Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40297 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40297 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
“Besides, I know you, baby. You’re gonna make all your dreams come true.”
I believed it with everything I had. California waited for us. And the Olympics waited for her.
But no matter what happened, as long as we were together, I was home.
EPILOGUE
CECILY
The roar of the crowd echoed in my ears as I treaded water with my teammates, our arms linked together in a tight circle. My lungs burned, and my muscles felt like jelly, but I couldn’t stop smiling. We had just given everything we had in our acrobatic routine. Now all that was left was the waiting.
We were already in the lead after the technical and free routines. And it felt like we’d nailed this one, but the margin between the Spanish team wasn’t far behind us. And even though it was her home country, my mother-in-law was rooting for me to win, along with so many others.
I was surprised by how calm I felt. I thought I’d be replaying every tiny mistake in my head while I waited for the scores. But I wasn’t…because he was here.
I glanced up toward the stands and found Ares immediately. He stood with our parents flanking him on either side. And in the row behind him were a few members of the Redline Kings chapter he was now the president of. But I didn’t pay much attention to anyone but my husband.
His blue eyes were locked on me like I was the only person in the entire arena. He pressed his fist over his heart in a signal to let me know that he had me.
And for the first time in my life, the outcome didn’t feel like everything. I had already won the thing that mattered most.
The announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers. “Here are the final scores…”
My teammates squeezed my hands tighter. I held my breath along with them as the numbers flashed up on the massive board. One by one, the judges’ scores appeared. And then the total.
The arena exploded with cheers.
We had won gold.
Screams erupted around me as my teammates and I surged out of the water, hugging and crying in a tangled, soaking-wet mess of joy. Jennie, the youngest member of the team, tackled me in a hug so hard we both nearly fell back into the pool.
“We did it!” she sobbed happily. “Cecily, we actually won the gold!”
I laughed through my own tears, hugging her back just as fiercely. “We sure did.”
Camera flashes went off, and the crowd was chanting. But through all the chaos, my eyes kept finding Ares. He wasn’t jumping or cheering loudly like everyone else. He was just watching me with an intense pride that always made my knees weak.
As my teammates pulled me into another group hug, laughing and crying, I let the joy wash over me completely. I had finally won Olympic gold.
But the best part was that I got to go home with my husband. Something I kept in mind through all of the hoopla that followed.
The second the last interview wrapped, I broke away from the cameras and sprinted toward the stands, still barefoot, my towel slipping off my shoulders. Ares was already moving, pushing through the crowd with a long, purposeful stride. The moment I reached the barrier he leaned over, grabbed me by the waist, and lifted me straight up.
I wrapped my arms and legs around him, laughing and crying as he crushed me against his chest. His mouth found mine in a deep kiss that tasted like forever. The crowd around us cheered louder, but I barely heard them. All I could focus on was him.
“I’m so proud of you, baby,” he murmured against my lips, his voice rough with emotion. “My Olympic gold medalist.”
I kissed him again, pouring every ounce of love and gratitude into it.
Our parents reached us, and I reluctantly tore my mouth from his. Mom pulled us both into a teary hug while Dad clapped Ares on the back, his eyes suspiciously bright. His parents did the same, offering their congratulations.
“We’re so happy for you two,” Mom said, squeezing my hand. “Both of you.”
“What’s next?” his mom asked.
Although she probably meant if I needed to do anything else before I could leave, I decided now was the perfect time to announce my plan for the coming year. “Getting pregnant so we can build our family of baby bikers and swimmers.”
“A grandbaby,” the moms squealed, even happier at this news than they were over me winning the gold.
Ares never took his eyes off me while we chatted with them, and I caught the flash of heat in his eyes at my answer. He pulled me closer, like he couldn’t bear even an inch of space between us. Then he dipped his head, his breath hot against my ear as he asked, “You want me to knock you up?”