"Only way to start the day," he said through a mouthful of food.
"You ready for tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" Noah asked, his voice carefully neutral.
"Not you. Him." Tyler gestured to me. "Joint practices. Starts tomorrow morning." Tyler took a huge bite of his burger, talking through it. "Five-thirty. Kingswell boathouse. Gonna be weird as hell training with those rich assholes."
My stomach dropped.
Training with Alex tomorrow morning. See him for the first time since Saturday night. Since his dorm room. Since I had his dick in my mouth.
And then immediately after, I'd have to sit down with Emily and pretend I had my shit together.
"Should be interesting," I managed.
"Interesting? It's gonna be chaos." Tyler was oblivious to the tension. "Coach said they're pairing us up for drills. Mixing the teams. Trying to see what combinations work. I can't do shit with my hand like this..." He held it up—finger still wrapped from the fight I'd started. "But I'll still be there."
"Pairing us up?"
"Yeah. Like, Riverside and Kingswell rowers together. Testing chemistry or whatever." Tyler shrugged. "Personally, I think it's bullshit. But whatever. At least you get to use their fancy equipment. I might hop on an erg."
Noah was watching me. I didn't have to look to know.
"You good, Liam?" Tyler asked, finally noticing. "You look kinda sick."
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"Yeah, well, get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow's gonna kick our ass." Tyler stood up, grabbed his tray. "I'm gonna hit the library. See you tomorrow."
He walked away. Still oblivious. Still dropping bombs like grenades wherever he went.
"That dude eats so fast," Noah said.
It made me laugh. "He's nuts."
Noah leaned forward. Kept his voice low. "You think you'll be paired with him."
"I don't know."
I did know. Of course, they'd pair us together. We were the same year, he was bow I was stroke, and we both had been top of our class since last year. They'd see the chemistry. The waywe moved together on the water. They'd see what we already experience at the lake that morning.
I was half excited and terrified all at once.
"This is bad," I said.
"It's not bad. It's just—" Noah paused. "Complicated."
"That's an understatement."
Noah reached across the table, squeezed my shoulder once. "It'll work out. Somehow."
I wanted to believe him.
But sitting there in the too-loud dining hall all I could think about was tomorrow. Five-thirty AM. Alex and I in a boat. Our bodies doing the thing they always did—falling into sync, telling the truth we couldn't say out loud.
And then Emily on the bridge after. Waiting for answers I didn't have.
I wasn't ready for any of it.
