Page 10

CHAPTER 10

ELI

There’s so much freedom in flying. While I know it takes a lot of skill and coordination on my part, if you’re partnered well with your base crew, it can feel like they’re moving you around like an extension of their body.

It’s fluid and beautiful. All I have to do is listen to Jarrod’s strength and guidance, then let myself soar.

This is a very stunt heavy performance that Joelle has put together. I know it’s not any less demanding on the tumblers, either. Zeke has been coming home sore and exhausted from pushing himself.

But it’s exhilarating, too. Especially when we complete the whole routine without fucking up. That first time made everything worth it. Every frustration. Each ache. And every night we have to ice before bed. Even better is watching it play back.

I remember the first time watching one of my competition routines on the screen. We were nine, I think. The routine was the hardest thing we’d done to that point, but the magic in seeing us all come together for what felt like a flawless performance was everything. A kind of magic I can never put into words.

The equivalent of being five and truly enjoying the magic of Santa on Christmas morning. Like experiencing a magical book world coming to life before you on the big screen in surround sound. The chills that coat your body and you think, ‘ I did that.’

Not that we’ve made it to that point yet. I’m flawless, of course. I was born to be tossed around. Quite confident about that.

Jarrod tosses me into the air. My legs stretch out at the same time as his arms do and I shoot upwards. At my peak, I kick up my foot and do a rotation. It’s as exhilarating as it is terrifying as the world spins and I fall through the air. It’s a precarious moment when you have to just know the right moment to stretch back out again so your base crew can catch you.

I do. Hands cover me everywhere, and my legs are forced up so my weight lands solely with Jarrod again. He pushes me into the air on my hands. I balance, palm to palm, then stretch my legs wide.

My eyes remained locked with Jarrod’s. He’ll give me my cue to know when the teams behind and in front of us are done. Bea flies through my legs a mere foot from my crotch. Simultaneously, Xander flies through my legs over Bea, exchanging base crews.

Jarrod gives me a nod and I bring my legs together as he pushes me into the air. I flip and land with my feet on the ground. My feet only remain planted long enough to turn around so my back is to his chest again and he launches me back into the air.

The next few moves are solitary. They’re supposed to be in unison, with all six flyers performing in perfect synchronization. However, I hear Joelle yelling at Kelsey.

There’s a fine line between knowing what’s going on around me so I can make sure we’re not moving too quickly or too slowly while remaining locked in a world that is just me and my base team, and paying too much attention to other’s actions.

I land in Jarrod’s arms like a bride. My arms and legs are taken by the guys and girls around me as I’m arched into the air like a bridge. I come down before they regain momentum to toss me into the air. I splay my arms and legs out and then curl up.

Hands catch me as I tumble to the ground and come smoothly to stand on my feet. I turn, make the short run to Jarrod as I curl forward to spring off my hands, and launch myself toward him . His hand lands on my lower back as he tosses me into the air. I flip and land on my feet on his single palm.

There’s a moment where we sway slightly as we align ourselves, then I punch out with a loud cheer. He springs me up, and I flip a one-eighty in the air, coming back down toward him, face first this time.

Our hands come together, and he catches me. Taking a breath, I gingerly balance my one hand on his, as I lopsidedly starfish in the air.

Usually, I maintain eye contact with Jarrod the entire time. However, this next tossing stunt is where flyers on either side of me are supposed to go between my appendages. Except not just two.

This time, like a series of cannons, all five other flyers are supposed to go through my stretched arms and legs as Jarrod slowly rotates me. I stare at him for the first one, then feel Friday’s body glide by me with a breeze between my legs. The rotation continues, and Courtney goes between my arm and leg.

Another slow step and there’s a shout. I look up in time to see Kelsey flying far too fucking low. Her eyes go wide. She’s not going to hit me, but my base crew beneath me.

“Berta!” I shout.

Roberta spins as others do around my base to catch her. Jarrod takes a stumble backward, and I come falling toward the ground. He catches me sideways and other hands grab me all over to keep me from falling to the ground.

“Everyone okay?” Joelle asks.

I suck in a breath and close my eyes. “Yep,” I call.

More confirmation around me that my teammates are uninjured. Then the yelling begins.

“Kelsey, this is the last fucking time I warn you! Do you understand me? We will not lose this competition because you can’t get your shit together. You have the talent. You’re lacking your fucking drive and focus.”

“I’m trying!” Kelsey insists.

“No. You expect to be able to perform without effort. I’ve seen the difference in you. I will not risk my entire fucking squad while you decide whether you’re committed to this.”

“That’s not fair!”

“What’s not fair is one person screwing up this entire team. You nearly took out half a dozen of your teammates. Do you understand the severity of that screwup?” Joelle hollers. “You nearly injured six people—besides yourself—because you didn’t put enough power in your launch.”

“It’s not just me,” Kelsey insists. “I can’t fly through the air on my own.”

“But you need to be putting in at least the same, if not more power, behind every jump. You know that. You’ve been cheering since you were fucking three! This is it, Kelsey. I’m done. You have until tomorrow’s practice to figure out your shit or you’ll be replaced. Am I clear?”

The frustrated anger in Kelsey’s eyes turns to tears as she nods.

Joelle takes a breath. Jarrod finally sets me on the ground. I think everyone was frozen right how we were the moment Joelle began yelling.

“Okay?” I ask, meeting his eyes.

Jarrod nods. “You good?”

“Yep. My heart needs a break, though.”

I hear Bea snort. “For real.”

“Swap for now,” Joelle says. “Flyers have a seat. Tumblers, you’re up.”

The rest of practice is all about the other parts of the performance that don’t involve the mayhem in the air. When Joelle releases practice, I see Kelsey run across the room and launch herself into Nolan’s arms. I can only imagine the sob story she’s telling him.

“Everyone hates me,” Bea mimics in a whiny voice as she comes up beside me, eyes locked on Kelsey. “They’re always picking on me and making me be the bad guy. Like I’m the only one on the team. They’re so mean.”

“Can you really kick her off the team?” Xander asks.

Our attention turns to see he’s looking at Joelle.

“Yes. Even with darling old daddy dearest as the hockey coach. Bottom line, she’s going to cost us this competition. Since I record most of the practices, I have more than enough evidence than necessary should someone come back and give me a hard time. Not that I think they would. It looks good for the school and the program when we win,” Joelle answers. “Now forget about it for tonight. Get going. Go rest. I need you fresh in the morning. We’ll get the roundtable right.”

“It’ll be sick if we can master it,” Friday says in his dark, almost lazy voice. I’ll never understand how someone so emo-y goth chose to be a cheerleader. It’s wild, but he’s totally amazing.

When I follow the crowd out of the building, my eyes immediately land on a figure moving down the sidewalk. A smile climbs my face.

I’m sad to report I no longer feel the evidence of the mighty good fucking Edin gave me last weekend. I’ve been watching the schedule like a fucking stalker to see when he signs up again. So far, he hasn’t. I’ve also kept an eye out for him on campus, but we don’t cross paths often; this is the first time I’ve seen him since.

“Be right back,” I say to the peeps I’m walking with and jog across the street. He must see me coming because he looks my way.

At least this time when he meets my eyes, it’s not like when I approached him in the café. He’s surprised to see me but looks less… well, spooked. He even offers me a half smile.

“Hey, hockey dude,” I say.

I’m rewarded with a more genuine smile. “Hey… cheer dude,” he answers, glancing down at my cheer duds. His eyes move over me, and I’m guessing he can see I look like a sweaty mess. “You just have practice?”

I nod. “Yep. Nearly got plowed into by another flyer, but no one was injured.”

His eyes widen a little. “Really?”

“Yeah. Could have been an ambulance ride for a couple of us.” Me, since I was six feet in the air. Not that I think I’d have actually landed on my face. There were far too many people around to catch me. But still. There’s that split second when you’re falling, and the thought that it could be this fall that ends it all flashes in your mind. The flash is bright and loud when it’s an unplanned dismount.

“That’s… dangerous.”

“Says the hockey player,” I tease.

He grins and my heart jumps. Fuck, look at that. Edin has a stunning smile. “I’m wearing a mile of padding. You’re wearing —” His gaze moves over my body again and then meets my eyes. “Nothing.”

I laugh. “I’m always groped on the way down. Can’t feel that through a mile of padding,” I say, winking.

Edin rolls his eyes with a smirk that he fights to contain.

“Where you headed?” I ask.

His light demeanor disappears entirely and his expression turns wary. I already know his secret. It’s not like he’s heading to Confessions.

“To pick up my kid,” he answers.

“Right now?”

He stares at me. After a minute, he sighs. “Look. I’m not into guys. This is a gay-for-pay thing only. But even if I were into guys, I’m not into relationships of any kind. School. Hockey. Study. Kid. That’s it.”

“No time for friends?” I ask.

He frowns. I can see the moment he hesitates, but I’m disappointed when he shakes his head. “No. Sorry.”

Edin turns away from me and continues in the direction he’d been headed when I intercepted him. I watch him go, following just before he gets out of sight. I follow long enough to watch him walk through the door of the Omega Xi Lambda building.

Frowning, I cross my arms. How can he have a kid and live in a frat? Is that even a thing? But why would you ever lie about having a kid?

I’m pondering this as I head back to my own frat house. Kevin’s at the door wearing a walrus costume. He scans my card while I deliberate this information and the strange, cagey behavior. As soon as I turned the conversation to potentially hanging out, he closed up right away. Any peeks I was offered at who this man really is while we spoke of our respective sports vanished entirely.

Frustrating.

Extra frustrating because I can’t stop thinking of him and he’s an elusive little fuck.

I’m lying on my bed an hour later when there’s a knock on my door. It’s open, which I hadn’t realized. Nolan smiles at me.

Nolans hot as hell with these dark brown eyes and loose curly brown hair. The curls aren’t nearly as tightly wound as Edin’s and his hair is longer and a little shaggier. His body is just as fucking nice, though. As far as I know, Nolan Solace doesn’t play sports of any kind. He’s a gym junkie. That’s where his muscles come from.

We hung out a lot last year. To be more specific, we fucked around a lot last year. That’s how we started this year too until he got a girlfriend.

I have no idea what he sees in Kelsey. The girl is drama and a spoiled daddy’s girl who throws tantrums when she doesn’t get what she wants. I have to assume she’s a nice piece of ass or something.

“Hey,” he greets as he comes into my room. He climbs on the bed, lifting my head so he can lie down and I lean back so my head is against his thigh. His fingers go into my damp hair.

“What’s up?”

“Kelsey’s really upset,” he says.

I snort. “Did she tell you she nearly took out half the team because she’s not dedicating herself to what she’s supposed to be doing?”

Nolan’s hand pauses. “No.”

“Did she tell you she’s been fooling around and slacking off since the beginning of the year and now she’s got until tomorrow to nail a super challenging routine or she’s being replaced?”

“An abridged version of that.”

“You mean a bullshit version of that.”

Nolan sighs. “She makes it sound like she’s constantly picked on and given the most challenging routines with no support.”

I shift to look at him. Nolan meets my eyes. “Two questions—you’ve been to my performances before. You’ve seen me fly. Have I ever complained about how difficult my particular role is?”

He smirks. “No.”

“Two—you’ve known Kelsey a while now. What do you really think about the shit she’s fed you?”

He sighs again. “That’s what I thought and why I’m asking.”

“She’s an attention whore,” I say, laying back on my back. His hand resumes playing in my hair. “She also expects to be an innate master of everything with very little effort. We play to win, Nolan. She’s had a month’s worth of chances. Joelle’s finished with her excuses and laziness. We’re not going to set ourselves up to lose to keep a crybaby on the squad who has proven all year she’s not a team player.”

“She says no one was willing to stay after with her to get some extra practice in.”

“We have all worked our asses off on this routine. Except Kels. Why the hell should the rest of us give up our free time when she’s finally ready to get her head out of her ass, Nolan?”

He nods silently. I can tell he wants to defend Kelsey, but he’s coming up short on how to do so effectively. He knows I’m right.

“Why are you with her, anyway? She that good in bed?”

Nolan laughs. “She’s sweet. I really like her.”

I snort. Yep, don’t believe that at all.