The Secrets We Keep

The Twenty-Sixth Chapter

Christopher

I keep thinking back to my conversation with Hayden from a few days ago. I have a terrible feeling she's going to do something stupid. 

As my arms move my oars back and forth through the water, I look to the front of the shell and see Nathan working hard. My jaw clenches and I look down and try to concentrate on what I'm doing and the spray of the water on my body and face. 

But it's hard not to think about him when my mind's on Hayden. They're together now. I found that out a few days after my conversation with her when I saw the two of them sit together at lunch. They've been doing that a lot now. And then there's the stupid PDA I always seem to catch them doing. I don't know why the fuck it bothers me so much. 

I'm so stuck in my head that I barely realize the training session is almost up until I look up and see the river bank approaching. 

I go through the motions once we're done. I tune out everyone as we start dragging the shell out of the water and back over to the rack where the other boats are kept. 

The others spread out as they head to the changing rooms. I linger and wait for Nathan to finish talking with our coach. 

"Your times are better as a team but I think we should practice individual races from now on. What do you think?"

"I think that could work," Nathan says as they start approaching where I'm standing by the outside boat rack. When Nathan sees me, he says, "What do you think, Chris?"

I have no idea what they're talking about. "Sounds good to me," I say and fall into step with them. 

"You're doing better yourself, Christopher," the coach says to me and claps a hand on my shoulder. "You two work well on a team together."

"Thank you," I tell him mechanically. He nods and walks toward where he's parked his car. Before Nathan enters the changing room, I grab him by the back of his shirt. "Can we talk? Privately?"

Nathan looks at me with a guardedly curious expression. "Sure. What's up?" He asks as we start walking back the way we just came. 

"It's about Hayden," I say and his expression becomes closed off in an instant. 

"What about her?" He demands gruffly. 

"We were talking the other day-"

"I thought I told you to leave her alone," he interrupts and I don't think I've ever seen him look so pissed off before. 

He glares at me and there's a part of me that wants to tell him that she was the one who approached me. But somehow, I think that will just make him angrier. 

"And last I checked, you seemed pissed at her. And now you're what, together?" I demand.

"What's it to you?" He asks and I shake my head. 

"It's nothing to me," I say and wish that were true. "That's not what I want to talk about. I'm worried about her."

Fuck. The moment the words come out, I know I've said the wrong thing. 

Nathan starts laughing. At least it's better than him looking like he wants to punch me. "Why are you worried about my girlfriend? Why is it you are so interested in her the moment we get together."

"Jesus Christ, this is not what this is about, you asshole. I'm worried about her because she's been acting like some wannabe Nancy Drew and I'm pretty sure she's going to get herself hurt in the process."

Ok, that's shut him up. I guess her nosy tendencies haven't been lost on him either. 

"You think she's looking into Amelia's death again?" He asks and now his voice is quiet. He goes deathly still as he waits for my answer.