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“You’re not fuckin’ crazy, Aria,” he growled out, and the way his eyes sparked with fierceness made me believe his words. “This is to do with that, but it’s also not.” He let his head dip back, exposing his throat and making his muscles tense even more. “You’ve just been through a shit storm. You’ve got so much going on with your medication and then school, and now this meet, and I don’t want to add more shit to your plate. It’s as simple as that. I’m not willing to sacrifice your health just for what I want.”
“I—”
“I’m not talking about it again, Aria. Get ready. We need to go and have some breakfast, and then we’ll head to the track.”
I stared at him, really stared at him, but he’d pushed his shoulders back, resolved in what he was saying. I understood it now, I really did, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. I had a plate full of things to cope with, but there was always room for Cade. Always.
Instead of saying anything and trying to tell him that, I spun around, then entered the bathroom. It didn’t take me long to have a shower and brush my teeth, and once we changed places and he was in the bathroom, I got dressed in my track clothes. I pushed my feet into my sneakers and packed my track shoes and water bottle in my bag.
Just as Cade was exiting the bathroom, completely dressed, I tied my hair into a high ponytail and declared, “I’m ready to go.”
“Give me a minute,” Cade grunted, rifling through his bag for something. He pushed his feet into his sneakers and grabbed his wallet and keys, and then we were both out of the door. Neither of us spoke as we exited the hotel and got into the car. He didn’t ask me what I wanted for breakfast, but when he stopped at a drive-through and got us pancakes and bacon to go, I was glad.
“I’m so hungry,” I groaned as Cade passed me the food to put on my lap. We ate in the lot before heading to the track. The lot was already packed with cars, and I could hear cheers inside the center as I pushed out of the car. “Oh, god.” I put my hand on my stomach as it rolled.
“Aria, you okay?” Cade asked, opening his trunk and pulling a bag out.
My muscles locked as I stared at the center doors, my breaths starting to come faster. “I don’t think I can do it.” I backed away a step, my nerves getting the better of me. No one had ever watched me run, and now I’d be surrounded by people staring at me and commenting on how fast or slow I was.
“You can.” Cade halted in front of me and bent so his face was level with mine. “I know you can do it. After everything that has happened over the last week, this should be smooth sailing.”
“But what if I fall? What if the track is too different from what we practice on? What if—”
“What if you do great?” Cade counteracted. “What if your nerves are a good thing?”
“How the heck can they be a good thing?”
Cade shrugged and stood to his full height. “Means you care. Come on.” He took a step back, but he didn’t take his gaze off me. “Let’s go boss this.”
“Boss this?” I raised a brow, glad he’d distracted me. “Who are you right now?”
He pushed his hand through his hair and pulled his lips up on one side. “Cade Easton, baby, and don’t you forget it.” He ended with a wink and pointed at me.
A laugh burst from my chest and freed all of the tension that had been building up si
nce I’d opened my eyes this morning. “Fine, okay, let’s boss this.” I straightened up, pushed my shoulders back, and made a beeline for the center.
* * *
CADE
I’d tried to not show any nerves as both Aria and Reagan had been practicing, but the closer to the races they were taking part in came, the harder I was finding it to hide them. I’d kept off to the side and tried to keep both of them calm, but now they were warming up, and I wasn’t allowed on the field to help them.
They knew what they were doing, but it didn’t make it any easier. It was all in their hands, and win or lose, they were the masters of their own destinies.
I turned my head toward the left, spotting all the scouts in the first couple of rows of seats. They were taking notes and photos of which runners they were interested in, and I’d already had several come and talk to me about Reagan. She was a known name on the circuit and had already been offered four scholarships, but her dad thought she could do better than the schools she’d already been offered.
“Cade Easton?” a gruff voice asked from behind me.
I turned around, trying to keep half of my attention on the field. “That’s me.”
“Good.” He held his hand out to me, and I shook it. “I’m Harold Lefinter, the head coach for the athletics department at Shire Oaks College.”
“Nice to meet you.” If either one of the girls were offered a scholarship from him, they’d be set for life. The college was only thirty minutes away from where I lived, and they had one of the best programs in the country. I’d applied to go there myself when I was in high school, but I hadn’t stood a chance against the athletes that they turned into household names. “I’ve heard amazing things about your program.”
Harold’s stony face didn’t move an inch, and it was only then I noticed he wasn’t holding a clipboard in his hands. “Enough amazing things to come and join it, son?”
I backed away a step, sure I’d heard him wrong, but as I repeated his words in my head, I realized I hadn’t. “I…why?” It was a stupid question, but I’d been caught off guard. Why would someone like this approach me while we were at a meet to offer high school kids scholarships?
