Forever & Always

5. Rest & Relaxation

 I get out of my car and go around to the trunk getting out the gym bag I keep in there all the time. I push my hair back out of my face careful to avoid the ice on the sidewalk as I walk toward the 24-hour gym I go to when I'm extremely stressed and scan my keycard on my keys to let myself into the nearly empty gym. About thirty minutes ago after being driven crazy by my very overbearing extended family members about what happened not only with me but with my mom's sudden need for her lungs to be drained, I had to get out of the house. Mom, Aunt D and I have an agreement that we came up with after I quit the swim team that if and when I need a break from all the stress, I'm allowed to just leave to go to the gym so I can work it all out. I head into the locker room to change into one of my old swimsuits from the team pulling on a pair of leggings on with a T-shirt and grab my phone and earbuds from my purse before going to get on a treadmill.

I plug my headphones in to place my phone in front of me on silent so I can ignore any messages I get and tie my hair back tightly before I start with a brisk jog. I work myself up to a run for nearly an hour and check the time to see I have well over an hour before the pool closes at midnight. I hop off the treadmill dropping off my clothes and phone in the locker room and get out my goggles and swim cap before going down to the lower level where the lap pool is. I tuck my hair into the cap as I walk and slip on my goggles stretching my arms over my head to loosen my body for my preferred freestyle stroke. I stand at the edge of the pool my toes just barely hanging over and bend down to take my position launching myself into the cool water knowing that I am in my element. I relax completely for the first time all day and swim three laps before I feel something hit me on the side making my angle off.

"Hey!" I shout as I lift my head up from the water and snatch off my goggles that distort my vision when I'm not in the water to see Kyle and Tess standing at the edge of the pool.

"What the hell happened to you?!" Tess exclaims and kneels down to look at me as Kyle grabs a towel from one of the chairs nearby walking to stand at the end the pool where I dove in.

"Out, now." He says in a voice I can only describe as tense because it is mixed with such anger and hurt.

"Kyle..." I mutter knowing that all he is seeing right now that I've been hurt and didn't tell him.

"Please, babe." He says and I sigh reaching to pull off my swim cap before swimming over to the edge where he's at. I look up at him seeing the pain in his eyes that I know is my fault and take his hands when he offers them to me to pull me up out of the water. I shiver as I stand in front of him and sigh when he wraps the towel around my shoulders before gently cupping my jaw. I watch him go through various emotions such as sadness, pain and grief before his eyes finally turn steely in anger when I wince at his thumb touching just under the small split in my lip and I close my eyes when he growls out one word. "Who?"

"I—"

"If it was that Chris Crooks I swear, he'll never be able to lay a finger on another girl when I'm done with him!" Tess hisses her voice echoing in the empty pool room and I open my eyes when I feel her hand on my arm. "Was it him?"

I shake my head suddenly fighting back tears and sigh shakily as Kyle pulls me into his arms to press a kiss to my temple. "Kyle, I'm all wet..."

"I don't care." He says and rubs my back gently leaning my head back to look me in the eyes. "Did that Crooks guy do this to you?"

"No, but he was egging Dylan on to do something worse..." I answer and hug the towel tighter around me looking down at my toes with a sigh. "I should go change."

"Wait, when did this happen?" Tess asks blocking my attempt to step away from them and crosses her arms to look me her blue eyes full of concern.

"Just before Life Skills class and I'm fine, just tired." I say and Kyle steps back to let me go between him and his sister walking just behind me as I head to the girls locker room.