Chapter Twenty-Six
Beck
The first day of the competition is street style. This was, and I guess still is, Griffin’s strongest style, but Jordan and I both do better on vert or park, which involves ramps, bowls, and catching air.
It’s Jordan first time competing at street, and maybe that’s for the best, because it takes the pressure off. She knows it’s not her strong suit, she just wants to get out there. Jordan still places in the middle of the pack, and given the competition is top notch, it’s a pretty incredible result. She seems satisfied, especially since she comes in a few spots ahead of Camila.
Sarah got second, and beating her at street was never really on the table today.
Jordan’s too focused on the competition now to rehash the encounter with Camila and Sarah earlier. When I saw those two as we arrived this morning, I remembered my initial theory that one or both of them could have been the accounts bullying Jordan online. I still can’t figure that out, and it’s driving me crazy that I may never get answers.
Either way, Camila and Sarah have shown their true colors. If it wasn’t already clear, Jordan’s going to have to keep her guard up around them. Those two are going to be at a lot of the same competitions.
“What’s on your mind, Beck?” Jordan asks as we lie in bed at the rental house.
After sex in the shower, I’m feeling pretty relaxed, but like she reminded me this morning, she knows me too well. “Oh, just thinking about how it sucks you’ll have to keep running into Sarah and Camila as you compete.” I didn’t want to bring them up, but Jordan demands honesty from me.
“Hey, I thought I handled them pretty well today.”
I’m lying on my back and I turn to face her now. “You did. As usual, it made me hot for you and I had to use all my self-control to wait until tomorrow to start groping you in front of everyone.” I’m completely serious, and Jordan knows it.
She smiles. “Me too. But it felt good making a point without having to say you’re my boyfriend. I’m not against leaning on you, Beck, but it’s kind of symbolic or something to me that I can stand up to them without that, you know?”
“I get it.” I do. I try to put myself in her shoes sometimes, and it would be frustrating to be with someone who’s got this unshakeable status in the skateboarding world. Like it or not, I’ve been put on some sort of pedestal.
“You still want to show everyone we’re together though, right?”
“I’m ready. I actually can’t decide if I’m more excited about competing park tomorrow or showing everyone we’re together and giving the middle finger to Camila, Sarah, Bikini Girl, the bubble account, Felicity… Wow, there’s a lot. Who am I forgetting? Kelly, and a few dozen other random people online.”
“Good. But the competition part, that’s for you, right?”
“Yeah Beck, that’s just for me.”
The women compete in park first the next day, and I’ve never been so worked up for anyone’s competition as I am for Jordan.
Brie and Griff are on either side of me and they’re both trying to calm me down. “She’ll be fine, man,” Griff reassures. “She’s been skating great.” We both know that while this is true, she’s still missing something that puts her in the next league. She had it before the crash, and while everything else has come back, and then some, the final piece hasn’t quite clicked yet.
“Look at her, Beck,” Brie says totally unnecessarily. I haven’t taken my eyes off her. “She’s in the zone. She’s focused. Nothing to worry about.”
It’s true. I shouldn’t be worried. I don’t even know if it’s worry that’s got my adrenaline pumping. Jordan’s made it clear she’s sticking to easier tricks. No inverts or anything she’s remotely shaky on. This was her choice, and while I hope she’s up for taking risks at some point, I’m relieved it’s not today. The worst that could happen is a stumble causing her to land on her knees maybe, but the odds are low and she’s wearing knee pads anyway.
“Yeah, I don’t know what my problem is.”
Brie leans until her shoulder brushes mine. “You want her to love it out there again, and have fun. That’s not a problem, Beck, it’s sweet.”
Jordan’s name is called then and I’m vibrating with more anticipation than I do when they call my own name. It’s her first run of five, and the moment she drops in and carves across to the platform in the middle, I know she’s just fine. Jordan’s powerful and graceful as she maneuvers around the bowl and up and down the verts. The tricks aren’t too difficult but she executes them with such finesse her score might rival those doing more difficult tricks. When the buzzer signals time’s up, the crowd cheers louder than they have for anyone else so far. At first I think that might just be in my head since I’m her biggest fan, but then I notice even the people in the stands around the park are on their feet. “What’s going on?” I lean over to ask Griff.
“She’s getting a standing ovation.”
“I didn’t know that happened with skateboarding.”
“Me neither.”
Brie leans over to tell us through the cheering, “It’s probably because of those posts. Everyone’s heard about her crash and how she couldn’t skate for months afterward.”
With all eyes on Jordan, she keeps skating around the edge of the park, getting closer to us.
“I thought you were going to wait until after your last run tonight?” Griff asks.
“We are.”
“No, she’s coming for you, Beck,” Brie informs me a few seconds before Jordan stops on the other side of the barrier separating us.
She looks at me with hopeful eyes. “I’m sorry, I can’t wait any longer.”
Jordan doesn’t make a move to jump over the barrier and I’m too dumbstruck by the happiness radiating off her to budge. Griff shoves me with his elbow and that knocks some sense into me.
She’s waiting for me to make the next move. An instant later, I’m hopping the barrier and standing in front of her. She jumps up, wrapping her legs around my waist, and the cheers that were loud before become deafening.
“You don’t have to wait to kiss me ever again, okay Hotshot?”
“Okay.”
“You have fun out there?”
“Yeah, Beck. Stop talking and kiss me.”
We’re both smiling when our lips connect, and when my hands grab her ass, she deepens the kiss. Her legs squeeze my waist and I nearly forget about the hoots and hollers chanting around us. At some point we hear our names over the loudspeaker and come to our senses.
“Well gentlemen, it looks like Jordan Slattery is taken. Thank you for making that clear, Beckett Steele. Now, on to the next competitor in the lineup today…”
Jordan slides down me but I can’t quite pry my hands off her hips yet. “I thought the message was supposed to be that you’re off the market, not me,” Jordan says with a little pout.
“I like it better with you the center of attention,” I say into her ear over the noise that has yet to die off.