Chapter 24
THE SWIM COMPETITION
KIARA
Prunh! Prunh! Prunh!
Another horn blared off and the swimmers dived in the water, their parents cheering for them while the coaches marked down the time, making sure which team was winning; Summer High or Winter High.
“So, what will I get if I win the competition?” I looked beside me at Paul, who was just wearing his swimming trunks, his wet, muscled chest on display, and I could see some freshman ogling him.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “You will get nothing from me, Paul. You know I am with Ethan, then why are you so hell-bent on asking me out every single day?”
He blinked and replied, “Because I was an asshole for taking Shaley to the ice cream truck instead of you, and I want to show you that I can treat you better than him. At least give me a chance, Kia.”
I looked over his shoulder to see a tan back with little claw marks while he talked to his swim mates. And flickered my eyes back to Paul.
“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely with a small smile. “But I don’t think anyone can treat me better than him. Hope you’ll find a girl who loves you and treats you better.”
I walked over to Ethan and smiled when he wrapped his arms around me, kissing my cheek. I wished his swim mates good luck and when I turned to Ethan, he was looking at me with his dark hooded eyes.
“What?”
“So, what will I get if I win this competition?” he asked, raising his brow.
So, he did hear my talk with Paul. I smiled mischievously and wrapped my arm around his neck. “You have to find out on your own when you win.”
“Oh, really?” he asked and I nodded, grinning at him. He kissed me, cupping my cheeks, and said, “My wish is to cuddle with you and hold your breast when we fall asleep.”
I laughed and kissed his nose. “Your wish is granted. Now go and stay with your team. I am with Evey.”
I pointed out where his parents were sitting with Eveline looking around at everyone curiously. He waved at them and they waved back, wishing him good luck.
My dad couldn’t get a day off and I was fine with it. He found his solace by drowning in his work and not talking to his daughter because it reminded him of a harsh truth that I looked like my dead mother. I was fine with it. I had Ethan. My best friend.
I sat beside Katherine, who was making different faces and talking to Eveline in a baby voice. “Do you want Kiara to be your sister? Aw, you little munchkin, ask your brother to marry her then.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “Can you not?”
“What? I am serious. You should see how his mothers coo and talk about you as if you are their own daughter . . . in-law,” she added quickly and I blushed furiously, looking over my shoulder to see them sitting two rows back grinning and talking about the swim competition.
“Let’s just enjoy the match,” I managed to say and easily found Ethan from the crowd of shirtless men and girls in a swimsuit because he was wearing a black cap and swim goggles.
We sat through different matches and I got extremely nervous whenever Ethan appeared in a match.
Not to mention, I would cheer loudly for him and jump from my chair when he would win.
It was the last butterfly stroke and Winter and Sumer high school were on a tie.
We needed to win this match. I crossed my fingers and saw Liam and Ethan walk to the edge of the pool with Paul and his friend.
I swallowed the lump in my throat when Liam, Ethan, and Paul turned my way. Liam looked away first, Ethan smiling at me with assurance and Paul winking at me. Oh, God. I slouched in my seat, nudging Katherine when she snickered at me.
They took their positions and when the horn blared off, I watched them dive in the water. I gripped the edge of the seat, watching Ethan and Paul race each other, Liam behind them. I held my breath until I saw Ethan’s head out of the water with a wide grin on his face.
I didn’t think twice before leaping from the bleachers to the pool. He had just stepped out of the pool, towel around his chest, when I slammed into him and hugged him tightly. “You won!”
Ethan chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. “Technically, Liam scored first, but yeah, we won. Babe, your dress will get wet. You should’ve let me change first.”
“I don’t care,” I said and pulled away, grinning at him. His hair was damp and cheeks flushed. I tipped on my toes and kissed him. “I am so happy right now!”
He smiled and hugged me again, hiding his face in my neck, and kissed my skin, his lips cold against my warm skin. “Can you wait for me for a while? Then we will go out together with my parents.”
“Of course, Ethan.”
Ethan kissed my cheek one more time before walking to the locker room. When I turned, I saw Paul glaring at me and he walked away angrily. I sighed and congratulated our swim team before walking to the lockers room where Ethan told me to wait for him.
I leaned on the wall outside, excited for tonight. He’d get the scholarship for the NYU swim team and he could follow his dreams. I had never been so happy, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
“Kiara, come with me.” Before I could reply, Liam held my arm and dragged me to the corner of the empty locker room.
“What the hell are you doing, Liam?” I asked, scowling at him and noticing no one was here.
His gray eyes bore into me. “Tell him, please. I am begging you to tell him about everything that happened on that day.”
I huffed, “And what? Can’t you see how happy he is? And if I tell him, he will get mad and probably never talk to me again. I can’t lose him, Liam.”
He held my shoulders. “You don’t understand, Kiara! You need to tell him right now, or when he will get to know about it, he will do something irrational.”
“I know, I will try to tell him about . . . it,” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But I can’t tell him everything.”
Liam looked over my face and said, “Of course you can’t. Pretend as if our kiss didn’t happen. Run away from it. Like you always have.”
Hurt and anger coursed through my veins. “Not because I ran away from you, Liam. You kissed me that day and then you—”
“You both kissed each other?”
Liam looked over my shoulder and I closed my eyes hearing his deep voice. Shit. I turned to see Ethan, who had already taken a shower and changed into a fresh pair of clothes. But right now, he didn’t look happy for his win, he looked angry and hurt, glaring at both of us.
“No, it’s not what—”
I interrupted Liam and stepped toward Ethan. “Yes, we did kiss, Ethan.”
I saw how his anger and hurt turned into a poker face and knew he was closing off, ready to fight with Liam.
“Ethan, listen to me, please. We did share a kiss, but it was before our senior year started. Before we got together. I would never—”
“We were never together, Kiara,” he said, his voice devoid of any emotions. He clenched his jaw and said with a small smile, “It was just sex. We were using each other's bodies and fucking around. It was never more than sex.”
My heart dropped in my stomach.
I bit my lip and nodded when tears brimmed my eyes. “Yeah, of course. We were just fucking each other, right?” I hated myself when my voice broke but forced not to cry in front of him. Either of them. I shook my head. “Of course, it was just sex.”
I walked out of the locker room and wiped the tear that had escaped. I didn’t want to go back to Ethan or even see his face right now. I didn’t want to go to dinner with his family and swim team either. I just wanted to go back home.
“Sorry,” I mumbled when I bumped into someone while walking out of the high school.
“Kiara?” Oh, shit, not Paul. “Are you crying? Hey, what happened?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. “Nothing. Have a good night.”
He held my arm. “Hey, talk to me. Why are you crying? And where’s Ethan?”
“Leave me alone, Paul. I want to go home. Just go away.” I tugged my hand and he let go. I turned and marched toward the school gate.
“I can drop you home if you want?” Paul yelled and I knew he meant it sincerely.
“No.” I shook my head and decided I would rather hail a taxi than feel the awkward tension between me and Paul or answer his questions.
After hailing a cab, I sat on the backseat and thought about Ethan’s words, which kept ringing in my head.
We were never together. It was just sex.
Using each other’s bodies. Fucking around.
Even though I knew he was lying because he was deeply hurt, I couldn’t wrap my head around the reality that he did say all that to me.
And maybe he did mean it. I could be a rebound for him after all.