I stand up to give him a hug. He holds me close to his chest. We fit together like we always did, with his chin resting on top of my head and my cheek nuzzled against his shoulder. It strikes me as unfair that love isn’t like a switch you can flip on and off at will; despite the storm of conflicted emotions I have over Ryan right now, he’s the one person in the world whose hug will make me feel better.

I pull back just enough to look up at him. He meets my gaze, and there’s a heaviness to his expression that I can’t quite read. Is it regret? Or longing? Either way, it makes my heart ache. For a split second, I feel his body tense beneath my arms, like he’s about to steel himself to kiss me. But then, just as quickly as it arrived, the moment disappears.

Ryan backs away, digging in his pockets for his car keys, furtively looking over my shoulder to the door.

“I should get going,” he says stiffly. “I’m glad we had this conversation.”

I nod. “Same—me, too.”

We exit through the lobby. He holds the door open for me.

In the parking lot, we walk in opposite directions to our cars, but I hear him call my name before I get inside.

“Yeah?” I say.

“Thank you. I mean it.”

He drives away, and I watch his headlights vanish around the corner. I shouldn’t miss him already, but I do.

Chapter 28

• CHAPTER 28 •

Ryan invites me and the Conways in for a meeting before practice the next morning. Kim, Todd, and Hallie look anxious when they arrive. I’m secretly glad Ryan included me in negotiations about Hallie’s career this time around.

“Thanks for coming in on such short notice,” he says as we take seats in Summit’s office.

“It sounded important,” Todd says.

Kim frowns. “And vague.”

“Is everything okay?” Hallie asks.

Her parents dart confused glances from me to Ryan. I bet they’re surprised to see me here.

“Things are fine, but there’s something I wanted to discuss with you,” Ryan says.

He comes around the desk to lean against it, hesitating like he’s trying to find the right words to explain his mistake. This can’t be easy for him, even if he understands now how crucial it is to turn down Dimitri’s job offer. Thick tension fills the room.

“Avery and I have been debating the pros and cons of moving to Powerhouse for months,” he begins. “She knows Dimitri better than any of us. And from what she’s told me about her experiences with him and having seen him interact with his gymnasts, I can’t recommend that Hallie trains at his gym.”

Kim and Todd look surprised; Hallie looks deflated.

“What does that mean?” Kim asks.