Learning to Live

Chapter 31

"I leave you two alone for five minutes. Five minutes! Do I need to..."

Her voice drifted off as I pushed open another set of glass doors. Immediately, my senses were assaulted by the familiar scent of leather, an overpowering scent of lemon and peppermint, and a hint of sweat beneath everything that the cleaning products and diffusers just couldn't get rid of.

Three boxing rings were on one side of the gym, currently empty. The walls were black with abstract shapes in orange and white. A line of punching bags were set up along the walls.

There was another space through a big door beyond the boxing rings, set up with gym equipment.

On the other side of the space was a cage. Currently occupied by two grappling fighters on the ground. It looked like every single gym goer was watching the fight.

I approached the cage as well, finding a gap between the speculating crowd. Inside the cage, one of the fighters was holding the other in a chokehold.

My breath caught in my throat. Sweaty, dressed only in shorts, blood dripping from a cut on his eyebrow, Hunter's face was set in harsh lines as he tried to choke his opponent to tapping out.

The guy in his hold was turning red in the face. He slammed his hand against Hunter's forearm in quick succession, giving up. Hunter let go and rolled away from him. The poor guy was breathing like he'd been under water. A few whistles sounded, and the crowd grew louder, discussing the fight.

The people around were from all ages, men and women, and I liked that. so far, the atmosphere was better than anything I'd experienced in the previous gyms. A good sign.

Hunter climbed to his feet and pulled his opponent up. He ran his wrapped hand through his hair, and the butterflies in my stomach went wild. Damn it.

Already, a couple of people were getting into the cage, grabbing his attention. A few people scattered back to their workouts, others lingered nearby. Adoring fans if the way they looked at him was anything to go by.

I waited for Hunter to be done. More people, mostly girls, joined his group, flocking around the star. I sighed. Maybe I should just find the locker room and start my workout. I was itching to punch something.

Before I could wander off, Hunter looked away from the man talking to him and scanned the gym. His eyes found me and his entire body seemed to lock up. Then he smiled. A small smile that made me feel like I was seventeen all over again. I gave him a wave, playing it cool, as if my insides weren't about to explode into a fluttering mess.

He said something, not taking his eyes off of me, and abandoned his entourage. He jumped out of the cage and strode toward me. I met him halfway.

"Nice place," I said, waving my hand around.

"Told you," he said, a smile still playing on his lips. "You came."

"I told you I would."

He opened his mouth, but another voice interrupted.

"Hunter, I need you right now."

I glanced at the woman marching towards us. She was dressed in skinny white jeans, a blue shirt and a tan blazer. Her nude heels broke to a stop almost between us and she looked at Hunter, holding her phone in one hand. I could only see the back of her black hair. Well, then.

"I need you to take a look-"

"Not now, Ava," Hunter said, his smile slipping.

She glanced at me with a tight smile. "I'm sure your fan can understand. Right?"