“But you’re an excellent runner now. I would never have known that you’d had a problem when you were younger.”
Selena smiled, turning her head to kiss his chest before resuming her story. “In college, after…well, after I got help, I found a running coach. This woman was wonderful. She taught me how to run, how to control my breathing, to pace myself. When I was in gym class and we had to run on the track, I was so worried about being the last person in the class to finish, I’d sprint right off of the starting line. This woman showed me to go slow, to find an easy rhythm.” She snuggled against him. “I wish I’d learned that earlier. Although, high school gym class was so cruel and the pressure to not be humiliated so intense, I probably would have done the exact same thing.”
“I remember the slower people in gym class.”
“You weren’t one of them, were you?”
He sighed and kissed her head again. “No. I’m sorry Selena. I don’t think I ever made rude comments, but I didn’t stop the others either.”
She was still for a long moment and he thought he might have lost her at that point. But she turned and rubbed her cheek against his chest and he breathed a sigh of relief. “I forgive you.”
He hugged her, but then pulled back again. “What about in college?”
Another long silence and he could feel the tension increase in her slender figure once again. He wasn’t sure she’d tell him and he would be fine with that. She’d opened up so much tonight. He wouldn’t make her tell him everything now. They had a lifetime of telling stories and learning about each other.
Then she shifted, her back against his chest as she stared up at the stars. “A really cute fraternity boy flirted with me. We were in the library at the beginning of my freshman year so I was already nervous and feeling lost. The other girls in school were all skinny, blond, and gorgeous. I was no longer just chubby.” She paused again. “I was really heavy. Worse, I refused to get clothes that fit me, so they were tight and uncomfortable. I wore big shirts to hide my size, but what I didn’t understand was that those shirts only made me look larger.”
“And the guy teased you in the library?”
She shook her head. “Worse. He flirted with me until I agreed to come to a frat party with him that weekend.”
Reid wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the rest of this story. He could guess where it was going. College freshmen boys were cruel idiots. He could imagine Selena with more weight on her figure. She was beautiful now, but with more weight, her features would soften, her hips would be rounder. And her legs…he doubted her legs could ever be bad! She had gorgeous legs!
“I bet you were lovely,” he whispered into her ear.
“I knew how to put on makeup and do my hair and thought that was good enough.”
“Selena, you’re beautiful! Inside, you’re a gorgeous person. On the outside, you’re healthy and vibrant, but inside, you’re sweet, caring, and kind.”
She smiled, lifting his hand to kiss it. “Thank you for that. But I was insecure and painfully shy.”
“I can see that. You’re still shy.”
She laughed and the sound felt like a sultry caress.
“I thought I hid it well.”
He chuckled. “I can see through the bravado.”
“Yes, well, this guy played on my shy nature. He manipulated me. I was…” she choked on her next words but Reid waited patiently, ready to listen but bracing himself for whatever she might tell him. “I was his fraternity challenge. He needed to have sex with a big girl in order to meet his initiation goals.”
Reid muttered several curses under his breath. When she wiggled slightly, he realized that his arms had tightened around her. He relaxed his grip, but kept her close. “What was his name?” he asked, a threat to his voice.
“Jeremy Kingsley. He was tall and handsome, but prematurely laughing at his conquest of me. I came to the frat party that night, looking for him and all dressed up. I’d curled my hair, my makeup looked perfect and I was wearing my prettiest dress.”
He closed his eyes, picturing her in his head. “I’m sure you looked hot!”