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I laughed.

“Oh, as if you were any different. We work out as if our lives depend on it, hence the bodies of ripped athletes.”

“I know, and I love having a hot girlfriend.” Kendra concluded, going back to bed, but I felt like she hadn't realized that she called me her girlfriend so naturally. I didn't repeat the word or call her attention to it, I just accepted the fact that she said what she said and kept that as a singular moment in my heart.

I played the film and enjoyed the moment watching the film and petting Kendra's hair.

“I think a lot of things in my life today can be explained by having a crush on Kristen Dunst when I was little.” I commented at some point in the film, but Kendra had already fallen asleep.

Mom was gone, but instead of feeling some kind of relief, I felt sadness, and that was new. At the same time, I was happy to feel it.

Colleen seemed to have accepted defeat, my cousin was still upset, of course, but instead of being sad and bitter, she took a deep breath and came up with a new plan. Which she even called me to comment on. After all, she wasn't just going to quit cheerleading, she was going to graduate and that was a big deal. A new phase of her life would begin in June of the next year and seeing her excited about it and the things she was doing was incredible.

My mind was racing during practice that day. For the first time in a while, I felt excited about working out again. There was something new and special about training with Veronica and watching her excel at what she did. It was even a bit thrilling.

“Hey, if you keep staring at the poor thing like that, she might fall from the top from the intensity.” Sid commented softly, sitting next to me.

A hearty laugh escaped me.

“I don't think that's the case.”

“Right… You two are very close, Ken. What's going on?” Sid looked at me curiously. Sidney Arket was a good friend and I knew she only wanted the best for me, but I didn't feel ready yet.

“Nothing, we're just being good friends.”

She nodded, but then added: “I don't want you to break your heart.”

“I am not going to.” I assured her, letting my head fall and rest against her shoulder. “Thanks for worrying, Sid.”

Her fingers quickly wrapped around mine, squeezing my hand.

“Anytime, Ken.”

The rest of the training was uneventful. When asked, I did my jumps and, remarkably, even received a compliment from Karlee. At the end of the day, we were all destroyed looking at Karlee and the television she had set up in the gym, where we reviewed our moves.

Some improvements were pointed out by the coach, Evan and even the other teammates. A whole hour was dedicated to that and only after a pep talk from Becker about union, team and achievements we were dismissed.

I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulders without much care. Then, I pulled out my sweatshirt and draped it over me, leaving my arms out of the sleeves.

“Hey… How about we get some coffee?” Veronica appeared next to me with a tired expression.

“I think it's a good idea.”

We walked out of the gym, and my girl grabbed my bag, giving me a look of disbelief as the first gust of wind hit us.

“Put your coat on, Kendra Alexandra Winfrey!” She complained, calling me by my full name.

“Wow, yes, ma'am!” I joked, doing exactly what she asked. “How can someone be so small and so bossy?”

“We're both bossy, love.” It wasn't a lie.

I took Colleen's car keys and unlocked it. Since my cousin wouldn’t be able to drive for a while, I ended up using her car for myself, which worked out perfectly. We both got in, and I started the engine, turning on the heater for a bit. I tossed our bags into the backseat and leaned over to kiss Veronica. She smiled at the touch of my hand on her chin before closing her eyes and kissing me back. We were both sweaty and gross, but I didn’t care—I needed to kiss her. Going a whole day without doing so felt like a crime.

The parking lot was almost empty, and the car’s tinted windows gave us privacy. I felt completely at ease kissing her in that moment.

Her soft mouth left me in command, but her fingers tightened around the back of my neck, pulling me closer and closer to her. I let my hand go down Veronica's body, feeling her breast over her sweatshirt until it reached the hem of the piece, invading it calmly. Her skin felt hot, as she had only been training in her top for a few minutes.

Her mouth went down to my neck and a low moan escaped me.