Page 92 of Beyond the Stroke

“You told him?” I direct my question to Logan.

While I’d told Eli, Logan, and Charlie about my arrangement with Summer, I didn’t plan to share the details with the entire team.

“Actually, I told him.” Finn nods from the chair where he’s got his nose in his phone.

“Who told you?” I ask.

“Shit. He must have overheard Eli and me talking about it.”

Finn smirks, his eyes still focused on his phone. “If I had a roommate that looked like Summer, we’d be fucking.”

Logan lets out a low whistle and Eli flicks Finn on the back of the head before I reach out and yank his phone out of his hands.

“What the—” Finn looks up at me.

My eyes sharpen on him. “That’s my wife you’re talking about.”

“Oh, shit.” His eyes widen with the realization that he spoke before his brain even processed what it was saying. “Sorry,” he mumbles, sinking farther into the chair.

“Rory and Summer’s relationship is off limits,” Eli announces. “We’re a team and we support each other.”

“And if we find out you’re talking about them, you’ll be sent to Spruce to get your asshole waxed,” Logan chimes in.

“Wait—what?” Xio blurts, panic creeping into his voice.

“It’s a special brand of torture that will help you remember to keep your mouth shut.”

“Why your asshole?” Finn asks.

“Because it hurts like hell, that’s why.” There’s an annoyed edge to Logan’s voice.

“How do you know?” Xio asks.

Logan shakes his head. “No more questions.”

“You said we’re a team.” Xio motions to the group. “What about Connor? Are we supposed to hate this guy or just ignore him?”

After practice, I’d sat in the ice bath to help with my knee and shoulder stiffness. Making sure Connor knew his place had made me train harder than I would have normally. When Coach had us at eighty-percent, I was giving close to one-hundred. It’s not sustainable but I needed to set a precedent today.

Even if I have nothing to prove, Connor joining the Current is a punch-in-the-gut reminder that everything’s changing, and my time in the pool might be running out.

“Yeah. What do you want us to do about Connor?” Charlie asks.

“Still can’t believe he showed up. And that Coach agreed to train him,” Logan says.

Eli grabs a taco from the pile. “I can’t speak for Owens but he must see something in the guy.”

“He’s a phenomenal swimmer,” Xio says, his gaze far-off like he’s starstruck. “His Paris swim for the two-hundred individual medley was flawless.”

Logan nods. “Shitty character and self-centered, but Xio’s right, there’s no debating his skill.”

With all the back-and-forth comments, I finally respond. “You guys don’t have to ice him out on my account.”

Logan shakes his head. “We won’t have to do anything, Connor is a lone wolf, he’ll keep to himself.”

Logan is right. Connor’s career has been built off his egoism. He’s always put himself first, disregarding how his actions affect others. While swimming is an individual sport, the grueling training and strict lifestyle makes it important to have a support system and team that you can rely on. Owens mentioned that Connor was looking for a team dynamic, but unless he changes how he interacts with others, he’s not going to benefit from the close-knit training group we have at the Current. And while I’m the team captain and enjoy helping others, I put my effort and mentorship into Connor once and I got burned.

Xio sighs.

---