“Maybe she had to wear them for a really long time,” I laugh, lifting myself up to sit on the pool’s edge. Maddy does the same, then turns to her side, sliding her goggles up enough that I see her eyes.
“Either way, she’s still a lot younger than me, Will,” she says, letting out a heavy sigh. Her eyes hold onto mine; I see the subtle difference in her expression with each passing second. Her mouth falls flatter, her eyes become sullen. She breathes in deep again, letting it escape in one heavy blow. “And losing to her scared the shit out of me.”
I look down to the place where my hands meet the concrete, then to my feet still in the water. I let my legs circle once, and I think about how impossible it is that I’m even here, that I’m even breathing. Maddy’s my motivator, even though she has no clue. Maybe, just maybe, I can find the old Will deep down inside me somewhere. Maybe I can find the guy who used to motivate her to win—even if it was just by pissing her off.
“Seems like this would be a good time for me to make a bet with you, then,” I say, standing to my feet. I laugh to myself, still not entirely sure about what I’m about to propose. It will buy me more time with Maddy, though, and torture or not, I still want those moments with her outside of competition. I’ve had enough to remember what her friendship feels like now. No going back.
“Your bets have never been anything but trouble for me, Will Hollister,” she says, looking up, keeping her eyes trained on me while she pulls her legs in and stands.
“We’re not eleven, Maddy. I’m not going to dare you to drink vinegar or write LOSER on your forehead in marker. I’m thinking we need a more mature type of motivator,” I say.
“Like?” She looks at me with one eye closed more than the other, her hand on her hip.
I smirk, and mentally thank my wing-woman Holly for giving me such a great idea.
“I give you a full body-length lead, and if I still win, then Friday, you have to take me to the strip club,” I say, trying not to smile too broadly while her eyes narrow under her consideration.
“And if I win?” she asks.
“Then you get to pick the place we go on Friday to celebrate. And I have to pay the bill—no matter what,” I say.
Her eyes flash at my suggestion, and her lip twitches upward on the right.
“Do we have a bet?” I extend my hand, daring to step forward a few paces. My pulse kicks up with a mix of adrenaline and desire. This was very clearly another bad idea—but the moment Maddy lifts her hand at her side and meets me halfway, I forget about my moral compass and readjust my definition of what’s good and what’s right.
“Two body lengths,” she says when our eyes meet.
I squeeze her palm, loving the fact that she squeezes back with equal force.
“Fine, two,” I say, and she nods.
“I’ll set the sensors,” she says, leaving me to shake the nerves from my limbs behind her back while she moves to the control box and flips on the timers.
She comes back to stand next to me; we both put on our best game faces. My lips hurt trying not to laugh, but I hold my eyes on hers and do my best to sneer while we both swing our arms then slide our goggles into place. I wait while Maddy readies herself up on her blocks, and I step up next to her on mine, bending down, and holding the front, relaxing my back and testing the sway of my legs as they move back and forth.
“You call it,” Maddy says, her head turning to me while she reaches up with one hand and points her finger at my face. “And you better not cheat. If I find out, I’ll do something really shitty to your shampoo bottles when you’re not home. And you know Duncan would help me.”
I pull in my brow and laugh out a breath.
“This sounds like something you and my uncle may have worked out in advance,” I say.
“That’s for me to know, and you to worry about. Now call the damn race, Will,” she says, turning forward again, her hands both steady on the block. “And don’t swim like a pussy.”
“No, ma’am,” I chuckle.
I crouch again, swallowing down my nerves. I’m not worried about winning or losing. I’m worried about making shit messy.
“On your marks,” I say, my eyes falling closed, my heartbeat ratcheting up quickly.
“Get set,” I say, holding my breath for a full second. My last chance to turn back is right now.
“Go!” I shout, giving over to fate. Whatever will be will be, and whether this is a good idea or bad is something I have to see through to find out. But at the very least, Maddy is going to swim fast, and she’s going to find her spark. I’m going to give it to her, right…now. My fingers hit the water, and I dig in hard, making up ground. I feel the wake of her kick, the trail of her best.
Maddy is swimming fast, and she’s never going to lose to Amber again. I’m making sure of it, because, good idea or bad, in about six more seconds, she’s going to lose to me.
Chapter Eight
Maddy