If Princess gets adopted before I get over that video, I’ll be shocked.
Livvi let out a soft laugh, showing me her screen. “Look at this. Everyone’s losing it over Princess’s demands. And, apparently, your abs.”
I couldn’t help smirking. “Guess I should’ve worn a shirt.”
She shook her head, still smiling. “No, seriously … that was really sweet of you to do. You didn’t have to.”
I shrugged. “Maybe not,” I said, glancing at her, “but I wanted to.”
Her expression softened, but before she could say anything else I leaned in, hoping to draw the attention from me as I looked at her phone. “A pig with a social media following already?”
“Apparently,” she said, scrolling. “People are debating whether her needs are reasonable or if she’s secretly a pig-sized dictator in disguise.”
We both laughed, making me feel lighter, happier. I watched Livvi and realized something: these moments—the ridiculous madness, the teasing, the comfort of beingwith someone who matches your energy—were the moments I wanted. And I couldn’t help but hope they weren’t just for tonight.
The comforting smell of chlorine hit me the second I stepped into the pool area. Ledger was already stretching on the pool deck, his towel draped over his shoulders, while Ridge was kicking back on the starting block, scrolling on his phone.
“Late night?” Ledger teased, waggling his eyebrows. He must have taken in my extra-disheveled early-morning look.
“Something like that.” I shrugged off my hoodie. “But not with what you think.”
I had been staying up late—too late—to fit in some writing time. Between my increased training schedule and my evenings spent with Livvi, there wasn’t much time left to write. And yeah, I could have put writing on the back burner to focus on swimming and my dream of doing my best at the Olympic Trials, but writing my book was also my dream. One that seemed to push into my mind relentlessly, the characters wanting their story written, to the point that I couldn’t focus as well in the water if I wasn’t also getting in time to write.
Before Livvi andReadToLiv,I’d been able to fit writing into all the small spare moments. But now? All those moments were going to Livvi. Not that I wascomplaining. I craved her as much as I craved writing. But there just weren’t enough hours in the day. Even when you woke up at 5 a.m.
“Okay, you’ve piqued my interest,” Ledger said, coming over and opening his swim bag to grab his goggles and cap.
I shook my head. “You wouldn’t understand.” I avoided his gaze as I put my cap and goggles on, adjusting them until they were just right.
Our conversation must have caught Ridge’s attention as he came over to join us. “Try us.” He put his phone in his bag.
I let out a heavy sigh. Maybe it was time to finally tell them. “It’s … complicated.” I hesitated, still unsure about opening up. “Let’s just say I’ve been invested in a … non-swimming project lately.”
Before I could see or hear their response, I dove into the water. I swam the twenty-five yards there and back, resurfacing above the water in front of Ledger and Ridge who both still had looks of shock on their faces.
“A non-swimming project?” Ledger asked, his brows raised.
“But all you do—all you think about—is swimming,” Ridge said, as if he were still trying to process my words.
Ledger’s look turned to one of seriousness, which was unusual for him. “Okay, spill.”
I took a deep breath, letting the water lap against me. Okay, here we go. “I’ve been writing. A lot. Under a pen name.TheWriteGuy.”
Both of them blinked, surprised but curious.
“You’re … writing? Like a book?” Ridge asked, tilting his head.
“Yeah,” I admitted, voice low but steady. “Romance, actually. And fantasy. The genre is called romantasy.”
They looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.
And before they could say anything about that truth bomb, I figured I might as well throw in the rest of it.
“And remember how I told you I was talking to someone online? Like I said, it’s complicated, because she and I … it’s been more than just messages. And, well … she’s also the woman I’ve been seeing in person.”
Ledger held up a hand to stop me. “Hold up. This is a lot of information to take in all at once.”
“Like, what in the heck, bro,” Ridge said, clearly annoyed with me. “Why haven’t you told us any of this? How long have you been writing? How long have you wanted to be a writer?” Each question came faster than the last.
