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My jaw bobbed. I was a little offended he thought I would take advantage like that, especially after everything. I tried to explain myself, but he cut me off and started speaking again. His Russian accent was thicker this time, and that only happened when he was furious.
"You have ten working days left and that is it. Two weeks until we board the plane." He emphasized the time. "And only one shot left. Let us make it count. We are going to be doing two-a-days until we leave, with the weekend to recoup. Unless you tell me otherwise, you will be here on time and ready to practice."
Mouth shut, I nodded. After all, he was right. I’d purposely showed up to practice late and it worked against me.
He dipped his head and stepped closer. "Inside these walls we are coach and gymnast. Outside, you are Adrianna Francesca Rossi and I am Konstantin Kournakova, and you are my life, but until the day comes when I can claim you in public, we cannot allow anything to deviate us from the goal."
Without saying a word, I stepped around him and walked right into the gym.
I loved him and hated him so much.
All week I’d worked my ass off. Kova and Madeline dished it out and then some. Neither coach went easy on me, which I loved. I hadn't felt that strain in so long, that soreness in all the hidden places. Sure, I'd been uncomfortable and tired and hardly able to walk by the time I got home. Mentally, it was exactly what I’d needed. I refused to allow my exhausting diseases that had the power to cripple me stand in my way. They wouldn't win. There were a few times I’d felt myself slipping and Kova was right there, talking it out of me, but making sure I was okay at the same time.
He'd been right. Now was my time and I had to make it count.
That didn't mean I wasn't dying by the end of the night and nearly crippled in the morning. A little dramatic, maybe, but Jesus, I felt bruised and battered. I soaked in Epsom baths, had Kova do deep tissue massages, and I even made sure to stay on the special diet for my illnesses. I never missed a dose of medicine either. By night, I welcomed my bed with open arms, and in the mornings I was greeted by the toilet. Morning sickness was no joke. One thing I was looking forward to being over was the constant vomiting that came with the sunrise. It was weird how the timing worked with that.
By Friday, I was counting down the hours until I got the next two days off. I'd looked into cupping, something that was supposed to be divine for sore muscles with lactic acid buildup. It pulled the skin from the underlying muscle to stimulate blood flow, which produced a faster recovery, but I wasn't sure I was ready for the little flaming cups of fire to be suctioned and dragged on me just yet. I'd ask Kova and see what he had to say. We could do a test run and see how it went.
"Hey," Kova said as I was eating lunch in the café. I felt his energy enter the room before I felt him.
I looked up, chewing an apple slice from my spinach salad. "What's up?"
He glanced over his shoulder then pulled out a chair to sit down. My brows furrowed and I eyed him curiously.
Kova leaned over and placed his elbows on his knees. "Come away with me this weekend."
My eyes popped and I almost choked on my food. "What?"
"There is this little town I want to take you to about an hour away."
The creases between my brows deepened and I slowly swallowed the bite I'd been chewing. "Is there something wrong with you?"
Kova released a full grin and dropped his head for a second. His back shook with a chuckle. He looked back up, smiling. "We already know I am not sane."
I tried not to laugh. "Isn't that the truth. But how are you going to slip away without Katja knowing?" I wanted to say Cuntja like Avery had, but I withheld.
He brushed it away like it was no issue. He didn't want to talk about her with me and I didn't blame him, but it was the first thing I thought of. I wondered how he was going to continue his infidelity on his day off if his wife was around.
"So what do you say? Stay tonight after everyone leaves and have dinner with me. I will order whatever you want, and then tomorrow, or Sunday," he offered, "we can go to this little town. Let me take you there. It is just for the day."
I placed my fork down and pushed my salad away. Kova slid it back in front of me. "Eat," he said.
We'd never gone anywhere together. "Why do you want to take me there?"
"You have been very distant with me this week and I do not want that."
"I've been a little busy working my ass off, you know…" I averted my gaze.
I had a reason to be distant, besides trying to keep my focus on gymnastics when the idea hit me.
Maybe I could finally tell him my secret tonight. He wouldn't want to take me anywhere after that, and it would give us a few days apart. There was no way he would receive the news of his child any other way but negative.
He con
tinued, trying to drive his case home. "I know. This is the last weekend before the meet that you will be free for a long time. I am selfish enough to say I want you to myself. Think about it, but at least eat with me tonight. Can you give me that?"
Chewing my lip, I nodded. "Okay."
