AllFreeNovel
Share Us
PROLOGUE
SWEDEN ABOUT FIVE MONTHS AGO…
Lars
I really don’t needthis,I think for probably the twelve-hundredth time in the last hour. Can a guy have that many thoughts in a single hour? Maybe I just set a record.
Something else I did not want or need.
Ever since getting the call summoning me to the coach’s office, my body had torpedoed itself into fight-or-flight mode. The urge to escape was like a wildfire beneath my skin, making me want to peel it back and throw it away. The need to run should have been helpful as I pointed myself in the direction of the pool… but it wasn’t. It just made things worse because I had to fight the instinct to run in the opposite direction.
I had no clue why I was freaking out. Getting called to Coach’s office wasn’t like being sent before a firing squad. It wasn’t a life-and-death situation.
It didn’t matter. My body paid no attention to actual reasonable thought because it was already freaking the fuck out and sounding the alarms.
Nausea? Check.
Quivering limbs? Check.
Shallow, rapid breathing? Check and check.
Speedy heart rate? Yep, that too.
Honestly, I should be used to this by now. Fight-or-flight was a state I existed in more than not the past six months.Or maybe longer.It never got any easier, but I got better at hiding it. At least on the outside.
On the inside, though, I was filled to the brim with everything mentioned above along with my brain telling me repeatedly that it did not need this.
Whatever this was.
“It’s a good excuse to not have to go back to your dorm room. It’s a good way to mix up your routine. Don’t be predictable,” I mumbled, once again trying to reason with my head.
That argument actually helped some, and a long intake of breath expanded my lungs and helped my tight muscles unclench.
The heavy door latched behind me, and the scent of chlorine tickled my nose, making me breathe deeply once more. The massive pool sat undisturbed, the water so still it looked like glass. The sudden urge to take a running leap over the side and plunge into the cold depths made my body turn toward it. The toes of my sneakers stopped at the edge, and I glanced down at my reflection the water mirrored back at me.
I’d already practiced this morning, but the call of the water was strong. It was just the thing I needed to tire my body out until it was too exhausted to fight itself.
“Eriksson!” Coach’s voice echoed around the otherwise quiet space. My head whipped up to where he stood in the open doorway leading to his office. “Get in here.”
I left the crystalline water, my stomach jumping and robbing me of the breath I’d just found. My shoes squeaked slightly over the tile, and when I stepped into Coach’s office, he was already behind his desk.
“Have a seat.” He gestured to a nearby chair that looked uncomfortable as hell.
I wasn’t even perched on the edge of it when he made a gruff sound. “Stop making that face. You aren’t in trouble.”
“I’m not making a face,” I said before I thought better of it. I guess my mood was sourer than I realized. “I apologize.” I spoke immediately. “I guess I am expecting some kind of lecture.”
“I didn’t call you here for a lecture,” Coach said. “Your swim times are consistent, your grades are excellent, and everyone on the team likes you.”
“So…” I said, letting the word echo with my question.
“I need a favor. Well, it’s actually a favor for the sports med faculty.” He paused. “Which is your faculty, correct?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
With a decisive nod, Coach picked up a sheet of paper and laid it on the desk close to me. “Your foreign exchange buddy lands tomorrow.”
A second ticked by.
