Page 107 of The Golden Boys
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he even cares a little.
I don’t mean to, but I find his hand beneath the water and hold it. It feels wrong. It feels right, but still, I let go quickly.
“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time,” I fill him in. “Which means I know my limits. If I didn’t feel one hundred percent, I’d speak up,” I add. “In fact, I feel good enough to even meet Lexi here after tryouts, to make sure I’m ready for Mrs. C’s evaluation.”
His brow twitches, but he doesn’t speak. I’m pretty sure he has plenty to say, but instead, that tense look remains in place. When he barks an order, things feel a little more like normal.
“Down and back,” he commands. “One time.”
He steps back and I eye him, fighting a grin. “You sure you don’t wanna grab me some floaties?” I tease.
His jaw tightens.
“Seriously,” I add. “I think I saw lifejackets in the—”
“Shut the fuck up and swim,” he cuts in, clearly trying not to smile.
I take the lap from one side of the shallow end to the other, feeling super accomplished when I touch the tiled edge of the pool. Pushing my hair behind me, I glance up at West where he’s standing beside me.
“Was that good?” I ask, already knowing I’ve improved tenfold from when we first began.
He nods once. “It was decent.”
“Whatever,” I laugh, rolling my eyes when he downplays my performance.
“I’ll admit you’re getting better, but your form still needs work,” he scolds me.
“Which I already know. Hence the reason Lexi’s meeting me here later,” I remind him. “I just need a little more practice and—"
“Yeah, those plans are canceled,” he interjects, drawing a frown out of me.
“Excuse me?”
His eyes darken when they land on me. “If you fail, guess who gets blamed,” he reasons coldly, but I’m not buying his excuse. It feels like there’s some other hidden agenda.
“Mrs. C. made youmyresponsibility,” he continues. “So, I’m seeing this through myself. No way I’m putting my rep in Rodriguez’s hands.”
My chest rises and falls when his command frustrates me. He doesn’t even blink and I know that, regardless of whether I cancel with Lexi or not, West will be here.
“Whatever,” I say again, too infuriated by his arrogance to come up with something more intelligent than that.
“Down and back,” he orders.
I glare at him and ready myself to go again.
“And keep your head down this time.”
“And kiss myassthis time,” I mumble to myself.
It isn’t until I see him grin in my peripheral that I realize he heard that.
“Just name the place, Southside,” he teases, responding to what was never meant to be an invitation. When I meet his gaze, he eyes me in that lust-ridden way of his.
And just like that, I’m thinking things I shouldn’t be thinking, aware of the need to put space between us. So, I take off into the water, knowing his eyes are glued to me.
Keep it up, King Midas, and we’re going to get ourselves into more trouble than either of us are ready for.
Trouble I’m starting to think might be worth whatever hell there will be to pay afterward.