Settling the Score (The Summer Games #1)(83)

I felt a tug on my arm and glanced back to see my team manager trying to lead me out of the madness, and this time, I let her.





CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR


Andie




I SPREAD PEANUT butter on a slice of bread, taking my time to smooth it evenly across the surface. I liked peanut butter. Peanut butter never got another woman pregnant. Peanut butter never made me cry. Nobody cared if you were photographed in a club with a jar of Jif. (I mean, it’d be weird, but no one would call you a whore because of it.) I dipped the knife back into the jar and glanced up to find three pairs of eyes watching me with concern.

“What?” I asked, biting out the word in a hard tone.

Becca glanced down at her magazine and Liam turned back to the TV, but Kinsley held her gaze without so much as a blink.

“How’s that sandwich coming?” she asked, tilting her head.

I glanced down to survey the kitchen counter. There were over a dozen pieces of bread sitting in front of me, each one piled with more peanut butter than the last. I’d been lost in thought, but I’d be damned if I told Kinsley that. I turned and yanked the jelly out of the refrigerator.

“Excuse me for making an afternoon snack for everyone,” I said, coating jelly on fresh pieces of bread and then plopping each finished sandwich onto a plate. When I was done, I dropped the plate of sandwiches on the coffee table and reached for the one on top.

No one else seemed quite as eager to eat them.

“What?” I asked. “They’re good.”

Becca and Kinsley exchanged a wary glance, but I ignored them and took a bite of my sandwich. It was good, but there was so much peanut butter inside, I could hardly swallow the bite.

“Let me get you some water,” Liam said, pushing off the couch and heading into the kitchen.

“Are you okay?” Kinsley asked, leaning forward so Liam couldn’t hear her.

I shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not having a nervous breakdown?”

“Why would you think that?” I asked.

She leveled her gaze on my chest and I glanced down. Sure, I was wearing my game jersey, complete with knee high socks and shin guards, but didn’t everyone do that now and again?

“I just like the way it feels,” I said, taking another bite of my mostly-peanut butter sandwich.

Liam walked back into the living room and held out a glass of water for me to take. “Here you go, champ.”

I offered him a smile. “Thank you.”

“Oh look! The race is about to start,” Becca said, grabbing the remote and unmuting the TV. I focused on my sandwich as the announcers droned on about Freddie. I already knew he was planning on breaking his previous records. I didn’t need to listen to them going on about how he could possibly end up as the most decorated Olympian in history.

“I was scared we’d missed it during our workout,” Kinsley added giddily. “Andie, can you see okay?”

I glanced up to see them all staring at me again. Why did they keep doing that?

I smiled and shot them a thumbs up. Sure, the chair I’d picked was facing away from the TV, but I’d already seen enough already. The cameras had zoomed in on Freddie during his warm-up. He already had his jacket off, so every inch of his tan chest was being broadcast in HD. His swim cap covered his hair and his goggles concealed his eyes, but his sharp cheekbones and strong jaw were enough to make my stomach hurt. I twisted back around and stared at my sandwich. Somehow I doubted I’d be able to manage another bite.

“It’s starting, Andie!” Kinsley exclaimed.

I nodded and tried on a plastic smile. It felt tight and uncomfortable, but at least no one seemed to notice. I hadn’t filled them in on my break from Freddie or the pregnancy. Part of me was happy to keep it closer to my heart, and part of me was sick of thinking about it at all. For the last two days, I’d analyzed his announcement. Had he seemed happy? Lost? Excited? Anxious?

“Aren’t you going to watch?!” Becca asked.

“Take your marks,” the announcer said through the TV.

I glanced over my shoulder and watched Freddie bend down and grip his podium. His shoulders and back flexed with the effort. His strong muscles rippled and I bit down on the inside of my cheek. The camera zoomed out, the buzzer went off, and Freddie dove into the water.

My heart raced as he swam, though it looked so effortless to him. He was nothing but beautiful lines and hard muscles slicing through the water with unbelievable speed. The other swimmers stayed close, but Freddie seemed to be on another level. He cleared the first lap, hit the wall, and spun around, all before I’d taken a single breath.

Every part of Freddie was meant to be in the water. His speed and grace were mesmerizing, and before I’d fully wrapped my head around his skill, he’d touched the start wall and finished the race. Gold. Freddie surfaced from the water, pulled the goggles from his eyes, and glanced up the scoreboard. My heart pounded against my chest and I pressed my hand to feel the rhythm of it.

He was beautiful, glistening with water and beaming from ear to ear. A drop of water slid down his cheekbone and I found myself smiling along with him, grinning despite my broken heart.

“Andie?”

I spun around at the sound of my name. Kinsley, Becca, and Liam were staring up at me again, but this time it was because I was blocking the TV. Sometime during his race, I’d moved from my chair to stand within an inch of the screen.