Chapter 12
Lindsey
I usually loved away meets but not today. I wanted to be home with Tanner doing things that only he could do to my body. We had said goodbye last night at the pool. I had hoped he would ask to come over, but he seemed to be pulling back again. I didn’t want to push it. I knew he was stressed out about what Brian would say if he knew.
There had been a quick kiss before I left, but it wasn’t enough. I debated whether I should text him. Would that be too needy? Probably. I felt like I was navigating dangerous new waters. One wrong move, and I would rock the boat and tumble into the abyss. For now I would let him lead the way. I was more than willing to follow.
Tomorrow’s meet was one we had been looking forward to for a long time. I loved heading to USC. It was a fun school to visit and party with. In fact, the Trojans were hosting a little get together for us. I knew I would see my ex, Adam, and was not looking forward to it, but not showing up was bad sportsmanship, even if our coaches would be pissed to know we had these little parties every time we competed against each other.
Seeing Adam used to be my main goal for coming to these. Not anymore. We had parted ways after high school, but like a fool, I had hooked up with him on several occasions, usually at these parties. It was easy. I didn’t have to waste time feeling out a room. Instead, it was quick and easy sex without the weirdness or danger that came with one-night stands.
He was on the USC swim team. It was a friendly competition, and I think the thrill of sleeping with the enemy always ended up driving me into his bed. Not this time. I didn’t know what Tanner and I were, but I wasn’t about to start sleeping around. I had no desire to hook up with Adam. In fact, after having sex with Tanner, I think I will be forever ruined. Every man will always be compared to Tanner, and I have a feeling, none of them would come close to being as good as he is.
“And there he is,” Brittany said, her arm locked in mine as we roamed the small house the party was being thrown at.
I looked up to see Adam waving us over.
“Can we pretend we didn’t see him?” I asked.
“Little late for that. Come on, we’ll make nice and then move on. I’ll be right beside you. I’d hate for you to accidentally fall in bed with him—again,” she said with disdain. She had never liked Adam. They’d clashed in school, and their dislike for each other had only grown over the years.
“Hi,” I said, greeting Adam with a quick hug. “Quite the party you guys have here.”
He grinned. “We know how to party. How’ve you been? I heard you smoked Nevada last week. Don’t think you’re going to get so lucky this time.”
I laughed. “Whatever. Our men’s team could beat you guys with one arm tied behind their backs.”
He rolled his eyes. “I doubt that. How are you Brittany?”
She looked at him with the typical combination of disgust and irritation before giving him a fake smile. “I’m fabulous, Adam, just fabulous.”
I nudged her in the side, telling her to be nice.
“I’m going to go say hi to Dana. I haven’t seen her since our last meet.”
“Brittany,” I said, the word was loaded in a way only a best friend would understand.
“I’ll be right there. You two catch up, but, Adam, don’t you dare try and get her to fuck you. It isn’t going to happen,” she said, looking at him in a way that would make a normal person feel as big as an ant.
“Brittany, go away. Lindsey and I have some catching up to do and don’t need your shitty attitude,” he shot back, used to her insults.
She looked at me, giving me the opportunity to follow, but I declined. I didn’t like Dana. Never had. She was one of the girls from Brittany’s old private school. I hated most of the girls who had gone there. They all thought they were better than everyone else. When my dad had insisted I go to the school that was home to most of the overprivileged brats in Orange County, I’d fought against it. I wanted to be normal, not one of those stuck-up bitches.
I had gotten my way and was glad for it. Brittany was a bit obnoxious. It was her upbringing. She never treated me like that, but I had seen her be very rude to others.
“Thank God,” Adam muttered. “I cannot believe you two are still friends.”
I glared at him. “Don’t start talking shit about her. I can just as easily walk away.”
He nodded. “So, dating anyone or are you still wrapped up in training for the Olympics?”
The way he said it was meant to be friendly, but I knew he was being a dick. We had broken up because he said I was always too busy to spend time with him.
“I’m still training,” I said, ignoring his other question.
“You going to make it?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I hope so, but that’s impossible to say for sure. I have a new trainer, and I think he has what it takes to get me there.”
I left out his name on purpose. Adam knew Tanner. They had met a few times and neither one liked each other. Adam had thought Tanner was a dick, and Tanner referred to Adam as a pissant whenever he’d been talking about my boyfriend at the time. Back then I had been offended, but now I knew Tanner had been right.
The conversation came to a halt. I looked around the room, trying to find the best way to extricate myself from the situation. Adam and I had nothing in common, and I realized I truly didn’t like him. I didn’t want to be standing her chatting with him like we were old friends.
“How are classes?” he asked. It was a fail-safe conversation starter.
I nodded. “Good. You?”
He rambled on about a professor kicking him out, and I smiled and nodded. I was dying of boredom. I couldn’t believe I used to have sex with this guy. He was an asshole. A shallow asshole who thought way too highly of himself. I continued to smile and nod and make sounds of agreement while my mind drifted to Tanner. Tanner was arrogant and could be an ass but not to me. He knew he was hot, but he didn’t treat people like shit. Adam did.
“Wait, what?” I said, catching the last part of his sentence. “You posted a picture of her?” I clarified, not believing what I heard.
He grinned. “Yep. She told everyone I was obsessed with her, wouldn’t quit messaging her and so on. So I posted a few screenshots of her messages to me and the titty picture she sent.”
“Adam, you’re a dick. Really, that isn’t cool. You know there are laws against that, right?”
He shrugged. “Like anyone was going to believe that piece of trash anyway.”
I looked around the room. I had lost Brittany right when I was prepared to give her the signal to rescue me.
“Can I get you a drink?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said a little too quickly. Anything to get him away from me. It would buy me a few minutes to come up with a good excuse to leave. We had a meet tomorrow, and I was too dedicated to my team to get wasted the night before a competition. Judging by the levels of intoxication I saw, these guys were going to be an easy victory.
“Here,” he said, returning with a brownie and a red Solo cup filled with beer. Odd combination.
I took the cup, looked inside for any signs of a pill dissolving, “Is it drugged, Adam?”
He rolled his eyes, “Yeah, right. I’ve already had you, Lindsey. If I wanted you again, I wouldn’t need to roofie you.”
“Ha! Yes, you would, and you know it.”
I took a drink of the warm beer, deciding it was safe, and took a bite of the brownie to help kill the taste of the awful beer. We stood there talking while I ate and drank the beer. He led me to a couch and told me to have a seat. I did. I wanted to. I sat down and leaned my head back.
“I’ll get you another beer. Do you want another brownie?” he asked.
I looked at him, not trusting him, but didn’t say no.
That was the last thing I remembered. There was nothing but blackness from that moment forward.