False Starts

Chapter 13

IT was what he should have said. It was on his mind. But Ryan didn’t think it was fair to say that to Michael. It wasn’t his fault that Abbie had chosen him.

      “How what feels, Reez?” Michael pressed, looking at him strangely.

      “Silver,” Ryan finally said. “How silver feels.”

      Michael let out another chuckle and took another drink. “It feels… like a lesson learned,” he said, contemplatively.

      “Stop getting all philosophical on me, MPeezy,” Ryan jibed, laughing a little. “You got your 17th. You better get the rest tomorrow or you won’t have learned anything at all.”

      Michael just smiled, gazing at a distant point on the horizon. Something about the way Ryan answered told him that there was more to what he said. But Ryan didn’t say anything else and they sat in silence, until their teammates showed up and invited them to join another poker game.

Their conversation came to Michael’s mind as he watched Ryan in the ready room before the 200IM final. Not the most perfect time to think about it, but Michael couldn’t help but wonder what it was that Ryan really wanted to say.

“Hey,” he said, pulling off his headphones. Ryan turned to look at him. “You know what this is?”

“What?” Ryan asked.

“This is our last 200 of the meet,” Michael answered. “Our last 200 together ever.”

Realisation dawned on Ryan’s face as Michael’s words sunk in. “You’re right,” he said with a laugh. “Man, this is like, our last race together. It feels so weird now.”

“I know!” Michael laughed along with him and soon they were joking around, as they waited for the race to begin. Just before they were about to head out, Michael tapped Ryan on the shoulder. “Reezy, whatever happens, you know I’m always gonna be your boy, right?” he said.

Ryan looked at him and he knew that Michael wasn’t just talking about the race or even just swimming. “Of course,” he replied, holding his hand out. Michael took it and they bro-hugged quickly. In another second, their names were being called and the race was beginning.

Abbie looked up. She should actually be taking photos, but it was instinctive and took a split-second, registering Ryan’s and Michael’s times. She almost missed that moment when they shook hands, but she caught it just in time. She snapped one photo after the other of Michael getting out and heading straight to the warm up pool, then trained her camera on Ryan. Her finger froze on the shutter button. Even from a distance, she could tell that Ryan was very disappointed, but she also knew that he’d cover it well. Still, she wished she could just drop everything, run to him, and just hold him. But there would be time enough for that.

Neither Ryan nor Michael knew she was going to be in London at all. Owen had given Abbie her ticket and press pass for the Olympics when she returned from France, saying that she should be there to see her bloke make history. But he left it up to her to decide if she wanted to go. She did, but not for the reasons Owen wanted. Reasons Owen would not hear about until she returned from the trip.

      During the medal ceremony, Abbie still kept her place, snapping photos along with all the other photographers behind the barrier. She tried to hide her face behind the camera but both boys saw her at the same time when they got off the podiums. Ryan made a move as though to head straight to her, but Michael held him back, whispering something. Abbie guessed it was to talk him out of going to her. Abbie was thankful and regretful at the same time. But she had to be patient.

After the ceremony, there was the press conference and Abbie had dashed to the press room with Noel. Abbie fidgeted in her spot as Michael answered questions. She had taken enough photos, she decided, and was now craning her neck over heads and camera equipment, trying to find Ryan. Damn being not so tall! Finally, she saw him being herded outside through a side door. She basically shoved her camera into Noel’s hands and took off after Ryan.