Chapter 65

Mathias didn’t show up at Cavalier practice the next day or any other scheduled that week. The college team met every other day during vacation, but Coach Keller was still working us—just me now—every one.

I checked my phone the moment I got out of the shower. It was a habit. Even if no one called or texted all day, someone always did while I was in there.

Quitting the college team. Going to be training elsewhere for Rio. Good luck.

I stared at it awhile, my hand eventually trembling so much I couldn’t even see the words. In just my towel, I burst into the little office just off the locker room Coach Keller used after practice to record my times and upload video onto his laptop. “What the fuck?”

“It was his choice, Reed, not mine.”

“Because you yelled at him.”

“Because I yelled at him?” Coach snorted. “What are you, eight?”

Once again, I was back in Mrs. Smeckler’s fourth-grade class.

“I yell at you every day. You don’t fucking quit.”

I didn’t know how to answer that.