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really intended for something to happen between Mr. Stevens and me? I had to admit that I’d never thought about that aspect, and I didn’t actually know the answer to the question. That alone bothered me; I’d always known exactly what I wanted, and gone after it. The idea that I hadn’t known what I wanted in this case …
    ***
    My heart continued to race through the end of the day, and I rushed to swim practice to find that everything there was business as usual. The girls were full of their daily jokes and laughter and had no idea that the whole world had changed, at least for me. I slipped into my suit and got in the pool with the other girls to start our daily workout, wondering what the practice would bring.
    Nothing different, as it turned out; we went through our standard reps of freestyle, breast stroke, back stroke, and butterfly, with a long warm-down at the end of practice. I looked up at the coaches every time I came to the edge of the pool, but never caught Coach Stevens’ eyes on me. Perhaps I had over exaggerated, I thought. Maybe it was all in my head.
    By the end of practice, I was too tired to think about anything at all. I finished my last lap and drifted to the edge of the pool, then grabbed the concrete coping and pulled myself out onto the deck. The March sun was warm and inviting, and I laid back, letting my feet dangle in the cool water. The sun was bright and warm above me, drying the drops of water on my skin, and I threw myself backward to rest on the deck and rested my arms over my eyes to shade the sun. The warmth of the concrete seeped into my back and shoulders, relaxing my overworked body. I sighed deeply and allowed my mind to rest, focusing simply on the nice warmth on my body.
    Suddenly, though, someone came between the sun and me, casting a shadow across my face and bringing the chill of shade. I moved my arm and cracked one eye, then opened both eyes wide. Mr. Stevens was standing over me, holding my towel. He dropped it over my face, laughing, and turned to talk to Natalie. She returned his small talk, then strolled away toward the locker room. Mr. Stevens and I were alone. This was nothing new; we generally stayed together after practice, talking as we walked toward the locker rooms. Normally, though, I walked to the girl’s locker room and he went toward his truck.
    Today he reached out to take my hand at the gate.
    “Isabel, do you want a ride home?” he asked quietly. “I can drop you off at Liz’s house, if you’d like, instead of yours.”
    That was a good idea, though Mr. Stevens couldn’t have known the reason for it. I knew that if my dad saw Mr. Stevens dropping me off at home – especially after his stern warning to me – he would completely freak out. I’d be in for a long lecture about obedience and the importance of safety, and lectures from my father were never pleasant affairs. If Mr. Stevens dropped me of at Liz’ house, on the other hand…
    “Sure,” I said lightly. “Liz will be happy to get a visit, she’s home sick today.”
    “Yeah, I know,” he answered wryly. “I figured she was, since she’s not here. I haven’t seen the two of you separated in weeks. I need to change, but I’ll be out in ten minutes – we can meet at my truck.” He began to turn around, then paused. “Isabel,” he said quietly, “it would probably be best if people didn’t see you getting into my truck. Let’s keep this between us, okay?”
    I nodded wordlessly, wondering what on earth he meant by that.
    I got into the locker room and rushed through my usual routine – pulling off my wet and clingy suit, jumping in the shower to wash the smell of chlorine in my hair, and struggling with the challenge of slipping my damp legs into tight leggings. I paused on my way out and sprayed on some of my Exclamation over my wrists and on my neck.
    I trotted out of the locker room and toward the parking lot, hoping that no one was watching me. Unfortunately, my luck