Page 13 of Floored By Love

When Luke waved from across the plaza, I almost tripped. He looked fucking adorable. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had the coin in his pocket right now.

Once I realized what the noise was in the locker room, I knew the platypus would be there when I turned it over. I tried to have no reaction, but I wasn’t sure my face didn’t scream pure delight. Emotionally, I was trying not to get my hopes up, but I couldn’t help but wonder why he had kept it after all these years.

Colton had been the one to convince me to come today. He admitted to teasing Luke in the locker room, saying he was just trying to get a reaction out of him. And even if he didn’t react, Colton thought teasing him was worth it, if only to get a little payback. I told him he didn’t need to do that, though I inwardly smiled at his protectiveness.

“You sure you don’t want me flexing naked around you?” he had asked. And while I outwardly smiled at that thought, I had told him that Luke and I needed to deal with it on our own somehow.

I didn’t say it out loud, but I was afraid Luke would think Colton and I were together, and if so, that Luke would just give up if he hadn’t already. I knew I was overthinking, but after seeing Luke two days in a row, I was getting used to having him around. After how much he hurt me in Brisbane, it surprised me how easily I was ready to forget.

“Cam, let’s go!”

“What?” I asked, brought back to the present. Colton was staring at me.

“We started walking. You stood there. I came back to get you.”

“Oh. Sorry.” I grinned, sheepishly.

“Lost in a daydream?”

“Something like that.”

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go, loverboy.”

Orion and Luke dragged the three of us up and down the street. I didn’t mind. It was nice to see some of London and not be in charge. I knew Orion and Luke went to the same school, though I didn’t think they were together. I don’t even know why I thought that. After all, I doubt Cassandra would’ve allowed it.

Colton had never been to Disney World, so the gigantic Disney Store fascinated him. He made me take a selfie with him in the middle of all the plushies. I’ll admit it was adorable. It was my first candid post from London. I was still not a social media butterfly. Some things hadn’t changed.

#bestie #TeamUSA #Disneyplushieheaven #gymnastsgonewild <3

Alex was obsessed with Apple, so we spent a good deal of time there as well. Colton got bored and pulled up a photo of himself on every iPad that was unoccupied, so when we left, it was a gallery of Coltons. We had some fish and chips for lunch at what felt like the British version of McDonalds, and then it was time to shop for clothes.

Colton and I laughed ourselves out of the first store we went into. The first shirt one of us liked was over five hundred dollars once I did the conversion. No way in hell could either of us afford that. I knew Luke could, but it didn’t take them long to notice we were missing.

“Where’d you guys go?” Orion asked, walking over to where we were sitting.

“I don’t know about y’all, but I can’t afford no shirt that’s five hundred bucks,” Colton answered for us.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would be that pricey,” Orion said, head down a little. “Let’s go to the next one.”

The next one was more in our league. After finding a few shirts I wanted to try on, I told Colton I was heading to the dressing rooms. I found an open stall in the men’s area and shut the curtain. Unbuttoning my shirt and hanging it on the hook, I grabbed the first hanger and slid the shirt off and pulled it over my head. It was pretty comfy and it definitely fit. I took it off and tried on the others. In the middle of pulling the last one over my head, I heard my curtain open and then a ‘Shit, I’m sorry.’

I finished pulling the shirt off, leaving my top half exposed, but froze when I saw Luke standing there, his arms full of clothes. He seemed just as shocked to see it was me.

“I didn’t see a tag on the hook.” I looked at him, confused. “I thought it was empty, since you didn’t put a tag here,” he said, gesturing to the hook next to the curtain.

“I had no idea. I just went into an empty one.”

“At least, you were just trying a shirt on.”

I don’t know what came over me, but I said, “It wouldn’t have mattered if it were pants. You’ve seen it all before.”

I swear I saw a hint of a smile before a wave of shame swept over Luke’s face. He dashed off before I could say something else. I was trying to be funny, but I was afraid it came off as angry. I put my shirt back on, bought the first shirt I tried on, then headed outside to wait for the rest of the guys. We had decided earlier that if we were done shopping, or got separated in the store, we would meet out front. Colton and Alex had apparently finished before me.

“You buy anything?” They both shook their heads.

Seeing my bag, Colton asked what I got, and I pulled the shirt out of the bag to show him. “Very nice.”

I pulled him aside and explained the dressing room mishap.