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“You know, when you say things like that, I can almost see why Josie’s interested in you.” Teasing has always been my default when I don’t want to accept whatever else I’m feeling.

Laughing, he stands up. “Trust me, I know I hit the lottery with her.”

“Good.” I grin back. “You’d be stupid to fuck it up.”

“Never,” he promises. “But Kat?”

“Hmm?” I question around a sip of coffee.

“What I said applies to the boyfriend, too. If he doesn’t see you or care about you, maybe it’s time to find someone who will.”

No one has ever said it to me so plainly. I know Liam and Nadine both think Will is a dick, but neither one has ever said it. They tiptoe around it, avoiding him when we’re at events together or when I bring him up in conversation. There have been so many signs. Signs telling me to abandon ship and look for higher ground, but I don’t listen to them.

What if higher ground is just as unstable? What if this is the best I can get and I let it go? What if this really is as good as it gets for me?

There’s a loud clank, followed by a horrid grinding sound from the outside pool. Both Bryce and I look panicked, but I’m grateful for the save. I stand up as well. “I should go see what that’s about.”

He nods. “Just think about what I said, okay?”

“I will,” I promise, because I’m sure I won’t be able to think of anything else.

February2024

How much groveling do I have to do to get you to forgive me?

The text message has been sitting on read for days. Not because I’m avoiding her, but because I’m not sure how to respond to it. I can’t pretend I wasn’t stunned by the phone call, but she hadn’t offended me. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about when it comes to the sport and the expectations placed on me, and I can’t fault her for that. There are a lot of people who know nothing about swimming.

That has always bugged Bryce more than me. I get his frustration, but I don’t see the point in fighting to get people to care about something that’s important to me. The people who do care and matter are the ones who show up—that’s a philosophy that has served me well in both my personal life and my career. Bryce sees it differently, though. Which is why he confronted her; he was looking out for me and the sport we love. I wish he would have let me handle it.

Kat might have stepped over some professional lines, but she shouldn’t feel like groveling for forgiveness is the only way to fix it.

Which is why I ultimately decide to call her. I’m not sure she’ll even pick up after I ignored her message for so long, but I have to try.

Eventually, the ringing cuts out. “Hey.”

She sounds so tentative, so unsure of herself. I instantly hate it. Hate that she’s not sure how to talk to me. “Hey, you had a question about groveling for forgiveness or something?”

“I texted you that days ago.”

“I know,” I reply, “and I shouldn’t have waited so long to respond. I am sorry about that, but, Kat, there’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Are you crazy? Of course I did! I was rude and unprofessional.”

Katrina Dalton could give Bryce Clark a run for his money. They’re both ridiculously stubborn, which makes their weird feud at the start of this make a lot more sense.

“The way I see it, you were watching out for my business, and by extent, my best friend. You can’t help what you don’t know, and it sounded like I was taking advantage of Bryce. I would have had the same reaction if I were in your shoes.”

I can’t say I would have called someone out the way she did, but hey, we can’t all have the same level of confidence.

“Well, I get it now,” she assures me. “Or, at least, I get it more than I previously did. Bryce made sure of that.”

I rub at my forehead. “He shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. I was planning to talk to you about it.”

“Don’t be mad at him. I’m glad he did it. It’s not just about you, Carter.”

“Wow, way to make a guy feel special,” I joke, mock horror seeped into every word.

It has the desired effect as she giggles into the phone, the sound melodic in my ear. “You know what I mean! I’ve been treating Bryce just as unfairly, questioning every design choice you guys made with Liam; he had a right to be mad at me, too.”