I threw up and stopped watching after that.
I don’t remember everything they did to me, but I remember enough of what happened for it to break something inside of me.For that reason alone, I’ve never tried to watch it all the way through.
I want to forget what little I do remember, not add to it. How else am I supposed to move on?
“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
I wave her off and shove my dark memories back into their box. “All good,” I tell her, blinking away the burning sensation in my eyes. “I just wasn’t really expecting that. You know?”
Pursing her lips, she nods. Silence stretches between us. It’s not uncomfortable per se. But I still have the urge to fill it.
“Thank you,” I tell her. “I appreciate you stepping in like that. Though you should probably avoid Parker if you see him around campus. He’s …” I hesitate. “He can be dangerous.” I’d never forgive myself if he targeted her next. She needs to be careful. “He’s not someone you want to be caught alone with.”
She ponders my warning. “Okay. I’ll keep an eye out.”
Good.
“He gives off major creep vibes.”
She’s not wrong.
“He does,” I agree. Unraveling my clothes, I slip them on over my still wet swimsuit. “Maybe I’ll uh, see you around.”
“Hold up.” She pulls her long, wet brown hair over her shoulder and gives me a considering look. “You’re a competitive swimmer, right? Are you a part of a private team or something?”
I eye her PacNorth swimsuit again. She’s probably freezing out here. I wasn’t really thinking when I dragged her with me outside into the cold. It’s fall in Richland so the sun is shining but there’s enough of a breeze to make it chilly.
“No. I swim recreationally.”
“Cool. Cool.” Adriana mulls over her next words. There’s something kind of, I don’t know, off about her maybe. But not in a bad way.
Her voice is even with almost no inflection. I noticed that when she was telling Parker off. She never raised her voice. She didn’t sound angry or scared. She was just to the point. Authoritative. There’s something about the way Adriana speaks and holds herself that makes me feel like she’s … I don’t know how to describe it. In charge, maybe? No. That doesn’t feel right.
She’s a predator. That word feels fitting. But not in the same way that Austin, Parker, and Gregory are predators. With Adriana it’s more like she’s confident of her place at the top of the food chain, not like she’s going to use her position to hurt those beneath her.
It’s a weird thing to wrap my head around, but being next to her now, I don’t feel like prey. There’s this innate understanding that I’m not as strong as she is. Not at her level. But I also feel sort of … safe.
I roll my eyes. I’m not making any sense. Today has been a stressful day and my cracks are showing. That’s all it is. I just need to go home, get a good night’s rest, and forget all about today.
“Have you thought about going out for the team? One of our girls is injured and won’t be back this season. We need to fill her place so Coach is opening up a last minute spot.”
My ears perk up. Not because someone is injured. That’s awful and I hope she recovers. But having a spot open mid-season is virtually unheard of.
“What’s the stroke?” I ask while silently debating if I can do it. I thought about it earlier, being on a team again. But is it really something I want, or was it more just wishful thinking?
“Freestyle and butterfly.”
I swallow hard. Freestyle is my jam. It’s what I excel at. A small bubble of excitement blossoms in my chest. “I can do freestyle,” I tell her.
Adriana smirks. “I know. I’ve seen you swim before.”
Oh. That’s … cool. I guess. “My butterfly isn’t great, though.” Probably not as good as hers.
“It’s better than Cate’s was. You’ll be fine.”
Cate? There’s only one Cate on the swim team that I know of. But she’s their star. “Cate Carrington? She’s out?”
Adriana smiles. “She is. And good riddance. Girl is a total diva.” She’s not wrong, but that doesn’t mean I’ll agree with her out loud.
