On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3)
On Dry Land
Rebecca Barber
On Dry Land
Copyright © 2016 by Rebecca Barber.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: June 2016
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-667-1
ISBN-10: 1-68058-667-X
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
It’s time to let you go and say good bye.
Thank you.
Keep your chin up.
Always yours.
Bec xoxo
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
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Chapter 1
Tyler
“Fucking hell! Not again,” Tyler groaned as he rolled over and flung his arm out. Where there should have been a warm, welcoming woman, there was only cool sheets and an abandoned pillow.
The alarm continued to sound as Tyler bashed at it, his eyes still tightly shut. “It’s too early for this shit,” he grunted miserably. This was the fourth time this week his day had started out with disappointment.
After eight months together, Ava was still running away in the middle of the night. No matter how many times they’d had the argument, Tyler still couldn’t get through to her. She was his girlfriend. Officially. He didn’t care if no one knew or the whole world did, but for some reason Ava was still determined to remain hidden. Almost every night she’d sneak out and return to her own apartment hell bent on never getting caught, making the walk of shame. Burying his head underneath Ava’s lonely pillow, Tyler closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. She might not be there but there were traces of her everywhere.
When the alarm buzzed again, in what seemed like barely a breath later, Tyler dragged his tired, aching body from the bed and shuffled towards the bathroom. He had the routine down to a fine art. Shower, juice, and out the door in eight minutes, a six minute drive to the pool, and in the water on time.
As Tyler lapped up and down, feeling incredibly buoyant today, his mind raced at a million miles an hour. He couldn’t keep doing this. He didn’t want to. Things had to change and they needed to change now. Enough was enough. It was more than three months ago when he’d given Ava a key to his apartment and cleared space for her in the wardrobe. All she’d left there was a lousy toothbrush. A single pink toothbrush was the only sign she even existed in his world. What hurt Tyler more than anything else wasn’t the lack of stuff she’d left there, or the continual waking up alone. No, what killed him the most was the fact that Ava had yet to make any significant move to make him a part of her life. An important part.
The thoughts consumed him and Tyler took his frustration out on the water. Without realizing it, his stroke fell apart. Instead of gliding through the water he was chopping at it like a kid who’d never swum before. He was pushing himself faster with each lap.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” a voice boomed from above him as a foam kickboard bounced off his shoulders.
Stopping where he was, Tyler dropped his feet but they didn’t touch the bottom. He’d lost track of where he was. Paddling over to the edge, Tyler took advantage of the small break and sucked in long, large lungful’s of air. He hadn’t realized how hard he’d been pushing until he stopped.
Reaching the edge, Tyler looked up into an angry face he’d recognize anywhere. Joel was pissed. And when Joel was pissed, the safest place to be was anywhere else. “Wanna tell me what the fuck that was?”
“Ummm…”
“That wasn’t swimming! That wasn’t even drowning. That looked like it was some kind of weird mating ritual!” Joel admonished as he squatted down, bringing him almost to Tyler’s eye level.
“Sorry,” Tyler apologized miserably. He had nothing. He didn’t want to admit to anyone, let alone his coach, that he had his Speedos in a twist because his girlfriend wouldn’t sleep over.
“Come on. What’s brought this on?” Joel softened, speaking so only Tyler could hear.
With a shrug of his wide, tanned shoulders, Tyler sighed. “My head’s just not in it today, I guess.”
“Okay then.”
“Okay?”
“Okay then. Ten more laps then get out of here. Use the kick board. Your stroke’s awful and I don’t want to watch it anymore. Just focus on kicking.”
Tyler’s heart sunk. It must have been really terrible for Joel to let him off so easily. Especially on a Friday. Friday’s sessions were usually the worst—ten times harder than any other day of the week and more than once Tyler had stumbled from the aquatic centre with legs that felt like jelly and arms that resembled a wet noodle.
Pushing through his laps, Tyler finished up quickly. Every muscle in his body burned. For him, swimming wasn’t usually hard work but when you didn’t do it properly it could become your worst nightmare. Even though he’d abandoned using his arms and just stuck to working on his kick, he couldn’t find a rhythm, so he’d overused his legs and turned them to mush.
“Tyler, what the fuck was that?” Sam taunted as he glided to a halt in the next lane.
Puffing heavily, Tyler peeled his cap and goggles off and ran his hand through his wet hair. “I have no fucking idea but it felt like shit,” he admitted, ducking under the water.
“Good. ’Cause it looked butt ugly!” Luke chuckled as he joined the torment. “Any idea what the hell is the cause of this disaster?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“NFI.”
“Women are too much trouble,” Sam added.
“Then why have you always got one hanging off your arm?” Luke asked.
“They’re fun?”
“I don’t get it.” Tyler shrugged as he poked at a solitary leaf that floated past.
“It’s never the same woman, Tyler!” Sam explained before both he and Luke fell into a wild fit of laughter.
Heaving himself from the water, Tyler wrapped a towel around his waist and tossed a casual glance over his shoulder. Luke and Sam were horsing around, trying to drown each other. “Remind me never to ask you two for relationship advice.”
“What’s a relationship?” At Luke’s question the snickering grew.
“You both suck!” Tyler admonished half-heartedly. “I’m gonna head out.”
“To the Mrs.?”
Tyler didn’t respond. Well, not with words. Instead he flicked them the bird and strode towards his car with long deliberate strides.
The drive back to his place was uneventful but his mind had other plans. Too many thoughts fighting for validity. By the time he pulled into his car spot he had the beginnings of a plan. Things were going to change. They needed to. The first thing that needed to be addressed was Ava’s nasty little habit of sneaking away in the middle of the night. She’d never once, not in eight months, stayed the whole night. Tyler had never once woken up to see her sleeping beside him…a reality that pissed him off royally.
Dumping his wet clothes and towels in the laundry tub, Tyler grabbed an overripe banana from the fruit bowl on the counter before flopping onto the lounge. In two big bites the banana was gone, but Tyler didn’t feel anywhere near satisfied. He knew he should get up and eat something decent, but he couldn’t find the energy. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he couldn’t stop himself from shooting off a pathetic text.
Tyler: Hi.
A few minutes later he was pacing. Ava hadn’t replied. Tyler knew his text hadn’t really warranted a reply, and he knew she was at work but that didn’t stop his blood boiling with each moment that it went unanswered.
Grumpy, pissed off, and for some reason incredibly horny, Tyler forced himself to the bathroom and under the icy cold spray. Anything to calm him down and cool him off. As he stood there, soap in his eyes, Tyler tried to remember the last time he’d felt consumed by this kind of frustration. When he realized what it was, it almost dropped him on his ass. Ava. Ava was the only one who could rile him up like this. Twist him in knots. Boil his blood. It had been the day they met. He’d been ready to burst. Now here he was eight months later, right back where they started.
Stepping from the shower he tugged on his sweat pants and shirt and wandered back into the kitchen to find some food. Not really in the mood to cook, Tyler downed a protein shake and an apple before stumbling back to the lounge. His legs could barely hold him up and his eyes stung. The moment he got comfortable and the pillows fluffed the way he liked, his phone pinged on the kitchen counter.
“Shit!” he groaned as he debated whether or not to drag his tired ass back up.
For a few minutes Tyler laid where he was. He was too buggered to move. But curiosity got the better of him and he rolled off the lounge, landing on his knees with a thud.
Crawling on all fours, Tyler grabbed his phone and dropped onto the nearest bar stool.
Ava: Hi yourself.
“That’s it? What the fuck?”
If his exhaustion calmed him down for a moment, it had all but evaporated now. With one huge hand Tyler picked up his phone and wrenched his arm back. He’d had every intention of letting it go, just to enjoy the satisfaction of watching it shatter into a thousand pieces against the wall, but at the last second he’d clenched his fist and held tight.
Tyler: Have a nice night’s sleep?
Tyler knew he was being a shithead, but he couldn’t stop. He was hurt and angry and what made the whole thing even worse was Ava was completely clueless. Or maybe she didn’t care. Annoyed at himself for being such a demanding drama queen, Tyler flipped his phone on silent, dropped it in the fruit bowl, and stormed into his bedroom. Ten minutes later his breathing had calmed and he was out like a light.
Chapter 2
Ava
Yawning widely, Ava rubbed her temples. Her eyes were hanging out of her head and her whole body ached. She needed sleep. Desperately. What’s worse she had no one to blame but herself. And maybe Tyler. He was too damn irresistible for his own good and that was the problem. Three nights this week she’d gone to his place instead of her own. Three nights she’d had to leave in the middle of the night and return to her own cold, lonely bed. Although it wasn’t a long drive between apartments, dragging herself from Tyler’s warmth, getting dressed, and making the trip home was taking its toll, both physically and mentally. Everything was suffering.
“Ava!” a deep voice called from above her.
She didn’t even see Matthew standing there and she couldn’t help but wonder how long he’d been watching her. Ava really was off with the fairies today. Stifling another yawn, she bit down on her fist. “Morning.”
“You sure?” Matthew taunted.
“Yep.”
“You busy today?”
“Probably. But since when’s that ever stopped you?” Ava asked her voice thick with sarcasm. This early morning banter was great. It was actually dragging her back into the world of the living.
“Good point! Grab your stuff and let’s go!” Matthew snorted, obviously pleased with himself.
He sauntered away leaving Ava scrambling to force her feet back into her shoes and catch up. “Wait,” Ava wailed as she threw her keys, glasses, and phone into her handbag and shrugged into her jacket. “Where we going?”
“Does it matter?”
“Guess not.”
“Well then, stop complaining and get in.” Matthew waved her into the awaiting elevator.
When they arrived in the basement, Matthew led her towards his car. Without a word or question, Ava fumbled into the passenger seat and fastened her belt before she attempted to finish dressing herself. After adjusting her collar and tugging her shirt, Ava was finally ready to face whatever Matthew was about to drop her in. Outwardly Ava appeared ready. Confident. Inwardly however, was another story. Inside, Ava’s stomach was turning over and the throbbing pain behind her eyes increased with every breath.
Part of Ava wished she didn’t know Matthew as well as she did. In her heart she knew he was about to subject her to something that would make her feel extremely uncomfortable. Matthew would never kidnap her without warning, unless Ava was going to freak herself out. And today, he’d blindsided her completely. She was beyond freaking out. Ava was in full blown panic mode. Needing the distraction, Ava grabbed her phone and checked her messages, instantly regretting her decision.
Tyler: Have a nice night’s sleep?
Every time she looked at it, it taunted her. It didn’t really give too much away but Ava was pretty sure he was pissed. Even though she’d been retreating to her own place after he’d fallen asleep, until now he’d remained silent. Ava wasn’t dumb enough to believe it would last, that he’d put up with it forever, but she’d hoped she had more time. It appeared as though her time had just run out.
For a few brief seconds, Ava concentrated on her breathing. In and out. In and out. It wasn’t helping. Between Matthew’s abduction and Tyler’s cryptic message, Ava’s mind was a scrambled mess, not to mention her stomach. Biting the bullet, Ava replied.
Ava: Not really.
She couldn’t think of anything more she could say. What was there to say? The truth was she hated leaving. Hated crawling out from the warmth of Tyler’s bed and going home. Hated the moment she reached the door and found herself turning around looking back at Tyler’s mouth-watering body as he slept. She hated the fact she was too chicken shit to stay when it was all she wanted to do.
Tyler: Maybe you sho
uld get a full night’s sleep tonight then?
The tears appeared from nowhere. Tyler was pissed. Beyond pissed. In all the time they‘d been together, Tyler had done everything in his power to avoid hurting her. Ava knew without a doubt he’d put out fires more than once to protect her. But now he was being mean on purpose. And what completely sunk her, she knew she deserved it.
Not knowing what to say, Ava locked her phone and tossed it back in her bag. If she shut it and didn’t look she could pretend it wasn’t a problem. If she didn’t see it, then it didn’t exist.
Matthew pulled into an underground car park and Ava was startled. She’d been so caught up with her own troubles, she had absolutely no idea what had been going on. She’d been so caught up in her own head that she hadn’t been paying attention to where they were headed. Smoothing her skirt and rubbing her clammy hands on her butt, she tried to make it appear casual and nonchalant.
As Matthew turned into a vacant spot and killed the ignition, Ava unclicked her seatbelt and spun in her seat to face him. “So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing? And where we are?”
“Do I have to?”
“Yes! And now!”
“We, well you, are about to present at today’s course.”
“What the fuck?” Ava snapped. “You can’t be serious.”
The crooked smile on Matthew’s face told Ava everything she needed to know. He wasn’t kidding. He was about to make her to stand in front of a room of people and talk. In that moment Ava wondered if she’d ever despised anyone more.
“You’ll be fine. Get out of the car, Ava.”
Ava seethed. If it was possible for steam to billow from her ears, then she was almost certain the fire brigade would have been already on their way. She wanted to scream and stamp her feet, but she wasn’t five. She wanted to throw up. More than anything she wanted Tyler to assure her she was okay. Convince her she could do this. Right now, Ava wasn’t sure that even he’d be able to give her the assurance she craved.