Page 45 of In Too Deep

“Good. Might do a record if I’m lucky.”

“Well, I’ll be cheering you on.”

He smiles, resting his hand on my knee. “Thanks, that means so much.”

“Thank you for messaging me. I’m glad this isn’t going to be weird for us both.”

“Yes, me too. I was thinking you were going to avoid me the entire time.”

Chuckling, I shrug. “I might have, but you’re just too adorable.”

“And you’re still too beautiful.” His hand comes up and gently caresses my cheek.

My heart races, and my mouth dries. We’rejust friends. This kind of electrical charge is not what we want. So I slowly back away.

“Cobes,” I warn.

He breathes in quickly and nods. “Too soon? It’s okay, I get it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I fucked up. I have to earn your trust, and I’m okay with that.”

“Oh my God, are you two talking?” Caro cries.

We turn to her. East rushes toward us.

I giggle. “Yes, we’re friends again.”

“Oh, it’s about fucking time. The awesome foursome is back, baby,” East booms.

We laugh as they both sit with us, and I take in a deep breath. The awesome foursome is finally back in town. We should have never parted. I was being stubborn. The last four months were wasted energy. I have to make up for the damage I’ve done to my relationship with Coby, but by being friends first because right now I have to concentrate on the Games.

East and Caro are raving on and on, but I can’t stop staring at Coby, thinking about how much I missed him and how good it is to finally have him back in my life.

Even if it is just as a friend.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It’s opening ceremony night, but the Australian swimmers sit out the ceremony together so we can concentrate on our heats tomorrow. Spending hours in a lineup and then on the oval standing around while taking in the atmosphere would be a lot of fun. Yet we need to rest and prepare for our heats as they start first thing in the morning. So we’re all just watching the ceremony in the Athletes’ Services Area lounge.

The awesome foursome is set up on a lounge in front of a television, surrounded by the rest of the Australian swimmers. We’re all here, and it’s nice to sit as a team and just hang out for a while.

The ceremony began a while ago. Everyone’s enthralled. My eyes keep shifting from the screens to Coby as I sit next to him. That pull toward him hasn’t shifted. Being with him for the last three days has been great, but the attraction is only becoming stronger. My eyes flick down to his hand on his knees, and I’m so conflicted about my emotions right now. I need to focus on my swimming. Coby and I both have heats, and Coby has his final tomorrow. I need to focus my energy on a medal, not getting the man. But I still can’t stop staring at his strong hand.

Everyone starts laughing, and it pulls me from my thoughts as I spy men dressed as kangaroos on stilts, jumping around like they’re boxing each other. I turn to Coby, who’s smiling brightly.

Dammit. I can’t hold back any longer. My hand moves almost on its own, reaching for his. The moment our skin touches, a spark ignites, sending a jolt straight to my chest. He turns to me, his gaze locking onto mine as I lace our fingers together.

His smile falters, his expression softening as he studies me. A flicker of vulnerability crosses his face. He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and I nod—a silent agreement, a truce, a surrender.

Coby’s lips twitch into a sly smile before he winks, pulling my hand gently onto his lap. Then, as if nothing monumental just happened, he shifts his attention back to the ceremony.

No words pass between us. We don’t need them. The connection is there, strong and undeniable. It never left. But now, more than ever, we know we need to find a way to make it work—to find a balance that won’t break us again.

I chew my bottom lip, my nerves tangling with anticipation. Coby’s thumb brushes over my hand, a comforting gesture that steadies me. I glance at him briefly before turning back to the screen just in time to see Kyle Watley entering the stadium.

He’s perched on a float shaped like a massive, curling wave, its shimmering surface reflecting the stadium lights. The float glides gracefully, circling the Olympic Stadium in a spectacle of artistry and engineering.

---