AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Just some help. It’s not important… Anyway, I helped her, quite satisfactorily, and then she was on her way, never to be seen again. Or so I thought.”
I can feel Gran’s eyes boring into me, and when I look up, she’s frowning. “Are you trying to tell me you had a one-night stand, and she ghosted you?”
“What?! No!” I choke back a cough and shake my head violently. This is not the direction I saw this conversation going. “No, Gran, we were on the beach. She needed help; I helped. There was no need for any further communication, so she left.”
She rubs at her jaw and blinks a few times. It’s what she does when she’s trying to reconcile things in her mind. “Okay, I’ve got that part. What happened today?”
I bounce my legs as I answer. “She crashed into me in the pool. She’s here. In the resort.”
Gran cringes. “Yep, I was right. This has stalker vibes all over it.”
I shake my head with a laugh and pull her into a hug, squeezing her tightly, a warm feeling taking over me.
“What was that for?” Gran asks when I finally release her, holding her at arm’s length.
With a bright smile, I shrug. “Just for being you. Never change.”
“Well, I’m a bit old for that now, aren’t I?” She frowns, shaking me off as she eyes me curiously, no doubt confused about the weird version of me that she’s getting. I’m not the guy that gets a crush. Ever. I’m too pragmatic for that. This is completely throwing me off. I’ve only seen Lucy twice for fuck’s sake, and we’ve barely had a conversation. But God, do I want to see her again. I know nothing about her, except that I’m pretty certain she’s not a stalker.
“You’re never too old for anything,” I say, moving on from my crazy thoughts. “But in this case, I think you’re wrong.”
Leaning against the armrest of the couch, I try to explain what happened without giving too much away. “It took her a few moments to recognize me, and when I tried to help her in the pool, she flinched. She definitely wasn’t trying to get closer. Wouldn’t a stalker want to do that? Get closer, I mean?”
“Not if she’s a smart stalker,” Gran says, tapping her forehead.
I pat her leg and stand up. “You watch too many crime shows,” I say with a laugh before taking a deep breath and pacing the room. “I don’t even know what it is about her, but I can’t get her out of my head.”
“Hasn’t it only been a few minutes?”
“No, I mean since we…since I helped her.”
Grans eyes narrow, and I know she’s thinking I lied about the one-night stand thing.
“I didn’t sleep with her,” I clarify, clasping my fingers on top of my head as my lips thin.
“Good,” Gran says with a nod. “That makes it easier if you want to play hard to get.”
“Gran!“
She raises her hands in the air. “I’m kidding. You’re so wound up about this. She must really be something.”
“We’ve barely spoken. She can’t be something.”
“Of course she can. It was love at first sight between your Pa and me.”
She says this all the time, but it’s bullshit, and everyone knows it. They hated each other when they first met. I raise an eyebrow so she knows I’m about to call her on it, and she laughs. “Okay, but it wassomethingat first sight. We both knew there was more to come.”
That makes more sense, and I like that outlook. Maybe there’s more to come between Lucy and me. Or maybe there’s not. But it feels like there’ssomething. Guess I’ll have to wait to find out.
When I get home from practice the next afternoon, I’m tired but hyped up. I should have stayed at the team facilities to train, but there’s this strange energy running through me that I need to dispel, without the eyes of my teammates. So, after a quick meal to give me a boost, I head to the hotel gym. It’s surprisingly well equipped for a resort and even has personal trainers on-site. Stretching out my neck as I push through the door, I freeze when my eyes lock on the very person I was planning to work out of my head.Lucy.
She’s standing in front of the punching bag like she’s ready to fight it. Knees bent, arms raised, she’s about to beat the shit out of whomever she’s picturing in front of her. She pulls her arm back and slams her fist into the bag with incredible force, and the sight of it sends blood pooling to the one place I definitely don’t want it to be right now. But fuck if I can take my eyes away. On her next strike, she clips the edge and falters, cursing herself under her breath before repositioning and trying again. It’s almost like she’s teaching herself to box.
I watch her for another minute until one of the trainers gives me a strange look. Giving him a nod, I make my way to the weights.
With every intention of leaving her be, I work on my upper body until I can barely lift my arms, while Lucy continues to fight the bag. I know this because I happen to be facing the mirror, and shehappensto be in my line of sight. She takes a step back and punches the air over and over in quick succession until her body sags, and she catches her breath.
Without any thought, I drop my weights to the stand and head straight over, abandoning my plan to leave her alone.Maybe it’s me that’s the stalker.
