Instead he pushed off the wall and swam to the ladder. He climbed out, water streaming down his body. I stayed in the pool, watching him grab a towel.

“Lock up when you’re done,” he said without looking back. “And Tessa?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t stay too late.”

He walked toward the locker rooms. I stayed in the water until I heard the door close behind him. Then I let out a shaky breath and pressed my forehead against the cool tile of the wall.

This was going to be a long season.

The next afternoon I showed up early for practice. The pool was empty except for Nolan. He was setting...