Execution (Off Balance 2)

I really fucking hated her.

Chapter Twenty

Coaches always stayed on the same hotel floor as the gymnasts to make sure focus stayed strictly on the competition. There was no playing around, no staying up late. No sneaking into friends’ rooms. No laughing. We were perfect little soldiers ready for war.

The team huddled around Kova and Madeline in the hallway near our room. I snuck a look at Kova, who stood across from me. He was busy writing something on the clipboard in his hands. As if he could sense me staring, his eyes shot up and connected with mine. My cheeks heated and I quickly glanced away in embarrassment. I was afraid he’d know what I’d just done in the bathroom.

"All right, ladies." Madeline was cheerful this morning, it was the start of meet season. She took a sip of her coffee, then flipped over one of the stapled papers she had in her arm and read out loud.

"Since you guys aren't competing until about six-ish this evening, we're going to warm up in the back in the warm-up gym. It's large and we'll share it with the other competitors. We just want you guys to run through the motions and get you familiar with everything. For now, we'll have a light breakfast"—she raised her eyes above her glasses without tipping her head up—"and then head over. Kova rented an SUV so we'll drive together. I suggest texting your parents now and letting them know what time the meet starts and what the plans are, then silencing your phones and putting them away. We don't want any distractions. If they have any questions, tell them to contact me or Kova."

Within the hour, we were pulling into the gymnastics center. We parked and I took in the size of the building. It was massive. World Cup was large, but it had nothing on Parkettes. I released a sigh of longing. I couldn't wait to see how the inside faired. Teams of all levels, both male and female, made their way inside. Uniformly dressed, and ready to compete, they were picturesque mannequins.

The Parkettes Invitational was one of the oldest and most prestigious meets. They had one of the top elite programs in the world, the best elites would be competing here today. I was curious to see who I would be up against in the next few months.

"Pay close attention to those around you. Listen and watch," Kova said only for my ears. I looked toward him, but he picked up the pace and walked ahead of me. My eyes traveled the length of his backside. His tailored black dress pants fit like a glove. Too perfect, really. The slate gray polo shirt with World Cup's emblem on the front lapel was a nice contrast to his dark hair and features. He topped it off with an expensive sports coat, and I bit the side of my lip. While I loved the athletic look he typically sported at the gym, seeing him dressed up caused a thrill inside my belly.

I had a serious love-hate relationship with this guy.

I walked inside and stuffed my hands into my pockets as I observed everything around me. At first the sights and sounds overwhelmed my senses. The overabundance of colorful scrunchies holding back snug, gelled buns; giggles; praises and criticisms from coaches; applause in the distance; and classical floor music were too much. My eyes and ears were on overload. But then I focused on every sound, every detail, and it was an exhilarating rush. I smiled to myself. I couldn’t get enough. Gymnasts were everywhere.

"Hey, Madeline?" She turned and looked at me. "Should I go and sit in the stands since I'm not warming up?"

"I'm not really sure, you'd have to ask Kova."

I nodded and looked for him. It didn't take long to find him—he was already looking at me. I walked toward him, around a cluster of people. He didn’t take his eyes off me until I reached him.

I rocked back and forth on my toes, a stupid grin displayed on my face. "Where do you want me?"

Kova looked at me like the answer was obvious and I should know it. "With me, of course."

I was confused. "Just standing here? Doing nothing?"

He gave me a firm nod. "Yes." An impatient breath blew from his lips. "Did I not tell you what to do? Listen and watch. You are at an elite meet, Adrianna. You have a ton of knowledge of the sport, use it to your advantage. These are the girls you will be competing against soon."

"What should I be looking for?"

Kova stepped closer and invaded my space. His gaze bore into my eyes and he lowered his voice. "Pick apart the routines. Watch the scores. Watch the skills. Watch every event. Pay close attention to detail, be their biggest critic. Be a heartless judge. Be callous. Be cruel. Find places for improvement. Being nice will get you nowhere. Remember everything, so when you are at practice you avoid making the same mistakes. You will see a lot of the same errors, but if you look closely, you will see even worse ones. These athletes are the best of the best, but even the best make mistakes. It is easier to pick out someone else's faults than your own. Use everything you see today to your advantage. Be greedy." He lowered his voice to just above a whisper, and his eyes turned tender. "Ria, you have a dream. I am trying to make it a reality. Go with it. Please, just trust me on this."

I jerked back and gaped at Kova. He was staring down at me, looking too deeply into my eyes, trying to convey something.

It was in that moment that realization dawned on me. Everything leading up to now, to today, struck me hard, and I wasn't sure how to handle it. I felt Kova's words, his passion, his fire, his desire to give me what I wanted more than anything. He understood it because his own dream became a plan that became a reality. He had someone behind him championing him to the finish line, just like he championed me.

Sometimes the moments in life that caused the most damage to the heart put us on the path of reward and gratification. To the greatest glory. And in that moment, when Kova explained what I needed to do, I felt like everything that happened up until this point, was meant to happen. Where there was perfection, there was pain hidden in darkness. Most days were brutal, and I often questioned my sanity. Others filled with regret, but then something magical happens and everything falls into place. All the heartache and pain once dealt washes away and forgotten when that one moment you've been chasing your whole life is caught and becomes reality.

I didn't give Kova enough credit, and that bothered me. I took him for face value and didn't look beyond the words. I hated to judge a book by its cover, yet here I was constantly judging him. I was ashamed of myself. He may have a cold heart and a black soul, a cruel demeanor as a front, but beyond that was a man who cared what happened to me. He cared about my future and what mattered to me.

"What did that one author say?"

"Huh?" I tilted my head to the side, puzzled by his question. "Which author?"

"The one who invented the Harry Potter? I do not know her name, but in one of her books she wrote, 'anything is possible if you have got enough nerve.' It is true, and I have never forgotten those words. This—gymnastics—takes courage. It takes heart. And it takes nerve. You got this."

"You read Harry Potter?" I gaped at him.

He cracked a very small smile, one he'd only given me a few times when we were alone, and it seized my heart. His eyes glimmered. A laugh escaped his lips and I felt it down to my bones. "Possibly. Do you understand what I am asking of you now? Why you are here?"

I nodded. "I do now. Thank you." My eyes softened.