Chapter Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Seven
Reece
“Motherfucker,” I groaned through a mouthful of energy gel.
The shit was so sugary, but I needed to take it now if I wanted to have energy for the run.
I washed it down with a long drink of water, slammed my water bottle back into the holster, and pedaled like my life depended on it.
It wouldn’t be long before the road curved back around to the beach, and I’d do my second transition. My wet suit had been a major pain in the ass for the first one, eating up a good bit of the progress I’d made with the swim, but it was all right.
I was still on pace to make my ninety-minute goal.
The road opened up around the bend, and I could see the bike racks and the spectator area. I could just barely make out Cyrus and Tegan standing next to each other in those obnoxious shirts.
I dismounted and locked eyes with them while I jogged my bike over to the rack.
“Go, Reecie, go!” Tegan shouted.
“Yes, Reece!” Cyrus whooped, with several of his tentacles flailing around in the air.
My muscles were screaming, but seeing them standing there together, waiting for me, supporting me, it encouraged me to keep pushing.
There were a few other competitors in the transition area as I rushed to slip on my running shoes and snap on my number belt.
Exhaustion was setting in, but this was the last leg.
I could do it.
—
My chest burned with each breath and my legs teetered beneath me.
I was twenty minutes into the run, and I was hitting a wall.
“Gods damn it,” I huffed as a minotaur jogged past me.
I’d come so far, so fucking far, and I was going to shit the bed on the run, the part of the race that was arguably my strongest event.
The finish line had to be close.
The finish line where my friends and family would be waiting for me.
Where Cyrus would be waiting for me.
We’d spent three months preparing for this moment. He’d taken time out of his life to prepare me for this, to make me the best I could be.
Gods, I wanted to see him.
I wanted to hold him in my arms and tell him all the ways he made my life better.
All I had to do was get to the finish line, and he’d be right there.
I dug deep, focusing on my breathing and my running technique, willing myself to move, knowing that with each step I took, I was closer to Cyrus.
Thoughts of him flooded my mind, allowing me to tune out the chaos around me and push through the stinging ache of my muscles, which worsened each time my feet pounded against the pavement.
Cyrus’s smiling face, his warm laughter.
The way his eyes lit up when his gaze met mine from across the room.
I was lucky. Lucky my sister met Atlas. Lucky we had that terrible interaction at the engagement party. Lucky to have Cyrus in my life.
Eventually, the finish line came into view, and just as I expected, Cyrus was there.
I never thought I’d say it, but I was so fucking thankful for those awful shirts.
I started to sprint, to pump my legs and my arms, to do whatever I could to propel myself to Cyrus faster.
My toes crossed the finish line, but I didn’t stop until I reached him.
“Reece! You did it!” he yelled over the commotion around us.
But my goal, the ninety minutes, it didn’t matter right now.
Cyrus was all that mattered.
I stumbled forward, wrapped my arms around him, and buried my face in his neck, not caring that we were surrounded by our family and friends.
Everything in the background seemed to fade away, until it was just me and Cyrus standing there.
“Are you all right?” he whispered against my temple. “Everyone is staring at us.”
I looked up at him, my chest heaving as I caught my breath. “Let them stare.”
I was so fucking tired of hiding our relationship and letting my fears control me.
So, without a second thought, I kissed him.
Cyrus groaned into my mouth, his hands tangling in my hair as his lips parted for me, our tongues brushing against one another with slow strokes.
It wasn’t our usual frantic kissing. It was more sensual, more romantic.
But we were brought out of the moment fairly quickly.
“I knew it!” Tegan shouted with an excited smile on her face.
“You knew?” I said quietly.
She nodded.
“Tegan, I wanted to tell you, but things were going so well between us, and with my previous dating history, I didn’t want you to be mad—”
“Reece. I’m you’re sister. I love you and I just want you to be happy. I was trying to get you to tell me during the camping trip, but then you clammed up and I worried I was pushing you too hard.”
“How did you know?”
“I mean, you made it pretty obvious. I’ve never seen you look at someone the way you look at Cyrus. It’s like he’s your whole world.”
“He is my whole world.” I grabbed Cyrus’s hand and looked at everyone gathered around us. “It’s about time we tell the rest of you that Cyrus and I are in a relationship. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now.”
“Thank gods,” Atlas and Fallon said in unison.
Tegan stared at Atlas, her mouth hanging open. “You knew and didn’t tell me?”
“I’m so sorry, sweet thing,” Atlas said, his ears drooping, “but I promised I wouldn’t say anything until Reece was ready.” That was enough to pacify my sister.
Fallon held his head high, his tail happily swaying in the air behind him. “I didn’t say anything, either, but damn, am I glad the cat is out of the bag. I suck at secrets.”
Cyrus laughed. “We know.”
“Oh, this is so wonderful. Come here, honey.” My mom stepped forward and pulled Cyrus and me into a tight hug.
She was almost as bad as Atlas, almost.
A breeze whipped past and goose bumps popped up along my bare arms, reminding me that I was still post-race and dressed in nothing but my tri suit.
“Come on, let’s get you changed before you catch a cold,” Cyrus said, eyeing the goose bumps with concern.
“Yeah, you go with Cyrus and we’ll get your gear packed up.” Atlas was always so fucking kind. He really was the perfect mate and husband for my sister.
“Are you sure? But I need my ba—”
“I have it right here.” Tegan unclipped my keys and handed them to Atlas before passing me my bag. “Now go.”
Cyrus gripped my hand tight and led the way over to the changing stalls. “Well, that was certainly an impressive finish.”
“I’m so sorry. I was hitting a wall and the only thing that pushed me through was thinking about you, and then when I saw you…”
He looked over at me and smiled, those piranha teeth gleaming in the morning sun. “I’m really what pushed you through?”
“You were the only thing that mattered. Not the race, not the ninety minutes, just you.”
Cyrus slipped inside the changing stall and pulled me inside with him.
“Really, Cy? I mean, the crop top is absolutely doing it for me, but right after the race?” I asked with a laugh.
“Shh,” he mumbled, pulling me tightly to him. “I just wanted to do this.”
Cyrus pressed his lips to mine and gave me another tender kiss before he slowly pulled away. “Okay, now you can get dressed.”
I shimmied out of my tri suit and Cy whistled once I was fully undressed.
“Are you still coming over today?” he asked.
I pulled up my sweats with shaking hands. My muscles were already feeling tense. “Yeah. I’m going to run home and drop my stuff off and then I’ll be over.”
“Perfect.” Cyrus leaned close, his soft lips grazing my ear. “And I’ll make sure I hold on to this crop top for you, darling.”