Once inside my condo, I placed my bag on the breakfast bar, then reached inside for my wallet. I rummaged through my extra leotards and gymnastics gear until I found it. Hayden took off his jacket and draped it on the cushioned seat of one of the barstools. Holding on to the high back chair, he twisted and turned his body while keeping his feet in place, and cracked about every bone in his spine. The sound ricocheted through my silent condo. I glanced up.
"Feel better?" I asked.
"Not in the slightest."
I held out my credit card to him. "Here, order us some dinner. I don't care what it is, I'm not picky, just get us something good. I need to take a quick shower." And wash Kova off me.
Hayden took the card in his hand. "Is this one of those black cards?" He flipped it over and tried to bend it.
"Yup. Do your worst to it, you won't break it. It's made of titanium."
His head popped up, his jaw slack. "You know you can buy, like, a Bentley on this card, right? I once read someone bought a thirty-million-dollar teacup with the card." He paused, brows angled toward each other. "Who buys a teacup for thirty million? Teacups are so delicate and fragile. Could you imagine if it broke?" He snapped his fingers. "Thirty million down the drain, just like that."
I shrugged and shook my head. A light laugh escaped me.
"How did you get one?"
"My parents each have one and you can add one person to the account. So, my brother, Xavier, and I were added. I'm on my dad's, he's on my mom's."
"That's awesome."
"I'm going to jump in the shower,
but I'll be quick," I said, heading for my bedroom.
"Need a hand?" Hayden shouted in jest and I laughed.
I grabbed some clothes and made my way into the bathroom. Once I cranked up the water and waited for it to heat, I removed my leotard and sweat pants. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. All the work I'd put in since coming to World Cup was beginning to pay off.
There wasn't an inch of fat on my body—not that there had been before—but where I used to just be thin, I was now toned, my muscles sculpted but with soft definition. Upper arms curved with new strength, my stomach had obvious abs, and my hips were profound with obliques. Turning around, I tilted my head to the side to get a better view. My ass was round and firm and high, with an arc that could rival a supermodel's. Steam fogged the mirror as my gaze fell to my legs. Thighs were noticeably larger, firmer, solid. Pliable, yet tender.
Pulling my hair tie out, my hair fell around me. The wine undertones laced perfectly with the rich brown waves. The curled ends tickled my breasts causing my nipples to pucker in response. I looked down. I was almost positive my breasts had grown too, but not by much. Maybe it was the muscle growth behind the fatty tissue that caused them to look bigger. Maybe it was my wishful thinking and my eyes playing tricks on me. Because what girl didn't want bigger boobs?
I checked the water temperature with my fingers, then stepped under the shower. I sighed, the sound vibrated in the back of my throat. I closed my eyes as the piping hot water cascaded down my overworked body. I loved a scalding shower, even though Mom insisted it would wrinkle my skin.
As I washed myself, I imagined how the night would play out. I wondered how Hayden would react and if he'd come to understand. To the outside world, it was a hard pill to swallow. Inappropriate. Corrupt. Vile. Appalling. People would say Kova was a disgusting excuse of a man, that he stripped me of my innocence, possibly even tainted me. And while I wanted to agree with those things out of spite because I was furious, I also knew they weren't true. There was more between Kova and me than just sex. He didn't strip me of anything I didn't willingly give to him.
Our connection altogether was extremely difficult to defend. He understood me, my dreams and ambitions; but more importantly, Kova understood what gymnastics gave me—individuality and freedom. A singular way to express my true character and show my resilience in the world. I was my own person.
We connected on a different level, I just needed to make Hayden see that.
Turning off the water, I stepped out of the shower and wiped the mirror with my palm before quickly drying off. I dropped the towel and slipped on clothes, then I blow-dried my long, thick hair.
Anything to stall time.
Opening the bathroom door, my stomach twisted into knots. I took a hesitant step, steeling myself, before padding across the plush carpet to the living room. The closer I got to Hayden, the closer I was to revealing the truth.
"Chinese," I breathed out, stepping into the kitchen.
He smiled, trying to cover the agitation around his eyes. The past few hours had weighed heavily on him and that upset me. He didn't deserve to be dragged into this shit.
"I ordered you the sweet and sour chicken."
"Thanks," I said, then hurried to the refrigerator to avoid eye contact. I grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to Hayden, then grabbed one for myself. I uncapped it and took a sip, watching him. The silence between us was dense, I didn't know how to broach the subject.
"If you think I'm using chopsticks to pick up rice, you have another thing coming. I can't understand, out of everything that could be used to eat rice with, someone thought two sticks would be best," I blurted.
"You mean, zhu?"