Page 49 of Catch
“Not like that. He thinks Renner’s up to something.”
“Have you and Ethan, you know—” Archie starts.
“No.” I swallow hard. “Absolutely not.”
Hudson nudges my arm.
“Are you sure? He looks like he wants to devour you.”
“Are you guys coming or what?” Felix interrupts, and not a moment too soon.
I try to forget about this entire conversation as we get Okto into the water and push off the dock.
With Ethan in the boat not far away, however, I’m finding it difficult to breathe, never mind row.
The wind’s picked up and big clouds roll in. There’s no rain or lightning, but there’s a heaviness to the air and it feels like a storm’s coming.
After several rocky strokes, Felix gives me a look that saysget your head out of your ass and do it now.
Ethan’s a spectator, nothing else, I tell myself.
Once we’re five minutes in, my muscles are loose and my head’s finally on track. Despite the clouds, it’s a perfect fall day, crisp and cool. I think about the regatta tomorrow, and bringing home that win is the only thing I want. Well, one of the things. I also want to ace my next term paper, and maybe find a cute guy to flirt with. I might not be looking for another relationship, but there’s no harm in a fun hookup. In fact, given how frustrated I’ve been lately, it’s exactly what I need.
Lin and Felix put us through gentle paces, and I’m uncharacteristically aware of Ethan watching me the whole time we’re training. It doesn’t put me off course, but it takes everything I have to remain calm and in control—and to not push too hard. For some weird reason, I want to show off, and that’s not like me at all. I row because I want to beat my best, I want to win, not because I want adulation.
After forty-five minutes, Lin signals that we’re done. It’s never good to push too hard the day before a race; it’s about getting ourselves primed for the big event.
When we make it back to the dock, we haul our gear out of the water, and once everything’s locked up, Ethan joins us.
“So, when can we start my lessons?” he asks me.
“You’re not gonna let that go either?”
Ethan shakes his head.
“I’ll do it,” Iggy volunteers.
Archie and Hudson give Iggy a look, and he shrugs his shoulders.
“What? I have time on Wednesdays. I’m just saying.”
“I already promised Ethan,” I interrupt, even though I did no such thing. “And I don’t go back on my word.”
The second part is true. Ethan smiles at me and then at my teammate.
“Thanks for the offer, Iggy. If Jett cancels, I’ll take you up on it.”
“No problem.”
Ethan turns to me and offers his hand. “Here, give me your backpack.”
The Crew goes silent as everyone stares at us.
“I can manage, but thanks.”
“I’m starving,” Hudson remarks and breaks the tension. “I think I need three burgers.”
“Don’t do that,” Archie replies. “We don’t want extra weight in the shell.”
