Hold My Breath(15)

“And you’re afraid something bad happened to him,” my friend fills in.

I breathe in deeply and let the air escape through my nose.

“I think maybe I am,” I say.

“He isn’t Evan,” she says. They’re words I need to hear.

“I know. That’s what worries me. Evan would never have missed a practice. Not for anything in the world. And Will has a history of…”

“Missing life? Yeah, you said that before. But don’t let his shit stick to you,” Holly says.

I chuckle, because she has a way with words.

“I miss you,” I say.

“Awe, hon…I miss you more. There’s a new doc. He’s…well, frankly, Maddy, he’s f*cking delicious. Like, he has me eating celery and shit because he’s all about nutrition, and I want him to notice me eating celery,” she says, punctuating with one more crunch.

I knew it was celery.

“He’s probably married, Holly.”

“Nope. Checked. Double checked. Asked,” she says. I can hear her moving, and the sounds in the background start to fade, which means she’s probably heading to the break room to throw away her trash and get back to work.

“I can’t believe you asked,” I say.

“Someone had to, and I’ve sorta become the outspoken one. It’s my thing here now. I have a thing,” she says.

“You, the outspoken one. Shocker,” I laugh.

“Bite me,” she says, and I hear her locker slam shut in the background. “Call you tomorrow.”

I chuckle to myself after she hangs up, but it only takes a minute or two for me to feel lonely again. It’s strange how I can crave the quiet but miss the noise all at once.

Before tucking my phone back in my pocket, I check the time. It’s almost nine, and if I want to get my ass up at four to show up here again, I should give up on this rescue mission I seem to feel obligated to carry out. I straddle the chair as I stand and tuck my phone into my back pocket just as the sound of tires on gravel hits my ears.

By the time I slide the back door open, Will and his uncle are unlocking the front. I stand, half inside, half out, while Will’s uncle takes a heavy-looking messenger bag from Will’s shoulder. I step inside and meet them at the bottom of the steps.

“Maddy, I’m not sure how well you remember me, but I used to come to some of your meets…when you all were kids,” Will’s uncle says. “I’d come down from Michigan for the summers?”

I reach forward and grasp his hand, smiling.

“Duncan, of course I remember you. I’m glad you’re here with him. This one…he needs eyes on him at all times,” I lean in close, smirking. “Can’t be trusted.”

Duncan laughs at my joke, but it fades quickly. Will watches my eyes the entire time, only allowing a slight smile.

“I’m gonna head up to the room. Long day for me, but Maddy…I do hope we get a chance to catch up sometime. I’m looking forward to watching you two swim. I always loved watching you race,” Duncan says, squeezing my grasp on his hand once before letting go.

“I’ll be up later. I’ve gotta get my workout in,” Will says, his eyes leaving me for only a second.

“No matter to me. I’ll be asleep in about thirty seconds,” Duncan says, his hand waving over his shoulder.

When the door shuts, Will leans back against the wall, his thumbs looped in his pockets and his eyes paused just below mine.

“You’re here kinda late,” he says, and his gaze flits to mine for only a beat. He’s nervous.

He’s guilty.

“You missed. I wanted to make sure you were taking this whole thing seriously,” I say, falling against the opposite wall and folding my arms across my body.

Will’s mouth tugs up on one corner just before he pushes off from the wall and walks past me and through the back door.

“If you want me to pee in a cup, Maddy, all you need to do is ask,” he says.

I open my mouth to argue that’s not why I’m here, but before I can utter a word, Will’s hands reach above his head and he tugs the black T-shirt he’s wearing up and over his head.

“What are you doing?” I ask instead.

“I’m getting my laps in. Promised your dad I would,” he says, his feet working to kick off his shoes before he pulls one heel up and slips away a sock.

“Will, it’s nine at night. You’re swimming again in…” I pull my phone from my pocket to help me with the math as I look at the clock. “Less than eight hours. You’re going to exhaust yourself.”

“Better than not trying,” he says, unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them down without hesitation. I turn to the side and bring my thumbnail to my teeth, shielding my eyes with my other hand.

“Maddy, you’ve seen me in my underwear more than any girl I know,” he says.

His words make me shift to look at him again, but the moment I do, my eyes grow wide and my face heats up at the sight of him. There’s something different about seeing him like this—not in his training suit, but just…like a man. He’s toned, hell, ripped even. His muscles make that perfect parallel down his stomach and into his underwear, which hug his hips and legs like only the world’s greatest pair of boxer sport briefs can. I cover my eyes and turn again quickly.