Undertow: A Forbidden Love College Sports Romance (Rising Tides Book 1)

by Kaia Knight

  “You okay, man?” Kevin asked. “You’re shaking.”

  “I’m good. That was just crazy how close they were.”

  “Yeah, well you asked for action, didn’t you?”

  “Not that kind of action. That guy was a major douche. Most of our victims are unconscious…maybe it’s for the better.”

  Kevin snorted. “I’m glad he lost his phone. That’s karma for ya…smack a whale with a paddle and that’s what you get.”

  Gabriel looked down at his trembling hands. Was that a sign, O Whale Gods? He grimaced as he recalled the powerful lightning storm when he was last on the ocean with Kailani. Uh—no disrespect. Don’t smite me.

  He shook his head and came to his senses, realizing that his partner was still eying him carefully. I’m talking to animals in my mind. I’ve officially lost it.

  The rest of his shift was uneventful. As Gabriel slumped towards his truck for the drive home, an empty ache filled him at the silence he knew awaited him. But when he checked his phone, his heart leapt.

  3 unread messages

  He scrambled to punch in the passcode, messing up several times in his haste. As he scanned the messages, his spirits sank slightly. Eli had texted him while he was out on the boat, each message several hours apart. Of course it isn’t her. She doesn’t have a phone, you idiot.

  Eli: hey dude, I have the day off tomorrow, mind if I drive down and spend the night?

  Eli: well I’m heading your way now, so I’ll assume it’s a yes. good thing I have a key.

  Eli: wow. slob. what did you do to this place?

  Gabriel winced. He had not been expecting company anytime soon, and he had allowed himself to wallow as the dishes piled higher each day.

  Gabriel: payback for all your dishes I clean back at our place. I also wouldn’t say no to a hot meal waiting for me.

  Gabriel chuckled as he immediately saw the three dots pop up on the screen, imagining Eli’s outrage. He shifted the truck into reverse, feeling lighter knowing that his brother would be spending the weekend with him.

  “Honey, I’m home,” Gabriel called as he walked into the foyer, and stopped in shock. “Dude! You weren’t actually supposed to clean. I was kidding!”

  Eli walked into view, shrugging. “I didn’t want to contract any diseases while I’m here.”

  Gabriel studied his face but didn’t find any hint of pity there. “If that were true, you wouldn’t sleep around,” he shot back.

  “Hey, that’s low. Now I don’t feel bad telling you I didn’t make dinner. You know I can’t cook. I’ve been dying since you left.”

  Gabriel laughed and headed for the refrigerator, pulling out several tupperware containers. He heated up a few meals and shrugged his coat back on. “Wanna eat by the water, like old times?”

  They rocked on the dock that they had spent a childhood fishing and skipping rocks from. They joked as they ate, and with every volley of banter, the heaviness in Gabriel’s chest lifted.

  “Thanks for visiting.” Gabriel set aside his bowl and stared over the ocean. “It’s kinda eerie being here alone, you know? Not like I’m home often. They keep me busy with training and responding to calls, but still. I think it’ll take time to get used to it.”

  Eli raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t this supposed to be the dream?”

  Gabriel picked at the wood splintering between the rough boards of the dock. “Something like that. I think it’s just… I didn’t realize until I left how much I’d miss coaching. The team has a home meet today, and I can’t stop thinking about whether Maria dropped time in her freestyle, or if Latisha has race anxiety again. I think I built this rescue job up so much that reality will never compete with what I imagined.”

  Eli nodded, spearing a bite with his fork. “Maybe you didn’t want to admit how much you loved coaching because you try so hard to not be like Dad.”

  Gabriel shrugged, and the gentle swell of the ocean smoothed the silence that settled between them.

  “So, how are things with you and Kailani?”

  “What do you mean? We haven’t even talked since the Fall Festival. The athletic director told me we had to cut off communication with each other, or we could get in even more trouble.”

  Eli made a show of looking around him and scratching his head. “Huh, that’s funny, is the athletic director here?”

  “What?”

  “How is he going to know if you talked? Plus, you’re not her coach anymore. Screw what he said. You’re such a goodie two-shoes.”

  “Eli. If I were a goodie-two-shoes, I wouldn’t be in this position, would I?”

  “Whatever. Can I borrow your phone?” Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Gabriel’s phone from his lap, tapping the screen with his thumb as he squinted at his own phone.

  “What are you doing?” Gabriel leaned forward, but Eli jerked away with a grin.

  “Add contact...save...and done.” Eli turned the screen towards Gabriel with a smirk. “Now you can call her.”

  “Good joke, you know she doesn’t have a phone.”

  Eli shrugged and fixed his eyes back on the screen, slowly narrating as he texted. “Hi Kai, this is Gabe…”

  “I’m not falling for this again. You played this game last year with Chantall’s number, remember? Your buddy from work still gives me shit about the things I thought I texted her.”

  Eli barked a laugh. “I forgot about that. But no, this time is for real.”

  “Like I’m going to believe that.”

  “Then I guess you won’t mind if I call? Since it won’t—ow!”

  Gabriel dove on top of Eli as he hovered his thumb over her contact. He grabbed Eli’s wrist and wrestled the phone out of his hand, but Eli bucked him off, sending the phone skidding along the dock. They both froze as it halted a few feet from the water. They exchanged a glance, grinning, before Eli lunged at him. Gabriel grappled with him until Eli’s cheek was pressed against the wooden planks, yelling his surrender through breathless, high-pitched laughter.

  Gabriel let him up and went to retrieve his phone. His eyebrows furrowed when he glanced at the screen’s outgoing call, which was now well over a minute. He brought the phone to his ear. Silence. Then a dial tone. He rolled his eyes. Definitely not a real number.

  “Real mature, Eli. Way to give me a heart attack.”

  Panting, Eli sat up, pushing his hair out of his eyes and rubbed his raw elbows. He grinned, but said nothing as he stood, brushing off his jeans.

  They gathered up their dishes and walked back up to the house on the hill. Eli kept checking his phone, biting his lip as he read texts.

  “So, you and Melody, huh?”

  Eli shrugged, the smile wiping off his face and he cleared his throat. “Yeah, nothing big. We’re just talking.”

  “You don’t have to be all gruff about it. Why can’t you just admit you like her?”

  “Because nothing is going to come of it. I don’t date.”

  Gabriel grinned. “We’ll see about that.”

  Chapter 33

  Kailani

  Kailani tugged her headphones out of her ears as she emerged from the locker room to the roar of the natatorium. The bleachers that usually sat vacant were illuminated, crowded with restless parents and friends of athletes. The anticipation in the room was palpable as the rival universities battled out the last swim meet before the collegiate championship meet. With only a few races left in the day, spectators eyed the scoreboard anxiously as coaches paced the edge of the pool. Swimmers climbed out of the water with triumphant smiles or teary-eyed defeat.

  As the only home meet for the season, the stands held the green-and-gold banners of University of Oregon, and Kailani’s teammates waved at their parents proudly perched above. Kailani glanced up at the bleachers as if expecting to see her family there, and a pang of disappointment lurched through her. She bit her lip and tore her gaze from the bleachers, back to the dingy tiles under her bare feet as she crossed the deck.

  Kailani
reached the corner of the room their team had staked out, with fold-up camping chairs huddled in little clusters and bags strewn in between. She nodded to Latisha and Samantha as she collapsed into her chair beside them, curling into a ball and pulling up her sweatshirt hood. Samantha yawned, shifting in her seat, and craning her head to look at the scoreboard.

  “Man, this meet is dragging on. I just want to swim my last event and get it over with.”

  “Same.” Kailani sighed, her eyes flicking to the circle where Alyssa, Maria and Lisa lounged, tucked beneath the bleachers. “At least it’s not a relay. I’d trade anything to not have to be the anchor with the seniors.”

  Latisha shook her head. “I don’t envy you, girl. You’re gonna be the last heat of the last race...talk about pressure.”

  “Speaking of pressure,” Samantha said, combing her fingers through her red hair, “I’m worried Coach Steve is gonna snap. Poor guy looks like he’s ready to pop a few blood vessels.”

  They all looked to where Coach Steve bellowed from the side of the pool with frantic gestures at the racers in the water. His face was red, and a vein at his temple bulged threateningly.

  “Jeez.” Kailani raised her eyebrows. “I don’t feel bad though, he brings it on himself.”

  “Well, he is under a lot of pressure though,” Samantha said lightly. She jerked her chin up towards the stands. “He mentioned the board members are up there watching the meet, and so is the athletic director.”

  Kailani froze, remembering Mr. Montgomery’s stern tone during their last meeting together. “Wouldn’t he want to act less crazy then?”

  “I think he’s just getting desperate. Apparently, the board has been trying to boot him for years because we haven’t been competitive nationally, so he’s trying hard to keep them happy.” She lowered her voice and leaned forward. “Some of the seniors were saying he didn’t even take bereavement leave last year when his youngest son died, because he thought they would fire him.”

  Kailani frowned, guilt churning in her gut. “Man, that’s terrible...how do even you know all this?”

  Latisha rolled her eyes at Samantha. “Because the girl can make anyone her friend, she turns up the charm and wheedles information out of them.”

  Samantha grinned, leaning back in her chair. “Guilty.”

  Kailani chewed on her cheek, glancing back towards Coach Steve deep in thought. As the afternoon wore on and Latisha and Samantha got ready for their last events, Kailani grew more restless. She wished them luck as they walked away and pulled her phone out of her pocket. One notification.

  Melody: hey girl! i know we said i’d pick you up at 5, but I wanted to see you race! where are you?

  Kailani perked up, her eyes scanning the bleachers. Melody’s long, blonde hair was like a beacon, and some of the uneasiness in her chest lifted. Kailani stood, waving an arm above her head until Melody looked her way. Kailani grinned, looking back at her phone as she texted quickly.

  Kailani: thanks for coming! my race is the last event, in fifteen minutes

  Melody: good luck!

  Melody: wait. where are all the shirtless guys? i came here for the show.

  Kailani snorted, looking around the deck brimming with female swimmers. Another notification pinged, drawing her attention back to her phone. It was not Melody. She furrowed her eyebrows. She had only gotten her phone last night, and her sole contact was Melody.

  Unknown number: Hi Kai, this is Gabe. Missing you like crazy, babycakes ;)

  Kailani’s heart leapt, but then she frowned. Babycakes? That did not sound like him at all. How had he even gotten her number? The only place she had put her phone number was the team roster for the swim meet.

  Hushed giggles drew her attention, and she glanced over to where Alyssa, Maria, and Lisa were bent over a phone, pointing at the screen and snickering. Alyssa looked up, her eyes meeting Kailani’s before turning away.

  Kailani glared. So we’re back to the games. She tossed her phone on her chair as she stood, smoothing her hair into a bun, and pulling her silicone cap on. She strode towards an open space on the wall where she could shake out her legs and stretch. Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on her race, but an empty ache filled her.

  Kailani glanced over her shoulder towards the team, where Gabe would usually be giving encouraging pep talks and talking them out of their post-race tears. Instead, her gaze only found the seniors still huddled together as Alyssa was holding her phone aloft, speaking into it as the others covered their mouths and laughed.

  Shaking her head, she turned away again to roll her shoulders. Focus. Just one more event, then championships. The season would be over. The sound of the buzzer broke her concentration, and she walked towards her chair to grab her goggles and head to the starting blocks. The other girls were already halfway to the opposite end of the pool as the heat before them was mid-race.

  As Kailani fished the goggles out of her bag, the illuminated screen of her phone drew her eye. There was a notification for a voicemail. She clenched her jaw. So that’s what they were doing. Her thumb hovered over the delete button, but a small piece of hope clutched in her chest. What if it really was Gabe? She pressed the play button and brought the phone to her ear. The only noises were masculine grunts amid thumping and creaking noises, followed by a high-pitched giggle.

  Kailani pressed her mouth into a hard line as a sour feeling filled her. Are they trying to make it sound like Gabe is getting it on with another girl? She wanted to ignore it. But looking back up at the blocks where the girls were high-fiving each other and dancing around like nothing was wrong, she furiously texted a response.

  Kailani: Seriously? This is getting desperate. Just leave me alone and get a life.

  She blocked the number with a jab of her finger, feeling slightly better knowing what they would see when they got back to their seats. She tucked her phone into her backpack and strode down the length of the pool towards the blocks. Alyssa and Lisa turned towards her while Maria continued to stretch.

  Kailani crossed her arms as she came to a halt, determined to put an end to it all. “What’s your—”

  “Alright girls, ready to race?” Steve clapped vigorously as he appeared beside them, sweat dripping from his forehead as his head whipped between each of them. “This is it. Last event. We’re down three points, so we need this win. Alyssa—I don’t want to see too much breathing, it’s only a 50. And Kailani? Like we practiced, fast off the blocks, and come home with everything you have left. Now, focus up!”

  They nodded numbly, and the shriek of a series of whistles demanded their attention. Maria was up first, and she clambered onto the block as silence settled in the enormous room. Kailani took a shuddering breath, harnessing her anger and visualized pushing that power into her muscles as she swam. We’ll talk after the race. Last thing we need is a catfight at the blocks.

  The buzzer sounded. Maria leapt off the starting block, and the natatorium erupted in cheers. They were neck and neck with Oregon State in the lane next to them. By the time Maria touched the wall and Lisa dove immediately after, the opposing team had pulled ahead by a yard. Kailani and Alyssa stood over the edge of the water, shoulder to shoulder as they screamed and cheered her on as their lead slipped further away.

  “C’mon, Alyssa, you got this, catch us up!” Kailani chewed on her lip, knowing that if they fell too far behind, it would all come down to her.

  Alyssa scrambled onto the block, her legs tensed as she reached out her hands, following Lisa’s path as she swam into the wall. Right after Alyssa dove in, Kailani climbed up. She tightened her goggles by pressing her palms against her eyes, releasing a deep breath. Alyssa’s arms were a blur in the water as she chipped away at the gap between her and Oregon State, doing a flipturn and heading back towards the blocks. Kailani blinked, and Alyssa was already halfway across the pool, charging towards her. She leaned forward, tensing her muscles. Right when Alyssa’s fingers brushed the wall, Kailani’s toes were leaving the blo
ck, and she was sailing over the water.

  Kailani sprinted down the lane, consumed only with the instinct to push as hard as she could, her muscles screaming as she kept her head down, not wasting time to breathe. She was blind to the person next to her, deaf to the screams in the room as her hand slammed against the wall. Her head swiveled around, scanning the scoreboard hungrily. First place.

  She panted in relief, slumping against the wall as the rest of the racers sprinted towards the wall. Reaching across the lane line, she shook the hand of the girl from Oregon State as cheers rose in the natatorium. The next few minutes were a sluggish blur as she climbed out of the water, following her teammates as they snaked along the pool, high-fiving the opposing team. Swimmers headed into the locker rooms or mingled as spectators poured down onto the deck with congratulations.

  Kailani packed up her gear as Latisha and Samantha gushed about winning the meet. She craned her head, rising onto her toes to spot her relay team through the crowd.

  “Who are you looking for, Kai?” Samantha asked.

  “Alyssa and the others…I wanted to talk to them about something.”

  Latisha shrugged. “I think I saw them head out, not sure though.”

  At that moment, Melody walked up, pulling Kailani in for a side hug. “Hey! Congrats on the win!”

  Kailani grinned and introduced her around.

  “Do you guys want to grab dinner with us?” Samantha asked, gesturing to the handful of underclassmen swimmers. “We were going to head to that new Italian place down the road.”

  Melody and Kailani exchanged a glance, nodding at each other before Melody said, “We’d love to.” They quickly changed and headed out to Melody’s car, a tentative hope filled Kailani at the semblance of acceptance on the swim team.

  Kailani fought another yawn as Melody drove down the lane to Lilac Ranch and dusk crept in. A full stomach, a few drinks, and a long day of swimming settled into a bone-deep exhaustion. “Man, I’m wiped out.”

  “Is that why you’ve been so quiet?”