Page 52 of In Too Deep

My body reacts before I can contain it, and I jump up and down on the spot before the tension ebbs and tears continue to stream down my face. I’m so proud of him. He beat the odds—no coach, no family—and he did it all on his own merits.

He races over to the commentator to give his interview, and I take in some much-needed deep breaths. I can only imagine how excited he is right now. Pacing the marshalling area, waiting for him to come back, I try to rein in my tears before he arrives. He doesn’t need to see me as a blubbering mess.

After he has finished all his obligations, I turn and watch him coming into the marshalling area. Smiling when he finally reaches me, I grab and pull him behind the partition, pushing him against the wall and kissing him hard. He chuckles against my lips but kisses me back as he runs his fingers through my wet hair. He holds me while our tongues collide in a passionate, all-encompassing kiss. I can’t stop the tears from running down my cheeks again as a wave of emotion flows over me.

I’m so proud ofhim.

So happy forhim.

So honoured that he wants me like I wanthim.

Coby pulls back and brings his hand up to my cheek, wiping away the tears.

“I’m so proud of you.”

He smiles, his forehead leaning against mine. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

I scoff. “Bullshit! It was all your hard work that got you there.”

“But I’ve been off my game with this shit with my dad, and since you came back into my life, everything’s fallen back into place.”

Smiling, I lean forward, kissing him again. The fire inside me ignites, and I clench my thighs together to dull the ache between my legs as I push my body against his. His arm slips around my waist, pulling me closer as his thumb traces slow, gentle circles on my cheek. Kissing him feels like stepping into the pages of a romance novel—like living a moment straight out of a timeless epic. It’s the kind of kiss that makes you believe in fairy tales, makes you wonder if they aren’t just fanciful stories but glimpses of something real. True happiness exists. You just have to find the one person who makes it feel possible.

We finally pull apart. I take a deep breath, gazing into his deep blue eyes. “You should probably go and get ready for your ceremony. You’re getting a freakinggold medal!”

He laughs. “Be waiting for me when I get back, understand?”

Nodding, I pull away, and he smirks.

“Oh, and pushing me against the wall… totally hot,” he quips, throwing a wink over his shoulder as he saunters away.

I can’t help it—a laugh bubbles out of me, light and carefree. As his footsteps fade, I let out a long, shaky breath, the tension of the moment unravelling. My smile lingers for a heartbeat, but then I slump against the wall, the weight of everything catching up to me.

Shaking my head, I close my eyes for a moment, trying to ground myself. My pulse is still racing, my thoughts a tangled mess of exhilaration and uncertainty.

Then, with a final deep breath, I straighten up, brushing my hands down my sides.

Time to pull it together.

***

There’s a small party for the swimmers being held in the Athletes’ Services Area Lounge after today’s competition is complete. We’d head there as a foursome to meet some of the other swimmers and to celebrate Coby’s gold and win for Australia.

We arrive at the lounge, and it’s not a party as such, it’s just more of drinks and nibbles while we watch the highlights of the day’s events on the large screens. The swimmers from other countries are here too. In fact, the entire swimming syndicate is here to celebrate tonight.

It’s great for us all to be together. We’re having fun. The guys were dragged off a little while ago by some other swimmers, leaving Caro and me to fend for ourselves, but we don’t mind because we love hanging together. Anna and Marta, the English swimmers, start handing out cups of soda to random people. I guess they’re trying to make up for being arseholes. Marta gives a cup to Caro and me and smiles as she waltzes off without saying anything.

“Weird!They’re actually trying to be nice now?” I ask as Caro takes a big sip from her cup just as the guys come back with some unopened bottles of water.

“Hey, where did you get the drinks from?” East asks.

“The Brits, they’re handing them out,” Caro tells him.

Coby and East glance at each other before snatching our cups and throwing them into the nearest bin.

Caro furrows her brows. “Um… what’s that about?”

“As much as I like to trust people, I don’t. And you girls shouldn’t either,” East warns us.

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