My body heats with the same delicious energy running through my veins last night. I was buzzed, pretty fucked up really, but I remember perfectly how amazing he felt. Actually, I'm relieved to find out it wasn't just the alcohol and the close call with the Swede that made everything so intense.
No, I'm feeling it again. Something's changed.
I fold my fingers in front of me and clasp them tight, all I can do to relieve the tension building in my muscles.
Jesus. I didn't think it was possible to want another human being so bad, but I do.
The thick glass between us muffles sound, but I swear I can hear his lungs chugging, hot and heavy like a grizzly bear running down a rival. He moves the waves aside like he's Moses, plowing through the waters effortlessly.
Damn, if only Moses had bulging biceps and savage ink on his skin. I'd have paid more attention in church when I was little during Mom's half-hearted, short lived attempts at passing on my grandmother's faith.
I study him, admiring the raw power and grace in his body. It's hard to believe this is normal for him. He's always out there, always training for the next match, a born fighter who won't hesitate to use all that muscle to protect what's his. And apparently, that now includes me too.#p#分页标题#e#
It makes me giddy.
Somewhere in the excitement, I notice his face. It's scrunched up in a furious, painful looking way. Fear sparks my heartbeats faster.
At first, I want to run out and yell, ask him if he's all right. But his laps are steady, and I don't believe he'd stay in the pool if something were really wrong. He certainly wouldn't be circling round and round like a shark.
No, it's not his body that's hurting. It's something inside him.
Ty proves me right a second later when he stops, slicks back his messy brown hair, wiping the excess water away. Then he tips his face to the rising sun and screams, fists in the air, bobbing in the water. He's roaring the same way I imagine a man does when he's shipwrecked and knows he's totally adrift, hopelessly severed from civilization.
Alone.
I need to help him. I reach for the door, put my hand on the knob, and freeze just before I open it.
The war cry ripping through the glass is over, and it's quiet again. But something about this new silence scares me.
I've seen him upset. I've seen him act like a total ass, watched him wreck a man for putting his hands on me. This rage pouring out of him is somewhere else on Ty's anger spectrum, some dark, evil place I can't comprehend.
No, this is different, and it scares the hell out of me.
I bite my lip and step back, too afraid to go out there. What will he think if I'm intruding on him like this? It might startle him just when he was opening up, destroy the wonderful thing we had last night when it's barely begun to flourish.
I'll find out what's going on. Just not until he's out of that pool.
Scurrying away from the door, I head upstairs and get another surprise. There's no breakfast laid out for me like most mornings. Strange because Joan's been so good about it, and so has my mom. I'm about to head into the kitchen to see if the billionaire might have an emergency Pop-Tart or two when I hear voices.
They're hushed. Angry. Serious.
“Are you sure about this, Gary? It's rough out there for a young man. I can't imagine doing this to my Claire.”
“Damned right. I've made up my mind. The boy's had his hand held too much. He's twenty-three years old, for Christ's sake! Sure, he works hard at that club, but he's never learned to work smart. He's used it as a personal playground with his women, his drinks, and those ugly charity fights. It's an embarrassment. Frankly, I'm surprised we haven't all been shamed by the media spotlight by now. It's a nothing short of a miracle.”
I stiffen up against the wall. They're talking about Ty, and I've got a sickly feeling it has everything to do with why he's swimming himself ragged and cursing the sky.
“Gary...I don't know. Maybe he just needs some time away. A different job could do him good, something away from the alcohol and testosterone. I could land him something. Lord knows I've pulled enough strings for Claire, and it won't hurt me to get back into touch with some of the folks I'm going to need on my side for the race next year.”
My heart sinks like an elevator. God. I don't want to believe that I'm just as privileged as poor Ty and my own work's just as worthless in my mom's eyes, but there it is. It hurts.
“No,” Gary snaps. “My mind's made up. Your compassion is a virtue, Mandy, and I love it. But mercy isn't going to get him anywhere. He's had his chances. Honestly, I'm surprised you're not more upset. Your daughter came home stinking drunk last night – that's totally out of character, isn't it?”
“Claire's a young woman,” I can hear my mother shrug. “I trust her. She's got a lot to learn, sure, but she'll work through it the same way I did. Trust me, Gary, there are far bigger mistakes a girl can be making at her age than having a little too much fun at the bar.”#p#分页标题#e#