AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He just smiles at me. “Sometimes you have to take a risk and jump no matter how scary it seems.”
Our eyes linger on each other for a long moment until I stumble on a bumpy part of the ground and ruin the moment. Smooth, Kylee.
“I don’t normally do crazy stuff like that,” I say as I keep my eyes on the ground. “I’ve just been in a bit of a funk lately and I needed to shake out of it.”
“A funk?” he says with his eyes on me. “Why?”
I take a deep breath as I look out at the stunning view. Tall majestic mountains drift off into the horizon everywhere I look.
“I’ve been competing in gymnastics my whole life,” I say, letting it all spill out. “It was all I had, really. All of my friends are gymnasts. It was all I did.”
He just listens and waits patiently as I gather my thoughts.
“I went to the Olympics when I was nineteen.”
“Really?” he says, looking impressed.
“Yeah. I finished fifth.”
“That’s amazing.”
“It’s not too amazing unless you come back with a medal.”
He shakes his head as he looks down at me. “Yes, it is. It’s incredible.”
I take a deep breath as we continue walking. I’m ducking under a branch when I hear the babbling creek up ahead. Otter gets a new burst of energy when she realizes she’s about to have a cool drink and we have to pick up the pace to keep up.
“I was planning on going to the upcoming Olympics,” I continue as the creek comes into view. “I had big plans to redeem myself and return with a medal… but I found out a couple of weeks ago that I got cut from the team.”
His blue eyes soften as he listens. That big hand reaches out and swallows mine.
I feel such gratitude as I slide my fingers between his and hold his warm hand.
“That’s the thing with gymnasts,” I say with a sigh. “We peak young. I’m only twenty-two and it’s time to retire.”
“But you’ve accomplished so much already,” he says in a soothing tone. “I have no doubt you’re going to go on to do more amazing things.”
“Like what?” I ask, feeling lost. “Gymnastics has been my whole life so far.”
He smiles as we arrive at the creek. “We’ll find something to keep you busy.”
I can’t help but grin, wondering what he has in mind. I can think of a few things to keep me busy with this beautiful man.
When I was younger, I promised my mother that I would bring an Olympic medal into the family. I know she’s proud of me regardless, but I’m afraid that promise will hang over my head for the rest of my life, like a loose thread that I’ll never be able to wrap up.
Otter laps up the water with relish. We both laugh as we watch her hoover it up.
“Those guys…” Aiden says, suddenly tensing. “Is one of them… your boyfriend?”
He doesn’t look at me as he waits for my answer. Is he… jealous? No freaking way, he is!
Yes!
I bite my bottom lip, trying to hide the huge smile blooming on my face.
“No,” I tell him. “They’re not exactly my type. The tall redhead is my cousin, Nerf.”
“Nerf?”
