Page 193 of Whistle

“I can’t show favoritism out there.” His voice was low and delicious like warm honey coating my insides.

I nodded.

“But we both know you’re my favorite.”

My stomach dipped.

He gave my neck another squeeze. “You do know that, don’t you?”

I nodded.

“Words, Goldilocks. Say it,” he commanded.

“I’m your favorite.”

He leaned in, so close I felt his breath over my lips. “Good boy,” he whispered and then pulled away. “Go get ready.”

I made a dejected sound, then turned.

He moved so fast that I didn’t even know it was coming. One minute, I was pouting, and the next, I was spinning and falling into his kiss.

It was short but deep and satisfying.

“Go on,” he said after lifting his face. “I’ll be out.”

Out in the natatorium, the bleachers were full of friends and family members from Westbrook as well as the competing teams. A sharp pang of sorrow pierced my chest when I caught myself sweeping the stands for Brynne. She wasn’t here. She never would be again.

She’d always been my biggest supporter, and swimming without her here just felt… wrong.

“Hey.” Rush’s voice brought my head around.

I lifted my chin, silently gesturing that I’d heard him.

“I miss her too.”

What was it with everyone around here? They all acted psychic. I wasn’t that easy to read, was I?

“So, ah, you ready for today?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“If you don’t want to swim?—”

“I want to.” Geez. He really was as bad as Em.

“All right, bro. Chill with the aggro. Let’s go sit.”

After we took a seat with Elite, he leaned over. “You and me are gonna have a talk later about you and Emmett… and how the hell you ended up on that bridge.”

“Now who’s being aggro?” I muttered.

He laughed under his breath and clapped me on the shoulder. “Good to have you back, brah.”

I tried not to show how damn much that meant to me and just how tight those simple words made my chest. I covered it up by drinking the coffee Lars had given me.

God. I was going soft.

The meet started, and I sat so long on the bleachers that my ass went numb. I had to admit Elite was impressive. Maybe even more so than my old team at Pembrook.

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