***
I worked on my research for the better part of the afternoon, taking the samples, putting them in the appropriate envelopes, and gathering everything I needed so I could send it all off Thursday in Portland. I changed my plans so that I would be in Portland while Chris would be gone from the office as well. Maybe I did it on purpose, and maybe I was adjusting my life to suit Luke’s a little more, but I wasn't sorry for it. And, I actually felt bad for giving Rachel such a hard time when she did the same things. As the month went on, I felt like I saw less and less of Luke, but we were both super busy. I had wanted to try and make his final competition of the year, but with everything going on at work, it just hadn't happened. He wasn't upset but seemed more annoyed that work was getting in the way of us. I was trying so hard to make time for everyone, but I couldn't, and it was starting to show.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Luke
I finished the Spring Board and it put me in first place. I also was sitting in first place in the underhand chop and standing chop. If my times held, I’d be a champion for the first time.
“Dude, that was amazing,” Ryan said as he found me walking out of the crowd.
“Thanks.” I smiled and then moved toward the RV. I had bested all of my competition by more than a second, and I hoped the times would stand with only two competitors left, Chris being one of them.
Emmy and I had been going strong for almost a month, even though I wasn't seeing her as much as I wanted to. It was hard not seeing her when I was gone since we lived literally three feet away from each other, and I’d gotten used to her being right there.
I was looking forward to being done traveling and being at home more working in the shop. She had been a little preoccupied, but she had also been working really hard on her grant, and with the answers coming back, she was in the woods even more. She was gone to Portland at least two to three days a week every week. I knew we were fine, but it didn't help that everything had cooled a bit over the last two weeks. The first week she was in Portland almost the entire week as she moved everything from paper records to a computer system that would keep it all in line. Her grandfather had fought her over it, but she convinced him it needed to be done. We had dinner and shared a bed that weekend, but Monday she was in the woods all day and then had traveled back to Portland to go to her grandfather’s doctor's appointment. We talked daily about everything and anything, and she had often fallen asleep on me, but not in the way I preferred. Truth was, I’d have spent every waking minute with her if it were possible.
“You got this, my man.” Ryan said pulling me from my thought. I sat in the chair outside the RV and emptied a bottle of water I pulled from the cooler.
I watched the boards and waited to see how I would finish.
When everyone was done, I carried my trophy to the RV and we packed to head for home.
“You might think you have it all figured out.” I heard from behind me and knew immediately who it was. Fucking Chris. I turned to face him and he smirked.
“You think she is saving her body for only you?” I turned because I wasn't going down this road again. She had promised me that nothing had ever happened between them, and I believed her more now than I ever had.
“Have you found that cute little scar just under her left hip bone, the one shaped like a tiny crescent moon?” I turned and looked at him. How did he know it was there? It wasn't out in the open and was only visible if she didn't have on pants. I felt my body flood with anger.
“Just move along,” Ryan said and shoved Chris away from me.
“You keep believing you are the only dick she gets, and I'll keep knowing that it's better with me. Those little sounds she makes when you hit just the right spot are what wet dreams are made of.” I stalked toward him, but Ryan intercepted me.
“Ignore him.”
“That's right. Ignore me, Luke, and I'll ignore you every time I'm balls deep in her.”
Ryan shoved me again. “Don't.”
“I don't give a fuck, let me by,” I growled.
“Not gonna happen, my man. He can't beat you on the field, and he can't beat you with Emmy. She isn't interested in him like that, and you know it.”
Chris laughed as he walked away. “Believe what you want.” He tossed the words over his shoulder and then was gone.
“He’s looking for a fight and will say or do just about anything to pull you into one.”
“He knows about her scar. How could he know unless he’s seen her naked?” I yelled at Ryan.
“I don't know, but I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation. Maybe a bathing suit. Stop letting him get in your head, damnit. Now let's get our stuff and go home. We should be able to make it halfway if we leave now.” I turned and slammed the door shut on the RV and then moved toward the truck.
“You are not driving.” Ryan pointed toward the passenger seat. I sat in silence as my mind ran through the conversation over and over again. I didn't answer Emmy when she texted me other than to say I won. She called, and I didn't answer, blaming poor reception and that I would call her when it was better. She texted me a dozen more times, and I tried my best not to let my anger leak into our conversation.
I laid in the RV that night and let my mind go on a joy ride with everything that was imaginable. I wanted so bad to believe her, but at the same time, my head was running away because of what had happened before. In my messed-up head, everything was pointing toward her cheating, and that was a problem. Her pulling away, talking less and less, less sex, and mostly more time in Portland... where Chris was. I needed to be grounded, and the only way that would happen is if I was inside Emmy. I needed to claim her.
The next afternoon, we arrived home to her packing her truck.
“Hey.” She smiled brightly as she jogged over to me.