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“You’re right, Col,” he says, still looking at me. He finally straightens, wrapping an arm around my shoulder to turn me. I look up at him as he opens his other arm out, waving the tips of his fingers at Colin. “You fixed it. You fixed the team.”
Colin walks forward, gripping the straps of his backpack until he approaches us. He looks at Lake’s arm, confused, before ducking beneath it. Lake wraps his arm around his shoulders, pulling him into me until we form a tiny little huddle. Colin’s eyes find mine, and I give him the most appreciative smile. I mouth ‘I love you’ to him and he nods in return.
“It’s time to get pumped up for this race!” Lake says, switching into football mode, his face set in a sexy, terrifying glare. “No more tears. Only the tears from our competitors!” He yells in drill sergeant mode.
I bite the corner of my lip as I look over at him, feeling every bit of that dominant tone of voice between my thighs.Chill, bitch.
“On the count of three, we scream cowards at the top of our lungs!” Lake says, and Colin’s eyes light up with excitement. “Then we go out there and we race. We race and we leave here with a win before the flag even flies.”
I squeeze Lake’s shoulder, feeling those tears forming again. His eyes find mine in the huddle and the softest smile creeps across his lips.
“Love you guys,” he says in a cracked tone, flexing his jaw as he stands, putting his extended hand out in the middle of our circle.
Colin follows suit, placing his hand on top of Lake’s. Both of them look up at me as my eyes drift to the clouds above us. I say a quick thank you to the amazingly selfless woman who did her part in keeping me strong enough to bring us here. My focus drifts back to the two of them, eyeing them both with a mischievous, confident grin, finally placing mine on top.
With the past now behind us and the promise of the unknown before us, we find our courage together.
And we scream.
62
Lake
IthoughtIgota glimpse of home when Colin surprised me in my parking garage, but I had no idea of the overwhelming euphoria I’d fall into with my lips against hers again.
Dylan is my safe space. She’s my light, my energy, my sunny days. She’s my teacher, my inspiration, my love. She’s everything I’ve needed to feel whole when I didn’t even know I was incomplete. She’s what life, as short as it may be, is all about.
I’m back where I belong.
And more in love with her than I ever thought possible.
The race is about to start, so we rush back over to the race car on the inside of the track.
Immediately, I spot Kat, her neighbor who helped her get ready for our night out. Her face lights up when she sees us walking over hand in hand. Her expression changes almost instantly when she bumps into a golden-haired man I know all too well.
Bestie from the bar. Insert glass break.
I don’t know what their relationship has been like since I’ve been out of the picture. Obviously, she reached out to him for help with the car. The picture on Facebook comes to mind, and I’ve definitely located the infamous arm I studied for longer than I care to admit. Has he been pining for her, knowing I left them heartbroken and in pain? Did he slide in and become part of their team when I couldn’t commit? The thought makes me nauseous.
Dylan links her arm through mine even tighter as we approach, and my mind churns as I try to read the vibes. Is this a calming mechanism or anxiety on her part?
Golden Retriever eyes me suspiciously and mine narrow in response. Kat bounces excitedly, her fingers twiddling together as her eyes flash to me, then Golden Boy, and back, as if she’s waiting for the main event of the evening to begin.
“Look who I found skipping games,” Dylan says all cutesy, leaning back to smirk at me before wrapping her arm around my lower back and pressing up against my side.
See. My girl.
“Ah, yes. Look who finally made it,” Golden Boy says, tipping his head with a smirk.
I can’t read his energy. He’s either a huge dick or really just a naïve sugar bear. He’s entirely impossible to read, but it’s definitely one or the other.
“I don’t…need to beat your ass, do I?” I ask casually, legitimately confused.
His brows knit together before he looks at Dylan and back. Dylan rolls her eyes, looking away.
“Uh...no. No, I don’t think so?” he answers, sounding equally confused.
He looks to the ground, scratching his head, almost like he’s racking his brain for any past faults that may be the reason for a guy like me to be mad at him. He shakes his head with finality, as if deciding there couldn’t possibly be anything.
