Execution (Off Balance 2)

Reagan. Had. Fallen. Off. Beam.

And yet, for some unusual reason I couldn't justify, I felt like I had fallen. Like our team had fallen. Balance beam was her event, the one she outshined everyone in the way I did with vault. It was her specialty. Gymnasts with specialty events rarely ever made a mistake. So when it happened, it was shocking.

"Don't let it bother you."

I glanced up at Madeline, unsure of when she appeared next to me. I was in a daze.

"It doesn't bother me… I'm just surprised is all." Did it bother me?

She gave me a knowing look. "Don’t let her mistake affect you up here." She tapped her temple. "You got this."

I pursed my lips together and nodded. "I wasn't expecting it." Reagan was good. She was incredible, I could admit that. The talent and skill were there, but she had no desire to reach further. She planned to compete in college and already committed to Louisiana State University. After that, she was finished with gymnastics. I respected her decision. She knew what she wanted just like I did. We were both driven, just driven in different directions.

Madeline's brows nearly reached her forehead. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You're just as good, Adrianna. You've come a long way, you got this. I have complete faith in you."

"Thanks," I said quietly. Madeline patted my shoulder then walked away as Kova strode up. He looked down at me and opened his mouth. Just before he spoke, I put up a hand.

"Are you going to say some inspirational shit again?"

He gave me a spicy grin and my stomached fluttered. Those green eyes of his, they left me breathless. I knew this look. The look that could influence me to do anything he demanded.

Of all the times to remain tactful and thick with discreet, Kova was on full display. A memory flashed through my mind. Kova had once told me that he liked the thrill our strictly off-limits relationship gave him. It made him feel alive.

He shook his head, his smile remained plastered across his handsome face. "I am just going to remind you to take a risk. I know how you feel about this event, but if you let go of all the negatives, all the positives will surprise you. Trust me. It is there."

I was beginning to think Kova had more faith in me than anyone alive, myself and my parents included. It was a startling feeling.

He glanced over his shoulder, my turn was fast approaching. "Tape on good?" he asked. I hitched up my leg and turned to show him the back of my calf.

"Good. Da-vai."

When he didn't disclose the meaning of the word he spoke in Russian, I asked him.

"It means, come on, let us go," he said, using his hands to speak.

"Let us go, or let's go? Since you don't use contractions I'm going to assume it's let's go."

He smirked. "Let's go."

One day, I would teach Kova how to use contractions. Just not today.

Exhaling a deep breath, I stepped onto the podium and walked with pointed toes toward beam. I cleared my mind and swallowed back. Once I was given the go, I saluted the judges and zoned in on the apparatus. My mind strictly on my routine.

I got this.

Mounting the four-inch piece of wood, I remained cool and poised as I confidently flowed into every skill. The beam wobbled slightly beneath me, but since I kept my control intact, I was more than good.

Standing at the very end of the balance beam, I raised my arms up and flattened them to my ears. One benefit of being short with this sport was that I could fit a lot on the balance beam combination wise, meaning I could add a jump or leap at the end of the combo for bonus points. With my focus on my toes, I sat back and executed the sequence required for this level—a back handspring, back layout, back step-out.

I stuck the landing without so much as a balance check and effortlessly glided into mandatory dance skills while remaining lithe and free-flowing. Nimble. Calm and confident. I made sure to hit the one hundred and eighty degree mark in my split to receive the maximum points. I'd done countless over split jumps as conditioning, and thankfully the flexibility Kova was able to create in my hips this past year helped tremendously.

Elongating my arms out to my sides, I controlled my breathing to prepare for my dismount. A balance beam routine was quick—no more than ninety seconds at most.

I sashayed then lifted one leg forward immediately turning into a switch leap, a gainer pike then a pivot turn in under a couple of seconds. Arms raised in the air, I eyed the end of the balance beam and took a deep breath and exhaled. Stepping into a round-off back handspring, I completed my dismount with a double back tuck, both feet together and sticking my landing.

Anxiously, I waited on the judges. I knew I qualified based on the previous events, but seeing the numbers is what made it valid. Seconds turned to minutes to what felt like hours.

I removed the sports tape while I waited and pulled on my sweats. I drank water, fixed my ponytail, tried to find anything to keep me busy to calm my nerves.