Page 73 of Stroked by (Stroked)
Just as I’m about to text him, my phone beeps with a text.
Reese: Don’t worry, Paisley. Melony is good people and won’t say a word.
Wishing I had a little more privacy from prying eyes. I text him back.
Paisley: How many people have you told?
Reese: Just Hollis. He’s my best friend who is really close with Melony. Believe me, they are both trust worthy. This won’t get out.
That’s easier said than done. I didn’t even tell my best friend, but that was also because he would most likely disown me and then slaughter me in my sleep. An uneasy feeling creeps inside my belly, making the plane feel that much smaller. My breathing starts to become labored and I feel like a panic attack is coming on.
“Hey, are you okay?” Melony asks, heavy concern in her voice.
“I feel like,” I wave a hand in front of my face, “I can’t . . .” I don’t finish my sentence because my phone starts ringing in my hand. I look down to see Reese calling me.
“Answer it,” Melony says.
“We’re about to take off.”
“They haven’t told us to turn our phones off yet, answer it.”
“Yeah, answer it,” the old lady says. I knew she wasn’t listening to any music.
Taking their advice, I press the green button. “Hello?”
“Hey baby.” Reese’s voice instantly calms the heavy weight on my chest. “Listen, I don’t want you to worry about Hollis and Melony knowing. They will keep this a secret, I promise.”
I nod my head, knowing he can’t see it but still needing the movement. “Okay.”
“Are you scared?”
“You know I am. You know what kind of stakes I’m facing here.”
“I know, but no one is going to find out, and better yet, Melony will be able to cover for you since she is your roommate in Omaha. We can use this to our advantage.”
“He’s right.” Melony winks at me, clearly able to hear our conversation. Stupid loud phones.
“Are we okay?” he asks, worry in his voice.
“We’re good,” I whisper into the phone.
“Okay, well, I’ll let you go. Have a safe flight, text me when you land.”
“All right, bye.” I hang up and stare at my phone for a couple seconds, wondering if this is going to trip up my plans. Maybe I should just end this before it gets worse—before it blows up in my face—because by the looks of it, it probably will.
“Don’t overthink it,” Melony says, reading my thoughts. “Hey, how about you get to know me a little more? That will put you at ease. I’m telling you, I’ve been hoping for a girl like you to join the team. I need an ally. I think Pocket has it out for me.”
I laugh at that. “I think Pocket has it out for anyone who even looks at Princess Asshole.”
“You got that right.”
I spend the rest of the flight talking to Melony, comparing horror stories, and learning that we have a lot in common. I wonder if this girl was meant to be my soul sister. Reese is right; she’s very trustworthy, and not just because she says all the right things, but because there’s something about her eyes that says she doesn’t hand out trust very easily. I can appreciate that.
Chapter Eighteen
**REESE**
“I have an interview lined up for you after your races with ESPN. They want to do an exposé on you and your journey from your first Olympics when you were sixteen to now and the changes you’ve seen in the sport along the way.”
