Page 6 of Avalanche
I do my best to emulate Tessa’s style—the fluid way she moves over her board, the effortless bend of her knees as she sinks onto an edge. My quads tremble with exhaustion. I wonder how much of it shows in my turns. If a keen-eyed observer would be able to take one look at me and tell how much each turn costs me. If, without my uniform, I’d look like any other student trailing after their instructor.
I’ll just have to work harder.
It’s eight at night by the time I get home from the gym, my skin glowing from exercise and the heat of the shower, my body buzzing with endorphins. I followed Tessa’s advice, opting for a swim instead of a run, forgoing my usual routine of squats and weighted leg-lifts. Resting. Surely even she would have to agree that swimming counts as resting.
“Who are you?” Eddie deadpans as I bend to peel off my winter boots. My legs burn with the movement, my knees crackling faintly. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before—do you live here?”
I shoot him a mock glare, then give an undignified whimper when something sharp twinges above my knee, forcing me to brace myself on the closed door for balance.
“Very funny,” I grit out, giving my boot a hard tug. The force of it has me tumbling backwards, half sliding against the doorframe to land amongst a pile of discarded coats and winter boots. I let out a surprised chuckle, then triumphantly pull my boot free.
“Dinner is ready,” Seth calls out from the kitchen. His head appears momentarily above the ever-growing wall of beer cans. “Hope you’re hungry. I made meatballs.”
My stomach rumbles, my head spinning as I pull my second boot free.
“Did you say dinner?” Matty peers out from his bedroom, his face barely visible at the far end of the dimly lit hallway. His eyes land on me, and a smile flashes, practically lighting up the darkness of our condo with its brilliance. “Baby,” he breathes. “You’re home.”
Home.
I smile back at him, that word settling over my aching body like the sweetest of balms. Matty is in front of me before I know it, practically sprinting down the hallway until he’s hauling me up off the ground, pulling me against him. My senses fill with the scent of him—shampoo and soap and the hint of body-spray. And him, sweet and masculine and strong.
“Fucking finally.”
A door slams open at the far end of the hallway and Liam slinks through, closely followed by Antoine. The pair of them are hand in hand, lips swollen, eyes glazed. Faint marks of stubble and teeth darken Antoine’s throat.
I bite back a smile at the sight of them.
“Seth wouldn’t let us eat until you got home,” Liam gripes.
“Mon chou,” Antoine chides, tugging on Liam’s arm. “You’re acting like it’s midnight. Who eats dinner before eight at night anyway?”
“Um, most people.” Eddie retorts, launching himself from where he’s sprawled across the couch. He grins at me, then shoots Matty a look of challenge before swatting me on my backside. I gasp in surprise at the sharp sting. Matty lunges for him, but Eddie darts away, skirting out of Matty’s reach, heading into the kitchen and the safety of Seth’s presence.
“You guys shouldn’t have waited.” Guilt twists in my stomach alongside hunger. I’ve told them this before, I’m sure I have. “It’s not your job to feed me.”
Liam releases his hold on Antoine to stalk over to me, pushing Matty aside in the process. At first, I think he’s going to kiss me and I freeze, stunned at the rare show of affection. He leans forward, but instead of slanting his lips against mine, he drags his nose along the column of my throat, sniffing me. Heat rushes through me, a pale shimmer of want below the blanket of exhaustion. Liam pulls back, his eyes narrowing. “Why do you smell like the soap at the gym?”
I square my shoulders defensively. “I was just swimming laps.”
“You were training.” He drops the words like an accusation.
“No, I was swimming.”
“She basically fell over the moment she came home,” Eddie chips in unhelpfully, grinning gleefully from the kitchen. “Couldn’t even get her boots off.”
Matty shoots me a concerned look. “Baby, is that true?”
“I just sat down,” I argue weakly.
“Unintentionally,” Eddie points out. “Which is the definition of falling.”
Liam lifts his phone from his pocket, waving it as if it is proof of whatever point he’s trying to make. “Tessa texted me. She said that she told you to take a break from training.”
He grips my chin in his hands, forcing me to meet his eyes with my own. His eyes look like storm clouds, dark and heavy. I swallow.
“Swimming laps is not taking a break, is it love?” The words come out on a low purr.
I shake my head, warmth blooming beneath my skin at his touch. “No,” I whisper.
