“Hey, you’re a straight dude. You don’t understand the nuance. There arelevelsto this.”
I snorted.
Ethan glanced sideways at me. “Speaking of emotionally compromised athletes, there are also a lot of gorgeous women here.”
I gave him a blank stare. “Nobody believes you when you pretend to be interested in women.”
He rolled his eyes. “I was talking about you.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“You’re right. I physically couldn’t commit to the bit.”
I laughed while Ethan bumped my shoulder.
“Seriously though.” His eyes gleamed. “Olympic Village. Attractive people everywhere. You’re telling me you’re not evenconsideringmaking some bad decisions?”
“It’s the Olympics. I’m here to skate.”
“That answer sounded rehearsed.”
I shot him a look. “I’m focused.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What?”
Ethan’s grin widened.
“Ethan.”
He laughed. “You know you’ve thought about him more in the last hour than you’ve thought about half the men we’ve competed against for years, right? But hey, nothing wrong with being focused. Just remember one thing, Foster. You’re twenty-six, not dead. And last time I looked, not a monk either.”
“This conversation is over.” My stomach tensed. I hated how long it took me to answer.
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“There wasn’t a question.”
“There absolutely was.”
I ignored him after that, but I disliked how quickly my mind supplied Luka’s face.
The was usually the part I never that to think about. Training, friends, Ethan refusing to act his age…
Then we reached the corner where our paths split.
“See you later,” Ethan said.
“Yeah.”
I kept walking. The conversation was over.
The thoughts that had started it weren’t.
I’d barely droppedonto the bed before my phone buzzed across the blankets.
Mom.
