From the Backseat | ON INDEFINITE HOLD

xiv | Holland

H O L L A N D 

Why did I think this was a good idea? Why did I agree to come? Why did I let them talk me into this? I was just now getting comfortable with Rhys and Jaxon when they had their shirts off, now my cheeks are in an everlasting blush and I'm not sure where I'm supposed to look. I could almost handle Rhys' ink covered skin. I didn't realize just how many shirtless, attractive men would be here. I'm not sure where I'm supposed to look. Do I look where I want to look or do I keep my eyes on their faces? Or do I just not look at all? That seems to be the safest option.

Jax thought it would be a good idea to bring me along with them to Rhys' boxing tournament this weekend. Andrea and Madeline had come along and when I had extended the invitation to Shannon she was quick to turn it down. She already had plans with Elliot, or at least that's what she said to me. As soon as I mentioned my new friends, especially the names of the girls, she wanted nothing to do with it.

I wonder if we'll ever be like we used to. Before the incident that changed our lives. Before he came in and stole me away and then broke all of our hearts.

It smells like sweat and nachos. We were in a different gym on the other side of town. Jax paid for the taxi ride, which wasn't cheap. He then insisted he buy me whatever I want, so he bought a bunch of drinks and two orders of nachos. Rhys didn't have any as he made his way to the corner of the room where he stripped out of his shirt and started to jump rope to get warmed up. There were a few other boys doing the same thing.

The sound was loud. There were two matches going on as Jax and I found a few seats. "Is it always this loud?" I asked him.

"Always."

"What's the point of this?"

"To win." Jax said. When he sees the look I give him, he explains, "You get points for different things and there's an even longer list of things you can't do which you'll get a foul for. If you have the most points at the end of the fourth round, you win. If your opponent gets knocked to the ground and he doesn't get up in ten seconds, it's considered a knockout and you win."

"Sounds like so much fun." The dry, sarcasm rolling off my tongue doesn't get past him. In return, he rolls his eyes.

I turn my attention back to the boxing rings only for my eye to catch a boy with long brown hair. I watch him as he stalks around one of the rings and makes his way towards Rhys. I remember him from that day in the gym. I can make out the dark ink running up his neck but the majority of it is covered by his shirt.

"That's Myles. Rhys fights him in a few weeks from now. They're both undefeated. It's a battle of the best."

"He talked to me."

Jax's head snaps towards me, his eyes wide. "He talked to you? What did he say? If he said anything rude to you, I am going to beat his ass. That ass hole, talking to you when we weren't around. What did he say?"

His rambling brings a smile to my lips and Andrea slips an arm around him to get him to calm down.

"Myles thinks he's the best boxer to come out of our gym. He got kicked out two years ago when he was caught cheating. He was taking steroids so he could be the best. In a matter of months he went from having his ass kicked to kicking ass. It was Rhys who caught him and got him kicked out. Now he has to do random drug tests every month so he's not taking them anymore, but he lost all respect from us." Madeline explains.

Her eyes keep going back to Myles who is now making his way towards the second ring. He looks up into the stands and stops when he catches Madeline's eye. Her cheeks blush slightly and Myles' lip tilts up just slightly. He makes a move to come this way but his eyes flicker to Jax and he turns the other way, but not without casting one last glance in Madeline's way.