Page 82 of All of You

“Swim what out?”

“Life?” I shrug.

Langdon laughs. “I get that. Not with swimming but, you know, diving. The concentration forces me out of my own thoughts.”

I glance at him. “I hear you’re pretty good.”

He shrugs. “Do you want a ride home?”

I think it over briefly before nodding. “Sure. Let me call Gramps to let him know. I wasn’t sure what time I’d be done so he isn’t coming until I call him.”

“Everything okay?” he asks as I follow him to his truck.

Is it? I don’t know. I have no claim on you Langdon but I want to.I feel like I’m staring at a wall—a plain blank wall—expecting something incredible to magically happen. Waiting. Hoping.And then nothing does. It’s just a wall. I’m so tired and spent. Mentally drained. I pull my wet hair over one shoulder. It’s not fair to be mad at him. He hasn’t done anything wrong exactly.

“I’m fine. How’s the new girl?” I’m instantly irritated at myself for calling her that.

“She’s… fine.”

My calm, swimmed-out gut coils. “What does that mean?”

“Just that she will fit right in with Hailie and Campbell and friends.”Of course, she will.

“So with you. She’ll fit right in with you.” I state.

Again he shrugs. “Yeah, I guess. I don’t really care if I’m honest. She’s pretty and all but I kinda like someone else.”

“Oh yeah?” I ask.

Langdon opens my door for me, smirks and nods.

In the truck, I ask Langdon if he minds if I change quickly. He says not at all, which strikes me as funny but I crawl into the tiny back seat and start the awkward process of removing my borrowed team suit under my clothes.

“No peeking,” I say.

The sun is nearly set. Reminding me that besides swim season, I hate this time of year. I get moody when it’s dark out by five pm and still dark out when I wake in the morning. I’m a sunshine girl through and through.

I’m stuck as we hit a pothole. My arms are inside my sweatshirt and one strap of my wet suit is refusing to release my arm. In the rearview, I catch Langdon watching mechange.

“Hey! Are you watching me?” I ask.

He shakes his head no. I shoot laser daggers at him from my eyeballs.

“Okay, maybe but only like, this much” Langdon pinches the air.

I snort. My arm slips out and I jab my arms through my sweatshirt sleeves. Well…actually…Langdon’s sweatshirt. Watching him in the mirror, with stealth I wasn’t sure I had, I get one leg out of the suit without flashing anyone and then tug the suit out of the opposite pant leg. Even though I’m commando, I feel a thousand times better than wearing a damp suit under clothes.

I fumble my way back to the front seat.

“Nicely done,” Langdon says with a smirk.

“You were totally hoping for a nip slip.”

“Can you blame me?” he asks.

Laughing, I shake my head. “I guess not. I admit I’m looking forward to seeing you in a Speedo this season.”

Langdon blushes and groans. “I hate them. Do you know what it’s like standing on a board in front of hundreds of people essentially naked? It’s embarrassing as hell.”