Playing Dirty

Chapter 19 — Nationals Begin

Ethan Hayes



Nationals week arrived like a storm.

Westbridge Academy transformed overnight into pure chaos:

athletes everywhere

media interviews

scouts arriving

pressure building constantly

And somehow Ethan’s relationship with Lena became both better and worse at the same time.

Better because:

they stopped pretending they didn’t care.

Worse because:

everything suddenly felt temporary.

Nationals meant decisions afterward.

Scholarships.

Graduation.

Futures.

And neither of them wanted to talk about it anymore.

So instead—

they avoided reality completely.

Which explained why Ethan currently had Lena pinned gently against the empty hallway wall outside the natatorium at seven in the morning.

“You’re impossible,” Lena whispered breathlessly.

“You kissed me first.”

“You distracted me first.”

“Fair.”

Ethan smirked before kissing her again anyway.

Because honestly?

He was addicted to this girl.

Her hands slid into his hair while his fingers tightened carefully at her waist.

The hallway remained empty except for distant echoes from the pool deck.

Still risky though.

Which somehow only made the tension worse.

Lena pulled back slightly first, trying unsuccessfully to steady her breathing.

“We’re going to get caught eventually.”

“Probably.”

“You sound way too calm about that.”

Ethan shrugged lazily.

“I think everyone already knows.”

Unfortunately—

he was right.

Westbridge students had basically turned their relationship into campus entertainment at this point.

The only people truly in denial were the teachers.

Mostly.

Lena fixed his hoodie slightly while glaring at him.

“You’re distracting before your race.”

“You’re literally sitting in my lap half the time.”

“That’s irrelevant.”

Ethan laughed softly before his expression shifted slightly.

More serious now.

“You coming tonight?”

Lena frowned. “To your finals? Obviously.”

“No,” he murmured quietly. “After.”

Her heartbeat stumbled slightly.

Because she knew what he meant.

The post-finals beach bonfire.

One last night together before nationals officially ended.

One last night before reality returned.

Lena looked at him carefully.

Then nodded once.

“Yeah.”

Something vulnerable flickered briefly across Ethan’s face.

Then he kissed her forehead softly before pulling away.

The small gesture hit Lena harder than making out ever did.

Because Ethan only became gentle when he felt too much.

And lately—

he felt too much constantly.

That evening, the natatorium roared with noise.

Crowds filled the stands while bright lights reflected against the water.

Lena sat beside Ava near the front row, nerves twisting painfully in her stomach as swimmers prepared behind the blocks.

“You look more stressed than he does,” Ava commented.

“I hate this.”

“You’re in love.”

Lena didn’t deny it anymore.

That terrified her.

Across the pool deck, Ethan adjusted his goggles before glancing toward the stands.

Then immediately found Lena.

Always.

No matter how crowded the room became—

he always found her instantly.

Their eyes locked.

And suddenly the noise around them disappeared.

Ethan smiled slightly.

Small.

Private.

Only for her.

Lena’s chest tightened painfully.

Because she knew this boy could absolutely ruin her.

And she loved him anyway.

The starting buzzer echoed sharply through the arena.

Swimmers dove forward instantly.

The crowd exploded.

Lena stood unconsciously near the edge of the stands, heart racing while Ethan cut through the water ahead of everyone else.

Fast.

Focused.

Beautiful.

This was where he belonged.

And suddenly the thought of him leaving hurt even worse.

By the final lap, the entire stadium screamed loudly.

Ethan touched the wall first.

First place.

National qualifier secured.

The crowd erupted.

Teammates dragged him from the pool while cameras flashed everywhere.

But Ethan barely reacted.

Because the second he climbed out of the water—

he looked toward Lena first.

Only Lena.

And somehow that meant more to her than the victory itself.