I dismount with a double tuck, landing it roughly. I feel the reverberation from my heels all the way to my scalp. With my exhale, I let all the frustration and disappointment out, then I turn to the judges and salute again. I force a smile, but at this point, I’d probably be better not to. It must look pained anyway.
I don’t wave as I walk away like I did at the floor, but I don’t allow myself to break either. The only thing I want to do right now is run to the bathroom and let myself feel whatever it is I’m feeling, but that’s not who I am. I registered for a competition, and I’m going to finish it, no matter how badly my heart is breaking.
After all, my sports ethics might be the only thing left of my career in gymnastics.
Chapter 12
Lexie
It’sbarely8:00a.m.four days later when I leave my place and come face-to-face with a half-naked man chopping wood right in front of my front porch, grunting with the strain of his movements.
My feet stall as I stare. And stare.
Did I mention he was shirtless?
Finn wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t need to buff up. Sure, I can best him during plank contests, but that has nothing to do with his physique.
Because what the…
I never wondered what he looked like under his flannel shirts and loose hoodies, but now that I’ve seen it, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the image. The way the muscles in his back contract as he lifts the hatchet in the air before dropping it into the log, breaking the piece of wood in two. The drop of sweat sliding down between his bunched shoulder blades. The part of his lips as he cracks yet another log in two, then in four.
Something clenches in my belly at the sight of all that man standing in front of me, my grip tightening around the plastic handles of my laundry basket.
Stop it. I’m the creep, now. He hasn’t even noticed I’ve come out of the cabin.
I clear my throat. “This looks an awful lot like the intro of a shitty porn movie,” I tease by way of a greeting.
He jerks at the sound of my voice, but quickly recovers. “And wouldn’t you like that.” He drops his hatchet to the ground then stands tall, not even trying to hide himself. “Plus, I’d lean more towards the high quality shit.” He smirks then, the move dripping with self-confidence.
“And here I was, thinking you couldn’t sound more like a douche.”
Finn laughs as he walks toward the pile of discarded clothes on the ground, then puts on a white T-shirt, followed by his coat. All the while, I trace the outline of his chest, regretting for a second that I said something and made him dress back up.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“I thought you might need more wood for the fireplace,” he explains as he gathers some of the logs and walks up the cabin’s stairs. Pointing to the door, he asks, “Can I?”
“Oh, sure.” I open it for him, then go grab a pile of logs for myself and bring them next to his. “Thanks for that. You didn’t have to.”
“Course.”
We return outside and bring the rest of the wood inside. Once we’re done, Finn doesn’t linger inside, so I follow him out onto the porch.
“What’s that?” Finn asks, his eyes on my laundry.
“You have a way of asking very obvious questions, don’t you?”
He gives me the stink eye. “I meant, where were you going with that?”
“Laundromat.
“Why?”
“Because there’s no washer in here?” I say, brows high. “Shouldn’t you know that?”
“I do, I just…didn’t think about it.”
“Clearly,” I say with a grin, then lean down to grab my basket. “I need to get to it before it gets too crowded, but thanks for the wood.”
