced, her arms lifting over her head as she took in her first breath. Her eyes focused on the line painted at the bottom of the pool, ensuring she was right above it. Seconds before she hit the other side of the pool, she flipped her body around and pushed off the wall. She focused on the line and her breathing again, tunneling her vision in counting laps. She could hear the other swimmers but didn’t dare look to see how far away they were in relation her. Swimming was the only thing that cleared her mind. Nothing mattered when she was in the water.
On the way back from her first lap something caught her eye at the bottom of the pool. She lost her pace and her stroke slowed for a second as she squinted her eyes to get a better look. Something red ebbed and flowed at the bottom of the pool. A body shot past her and she snapped out of her trance. She clenched her jaw and picked up her pace, knowing she’d lost precious seconds by letting herself get distracted. She kicked her legs and moved her arms faster until she reached the side of the pool. She couldn’t help search for it on her final lap. As she sped down the lane whatever she’d seen was gone. She pushed on until she touched the side of the pool where Gina stood ready on the block. The girl dove into the water.
Chloe preened from the next lane, having finished her laps before Bri.
Bri jumped out of the pool. “Have fun on your next set.” She didn’t look back at Chloe, her mind still on what she might have seen.
Bri made her way to the bleachers and wrapped a towel around herself. Her heart still pounded hard in her chest as she thought about how she’d messed up. She watched Gina, mentally critiquing her form. Coach never moved from her spot yet Bri felt her stare. She was going to hear about her screw-up soon enough.
Gina was the first to finish in her group, even though Bri had slowed them down. She smiled at choosing the girl. Coach might not be as hard on her since they’d won. Bri headed to the side of the pool to join her team. The girls huddled together, cheering for Chloe. Even though Chloe had earned those extra laps with her mouth, they still were a team. Since they were always in competition, Bri was rarely able to watch Chloe. Chloe’s form was very good, even though Bri hated to admit it. One thing she loved about the sport was that most of the time it was individual. A place where Bri shined.
Chloe lifted herself from the pool and made her way over to the group. Her chest heaved as she caught her breath. They all turned to Coach for their next instruction.
“That was pitiful. Same time Monday.” Coach unnecessarily blared her whistle in their faces and headed toward the locker room. “Shower up.”
Just as Bri heaved a relieved breath, Coach’s voice bounced off the high ceilings. “Brianna, in my office.”
Chloe snorted on her way past Bri.
Bri clenched her jaw.
In instances where Chloe annoyed the crap out of her, she tried to remember the days when they weren’t at odds. They had been friends up until their freshman year when they both got onto the swim team. Chloe’s overly competitive nature had split them up and Chloe had veered off, making her own set of friends who were higher in ranks than Bri and Max.
Max bounded down from the bleachers. “What happened out there? I saw you slow down. You okay?”
Bri nodded and pulled her hair free from the cap. She twisted her fingers around the strap of her goggles. “I thought I saw something.” She shook her head.
“Well you definitely gave Chloe more fuel.”
I shrugged. “There’s always Monday.”
They entered the locker room.
“I’ll wait for you by the lockers, okay?” Max headed down the narrow hall.
Max knew the locker room always freaked Bri out. For some reason Bri was reminded of horror movies when she went in there alone. The tall ceilings and dim lighting threw shadows in every corner. To the right were the showers. A dozen stalls, capable of hiding anyone from wandering eyes. The perfect spot for a serial killer. Up ahead were rows of lockers and benches. She didn’t expect Max to wait outside of the shower cubby—she wasn’t five.
To the left were two storage closets and Coach’s office. She knew Coach stayed late and was thankful for small favors on those occasions when Max had other club commitments.
Bri opened the door to the office.
Coach was at her desk. Her hands were on her lap. “What happened just now?”
Bri bit her lip, unable to come up with any excuse other than the truth. “I thought—”
Coach cut her off. “I know you girls are distracted. Boys. Dances. College. And whatever else.” She leaned back in her chair, locking her eyes with Bri’s. “Boys will always be around. School dances will be forgotten. College is important, though. And I understand you have a single mother who’ll probably help with your college fees. But you’re good enough to get a full ride to any reputable college with a swim program. You’ll just have to work harder.”
Bri tightened the towel over her chest.
Coach pointed at the wall. “You have to be a leader for these girls and I think you are doing a good job, but there’s more potential in you. And if you are willing, I’d like to offer you some extra time to get you there.”
Bri’s skin flushed. “Really?”
Coach nodded, her expression stoic. “You have less than two years before you leave this place. Which isn’t ideal, but I think we can do it.”
“Thank you.”
Coach tapped her hands on her desk. “I want you here for an extra hour on Monday. We can work out a game plan then.” Coach’s offer was amazing. Her reputation had preceded her before she came to Willows Lake. Multiple college trophies and even an opportunity to get into the Olympics before she’d injured herself. Mom would be proud.
“Sounds good.”
Coach looked at her desk. “Get out of here.”
Bri nodded, noticing a barely perceptible lift of Coach’s lips. Bri suppressed a smile. Coach wasn’t as tough as she seemed—that didn’t mean she deserved any less respect though.
The rest of the girls were already changing when Bri claimed the closest shower stall to the locker room. She knew Max would be annoyed if she took too long. And she couldn’t wait to share the news. She showered as quickly as possible, just enough to get the chlorine off her skin. When she turned off the shower, a dull ringing settled in her ears, growing louder and louder. A splitting headache accompanied the sound so she leaned against the still-warm plastic wall of the enclosure.
She reached for the towel slung over the hook right outside the curtain but missed, toppling forward. She caught herself as her foot slipped across the floor. She was able to grip the towel and hook just before falling. Black spots dotted her vision. She took a deep breath, willing her eyes to stay open and not succumb to passing out.
Several breaths later she was able to come out of it. Sweat trickled over her body and she shivered. When she was sure she could stand without falling, she lifted the towel from the hook and wrapped it around her body. She slipped on flip-flops, grabbed her damp bathing suit, and headed for the locker room.
The buzz of voices didn’t greet her this time. The other girls must have headed home.
Bri blinked a few times to make sure her balance was okay. “Max?” Lockers outlined the space and all the benches were empty. Her breathing was loud in her ears. “This isn’t funny!”
Something moved behind her and she spun around, expecting to see Max. No one was there. She swallowed the tractor-trailer-sized lump in her throat and headed for her locker. As she spun the combination on the locker, something shuffled behind her. She paused, her hand hovering over the lock. Her skin heated as she turned around again.
Max knew not to mess with her. “Coach?”
She quickly spun the combination again and reached in her bag for her clothes. She didn’t even bother to get halfway dry before shoving on her underwear, shirt, and jeans.
A shuffling sound made her stop. She held her breath as it moved closer and closer. It started at the entrance to the locker room. “Hello?”
Again, nothing.
Her teeth started to chatter and she pressed her lips together to stifle the noise. She was going to kill Max if she was pranking her. A large shadow moved across the space. Her instincts propelled her legs in the other direction. She tucked her bag against her body and sprinted toward Coach’s office. “Coach!” The office was dark and the door was locked. She was alone with whatever shadow-thing she’d seen. She ran down the back hallway and pushed through the door to the natatorium. A body lay facedown on the surface of the pool and she screamed.
The body moved, his head popping up from the surface.
Relief surged through her as she recognized the face. “Kael?” What was Kael Theron doing at school? She walked closer to the edge.
His head dipped below the surface again and he swam to the side of the pool.
Bri backed away when his hands touched the tile by her feet. He hopped from the water and towered over her. Droplets of water streamed down the taut muscles of his chest. His normally sandy blond hair was a few shades darker from the water. He only wore a pair of swim trunks.
She steadied her eyes on his. “You gave me a frickin’ heart attack.”
The corner of his mouth lifted in an amused smile. Her heart flip-flopped. Kael was a few years older and the steady subject of Willows Lake’s constant stream of gossip. Being the reclusive son of the craziest and wealthiest man in town would do that. It didn’t help that they lived on the outskirts of town on the lake in a secluded mansion. A place she always thought looked enchanted and straight out of a fairy tale.
He held her gaze. “I didn’t realize anyone was still here.”
She’d become accustomed to people looking at her eyes but with her green contact firmly in place, his stare wasn’t about the genetic deformity. It struck down to her core. “I was the only one left in there.” She hoped. She thought of the sound she’d heard before freaking out. It had probably been her imagination. In any case she stepped away from the door to the locker room.
His eyes narrowed briefly as if he was judging her truth. “Why are you here so late?”
She thought of Max and how much she wanted to strangle her for leaving before she was out of the shower. “We just finished up practice. I’m headed out to meet Max.”
“Max?”
“Maxine,” she clarified. “My friend.”
His chin lifted. “I see.”
She skirted past him, keeping her eyes on the slick floor. The sound of his wet feet followed. She turned her head. He tugged on his jeans and shoved a dry shirt over his head.
“How’s your dad?” Abbey visited Mr. Theron a couple of days a week, even though he had numerous caregivers. For some reason he had requested her to keep him company when he first got sick.
“Same,” Kael said in a clipped tone. One that she recognized as annoyance. It was the same tone that she used whenever someone asked about where her dad was. Not that she had any idea who he was. Or that she cared.
