Going for Gold by Ivy Smoak Page B

said. "There's a difference between loving someone and
being in love with someone. Bryce and I love you like a brother. But we aren't
in love with you, man."
    Tim shrugged. "I really don't understand the
difference."
    "Do we need to draw you a picture?" Bryce asked and
started laughing.
    His laughter was infectious. Soon I was laughing and couldn't
stop. I thought that our friends announcing that we were attracted to each
other would take the night on an awkward turn. But who was I kidding? I thought
Bryce was hot. And sweet. And funny. It was nice to know that he was attracted
to me too. I was still laughing when I looked up at him.
    There was that twinkle in his blue eyes again. It took my
breath away. And I knew I was in trouble, because I didn't ever want to look
away from those eyes.
    "Can I steal you for a second?" Bryce asked.
    Kristen gave me two thumbs up, not subtly at all.
    "Um, yeah, sure." I slid out of the booth after
him. "I was hoping to get some water from the bar."
    "I noticed that you weren't drinking any wine." His
hand fell onto my lower back again. Those really big, manly hands. Stop it.
    "We have a game tomorrow. I really shouldn't be
drinking."
    He nodded. "My race is on Wednesday. I'm going to skip
the wine too." His hand left my back and he waved down the bartender. He
ordered two waters and leaned against the bar. "Where are you from?"
    That wasn't what I was expecting him to ask me.
"Wilmington, Delaware. You?"
    "Pasadena most recently. I've moved a lot. Did you go to
school in Delaware?"
    "I went to the University of New Castle for the last
three years. I just graduated."
    "What about for freshman year?"
    I felt that familiar lump forming in my throat. I tried to
swallow it down. "NYCU."
    "Why'd you transfer?"
    Our waters had arrived, but Bryce made no movement to head
back to our table. He was staring at me intently, waiting for me to respond.
    "You don't have to..."
    "No. It's fine. It was so long ago." I smiled,
pretending it was nothing. "It was silly, really. There was this girl who
played the same position as me. She wasn't happy that a freshman was competing
for the same spot as her on the team. And she didn't take it well. She hazed
me. At least, that's how she put it."
    Bryce lowered his eyebrows slightly. "How would you put
it?"
    "She bullied me until I broke and ran home. I don't
know. Like I said, it was silly." I laughed awkwardly.
    "It's not silly."
    Something in my chest tightened. Chris had always told me it
was stupid and that I should get over it. That it shouldn't bother me anymore.
But he didn't understand. He didn't know what it felt like to be humiliated
every day for months. To dread leaving your dorm room each morning. To always
be on edge. Bryce wasn't looking at me like he thought I was ridiculous. He was
looking at me like he understood. "And how would you know what it's like
to be bullied? Bullies don't pick on guys that look like you."
    "I didn't always look like this. I was a scrawny little
kid."
    "I can't picture you as scrawny or little."
    He shrugged. "Let's just say that I run because I had
something to run from."
    He wasn't just handsome, sweet, and funny. He was real. And
honest. I barely knew him, but I trusted him more than I had ever trusted
Chris. I wanted to know what he was running from. Actually, I wanted to know
everything about him. But before I could ask, he had another question.
    "How complicated is it?"
    I sat down on the stool beside him. "Complicated."
    "Enlighten me."
    I bit my lip. I wanted to know more about him. I didn't want
to talk about Chris. Maybe it wasn't complicated at all. "He cheated on
me."
    "Then he must be an idiot."
    I laughed. "Thanks for saying that."
    "I don't really see the complication, though."
    "We've been dating for two years. He made one
mistake." That I know of. "I don't know if that means I should
throw it all away. And you've seen what people do in the middle of the
athlete's village..."
    "Wait, he's here?"
    "Yeah, he's