"Hop in."
I raised my brows at the car. I'd seen it around. I just never knew it was Hunter's. The sleek sports car was black and low. It would be a joy to drive. I leaned down against the open passenger side window. It looked as pretty inside as it was from the outside.
The car was parked in the very back of the school's parking lot. But most students had gone home already, so the way out would be clear. A few stragglers lingered around, chatting among themselves. But even they gave me looks. I guess people didn't usually approach Hunter's Jamison's car.
"Only if you let me drive," I said.
"No one drives this other than me," he said. "Hop in."
"I'll just send you the location and meet you there."
"Why?"
I sighed. I didn't particularly like telling people about my little thing, but Hunter and I would be spending some time together, if he liked the gym. It would be easier if he knew.
"I don't ride a car if I'm not driving it."
"Don't or can't?"
Perceptive, wasn't he? "Can't."
He frowned and looked ahead. I straightened and pulled out my phone to send him the location. The car door opening and closing had me glancing up. Hunter stalked around the car to stand beside me. Close enough for me to smell his cologne mixed with cigarettes. His usual smell. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt and jeans, his hair messed up and his eyes darker than black. Even with no effort whatsoever, he looked quite handsome.
"Go on." He nodded to the car.
"Are you sure? You said you don't let anyone drive you."
He raised his brow. "Then I guess you're not just anyone," he drawled out.
My heart skipped a beat. Literally. I tucked in my phone, feeling my cheeks warm up. "Very smooth, aren't you?"
He winked and ducked into the passenger seat. Swallowing against my dry throat, I moved to the driver's side and slipped in. The car was as smooth as it looked. I expected he'd be fussy about someone driving him in his own car. He wasn't. He stared out of the window, lounging in the seat.
"Are you flirting with me?" I asked outright. Steering the car out of the parking lot and merging into the light traffic.
"Anyone ever told you you're too blunt?"
I chuckled at our little inside joke. "If you keep saying stuff like that, I might start to believe you have a crush on me."
"What if I do?"
I almost hit the car in front of me. I managed to push the breaks in time. The light ahead was red.
"Don't joke around like that," I said, my hands tightening on the wheel. Ow, my knuckles. I loosened my grip. "I might crash your car."
Hunter sighed and looked out his window. The silence this time seemed charged. Was he... angry?
The light turned green. The car rolled forward. Had I been rude by dismissing his words as a joke? But they were a joke.
Right?
I stole a glance at him. "Are you serious?"
"Never mind. Just drive."
He didn't even look at me. My eyebrows tugged down. I swerved the car to the side, parked it and turned in my seat to look at him. I hated not figuring out stuff. Hunter sighed and turned his head to look at me. "Why did you stop?"
"Are you serious or not?" I asked. "No joking."
A muscle twitched in his jaw. "I'm not joking."
Crap. Crap.
"You're... serious?"
"I think that's the opposite of joking, yes."
Smartass. I rubbed my hands down my thighs, my heart skittering in my chest. Now what? I really thought he'd been teasing me.
"Um..." I shook my head. "But... you don't even know me? We've barely known each other for a few days."
He smiled a little. "That's why it's called a crush. I didn't say I'm in love with you."
My heart was being weird today. I scowled at Hunter. "Fine."
He turned his head away. "Let's go see if your boxing gym is any good."
He waved his hand to the road ahead. He was serious. Ugh. I hated leaving things hanging over me like this. I steered the car on instinct, no longer enjoying its smooth handling.
"Smoke will be coming out of your ears if you think any harder," Hunter said. "Just forget I said anything."
I scoffed. Easy for him to say.
The red brick building of the gym loomed ahead. I drew the car up beside it and turned off the engine. Neither of us got out.
"You're serious."
He sighed. "Yes."
"So?" I asked.
"So?"
"Well, what are you going to do about it?"
His eyes burned my cheek. "If I ask you out, will you say yes?"
My head whipped towards him so fast it cracked. The car seemed too small suddenly. Why was it so hot?
"Don't look so horrified," he mumbled. "If you hate it that much, let it go."
I frowned to myself. Did I hate it? "I don't hate it," I thought out loud. "I just... you're asking me out? Like, dating?"
"Not like. It is dating," he shifted in his seat. "No?"
"I... don't know."
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"No."
"Do you want someone else to be your boyfriend?"
"No!"
"Then why not me?"
"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."
"How does it work?"
I waved my hand around. "I should... like you, or something."
His eyes crinkled at the corners. "You hate me?"
"No!" I said. "I like you, I guess?"
He shrugged. "We can give it a go for a couple of weeks. If it doesn't work, we can just pretend nothing happened."
I blinked. A couple of weeks. Mhm. "And if it does?"
"We'll see then." He was out of the door before I could form a proper response. I sat there while he picked up something from the trunk. Dating. How difficult could it be?
Besides, I might as well try it out. I'd never had a boyfriend before. I didn't feel the need to. Did I like Hunter that way?
I didn't know. Maybe? He certainly made me feel weird, sometimes. A good kind of weird. He wasn't like Jason or Brandon or any of the guys I considered friends.
But a boyfriend?
"Ugh!" I messed up my hair. Someone knocked on the window. I glared at Hunter. He looked like he was biting back a laugh. He pointed to the gym.
I grabbed my backpack from the back seat and jumped out, tossing him the car keys.
Alright. We were dating. Fact acknowledged. Moving on.
Hunter loomed next to me. I was suddenly aware of how tall and imposing he was. He threw his duffle bag over his shoulder and studied the old warehouse. "It's pretty big."
"Wait until you see the inside," I said, glad the conversation was on familiar ground again. "It has a couple of boxing rings and a cage."
"A cage?"
"Yep. Like the one you see in MMA matches," I said. "There's also an outdoor area in the back. That's where you'll probably be spending most of your time when Steve hears your breathing after a few punches."
I grinned to myself. Steve was a grumpy old man. He and Hunter would just be golden together.
"I don't like that grin," Hunter said.
I grinned wider. "Don't you have a crush on me? You should love my grin."
He turned his head away, but not before I saw his smile.
Emma was sitting behind her desk near the entrance, her nose in a book. She glanced up, then did a double take, her eyebrows hiking up her forehead.
"Hey, Emma," I said, stopping by, Hunter looming next to me.
"Hey," she lowered her book. "New to the gym?"
Hunter nodded. Emma glanced at me. Right. Introductions. "Hunter, this is Emma. She basically runs the show behind the scenes. Emma, this is Hunter."
"Hunter?" Emma said.
I glanced between the two then added. "My boyfriend?"
Emma dropped her book on the desk. She leaned forward and gave Hunter a slow once over. Then she shot to her feet, rounded her desk and grabbed my wrist, basically dragging me behind her.
"We'll be there in a sec, Hunter!" She called over her shoulder. We went through the hallway and into the girls' locker room. The door closed with a bang. She turned to me, her eyes wide. "Your boyfriend?"
I dropped my backpack and sat down on the long bench running along the center of the room. "Apparently."
"What do you mean apparently? Since when? Last week you were single and ready to mingle."
I laughed. "I have no idea. He just told me he has a crush on me and asked me out."
"And you said yes?"
"Well, I didn't say no..." I said. Emma frowned. I huffed. "Anyway, we agreed to give it a go for two weeks and see how it goes."
Emma barked out a laugh and plopped down next to me. "At least he's a stud."
I nodded. He was a stud. I got up, opened my locker and threw my training clothes on the bench.
"Do you like him?"
I paused in taking off my t-shirt, one sleeve out, one sleeve in. "I think I do," I said. "How do you know you like someone that way, anyway?"
"Hmm," Emma tapped her finger on her lip. "Let's put it this way. What if, before you two decided to go out, he told you he has a crush on someone else? Or that he's dating someone else?"
I frowned and put my hand in my stomach. "It feels... tight. Not in a good way."
Emma grinned. "I guess you'll be fine, then."
Emma stayed while I quickly changed my clothes and put on my workout shoes. I was retying my hair up in a ponytail as we left the locker room. Hunter stood next to a boxing ring, watching a fight between two guys. Steve was near the punching bags, giving pointers to Keith.
"Dad!" Emma called, her voice rising over the noise of the gym. Steve glanced over, along with several people. "The Baby has a boyfriend!"
Oh my God. I lunged at Emma, but she'd been expecting me and skipped ahead. Someone whistled and the noise died down.
"Who's the bastard?" Fernando asked from his punching bag. Steve looked around the space.
Emma pointed at Hunter. If I wasn't mortally embarrassed, I would've laughed at the way he looked, like he expected people to start jumping him.
"About damn time," Steve said, moving closer while I headed toward Hunter.
Hunter looked at me, giving me a once over. I was in basketball shorts and a t-shirt, my hair up in a messy ponytail, my pink boxing gloves laced together, hung over my shoulders.
We reached him at the same time. Steve looked him up and down. "At least he looks like he can fight."
"He throws a mean punch," I said. Taking my wrap out of my pockets, I began wrapping my hand. "I thought I'd show him around, see if he likes it here."
Steve grunted and looked at my right hand. I knew better than to wrap it before coming out. Hiding things from Steve never turned out well. I had a black eye to prove it.
"And what the hell is that?" he asked, taking my hand and seeing the damage. It looked less swollen and less red today. And it no longer felt like it was on fire.
"I sort of punched someone."
"Sort of?" He asked.
"I punched someone."
"Who?"
"Lia's boyfriend?"
"What'd he do?"
"Cheated on her."
Steve grunted and gave me my hand back. "Nose?"
"Yes."
"Did you at least break it?"
"I don't know. It felt like I broke my hand."
He shook his head. "You're getting in too much trouble these days." He looked at Hunter with his usual scowl. "And what were you doing? Letting your girlfriend punch guys when you're there."
Oh my God. "Steve!"
Oh, please, Ground. Open up and swallow me!
Steve grabbed Hunter's hands. Hunter jumped slightly, but didn't move his hands away. Steve examined Hunter's knuckles, his eyes sweeping over his muscled arms. "You punched someone as well."
"The same guy she punched," Hunter said in his low voice.
Steve looked between us and barked out a laugh. He dropped Hunter's hands and pointed to the locker rooms. "Go get changed, then we'll see if you can handle Sapph. Oh, and boy?"
"Yes?"
"You make her cry, I'll make you eat those sandbags. Understood?"
"Steve!"
Hunter hefted his bag over his shoulder and gave a nod.
I huffed and walked with Hunter to the hallway to show him the locker rooms.
"The Baby?" Hunter asked.
"It's weird. I know. I've been coming here with Dad since before I could remember. I've always been the Baby," I told him. "So, do you like it here?"
"It's a nice set up," he said as we slipped into the hallway. "We'll see how it goes."
I showed him the men's changing room and left him there. I finished wrapping my hands. I had so much pent up frustration from the past few days, my mouth watered at the sight if the punching bag.
"Oh, no," Steve said from next to Keith when he saw me approaching. "Don't even think of going near a punching bag, brat. Not until your knuckles are all good."
I slumped my shoulders and groaned. "Steve..." I said, dragging out his name.
"Not gonna happen," he said. "Wait for your boyfriend. You can warm up together."
"Fine," I grumbled, though I was less irritated. Working out with Hunter would be fun.
Hunter emerged then. He was dressed similarly to me. Boxing shorts, but with a loose tank top. Damn. His arms were the size of tree trunks. He really was well built.
"You sure your guy doesn't fight?" Steve said, looking over Hunter as he stalked towards us.
Keith paused his punching and looked over as well. He frowned. "Hey, isn't that Jamison?"
"You know him?" I asked.
Keith nodded. "He's-uh" he glanced at Steve. "Well, he's known for being a fighter."
"Is that so?" Steve said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
I sighed. "He's a good guy, Steve," I said, pitching my voice low. Hunter was close.
Steve looked at me for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Alright."
Hunter stopped by and looked at us.
"Come with me," I said, pulling his wrist. I dropped my boxing gloves on a bench. No one would touch them.
His skin was warm even through the wrap. We walked out of the back door to the track field. A couple of girls were flipping tires, sweat glistening off their bodies under the late afternoon sun.
We started off the orange track. I picked up my pace so Hunter didn't have to slow his big steps to accommodate me. After a few minutes, his breathing hardened.
With every step, my irritation and frustration of the past several days shed off like old snake's skin. I grinned and broke into a sprint to run ahead of Hunter. Then turned and jogged backwards.
"You'll..." He gasped for breath. "...fall."
"I can run this track blindfolded, you should worry about yourself." He grunted. Sweat poured off his chin like a faucet. "You really need to cut off on smoking."
"Yeah," he said in a begrudging tone. "I guess you have a point."
I smiled and turned around. After a few more minutes, I slowed down. Hunter matched my pace. Then we were walking.
"Why can't you?"
"What?" I asked, stretching my arm.
"Why can't you be in a car unless you're driving?"
I dropped my arms with a sigh. I should've expected the question. "It's...a long story."
He wiped his face with the edge of his tank top, giving the world a peek at a glorious six pack. "Longer than the time it'll take us to cool down?"
"Not really," I mumbled. "It's nothing. I was in an accident when I was little."
His long look suggested he knew I wasn't telling the whole story. He was right. But that wasn't something I was ready to share with him. Not yet.
The memories brought with them the familiar pain and guilt. It had dulled through time, but every once in a while, it would sting like sharp shards of broken glass, reminding me of all our family had lost.
A soft tug on my hand.
Startled, I glanced down at Hunter's hand. He tugged down on my pinky finger. "What's this bandage?" he asked.
"Hand wrap."
He took my hand fully in his and studied the wrap. I'd never felt particularly dainty, never thought my hands were delicate.
But seeing my hand swallowed by Hunter's made me feel... feminine. It was a nice feeling.
I cleared my throat. "Boxers usually wrap their hands under their gloves. It gives your hands and wrist support and helps protect them. I can teach you how to do it. If you decide to come back, that is."
He squeezed my hand before letting go. He stopped and looked around. His breathing was steady now. "I probably will."
My heart had no business soaring at his words. But I liked having him around. "Good," I said and stabbed a finger to the gym. "Let's go back inside before Steve gets out here. He might decide to make us lift tires for being late."
The familiar thuds and grunts of the gym became louder as we went inside.
"Hey, Sapph!" Steve said as soon as we stepped in. He was working with Keith, his hands in boxing pads. "Teach that boy how to wrap his hands first."
"Got it."
Hunter waited for me on one of the benches by the wall while I snatched a roll of wrap from the staff room.
I straddled the bench and opened up the wrap. "I'll wrap your right hand. Watch how I do it so you can do your left."
He didn't reply, but when I glanced up, his dark eyes were intently watching how my hands worked the wrap. His hands were warmer than mine.
After I was done, he flexed his fingers and turned his hand.
"It feels better, right?"
He nodded.
"Your turn." I gave him the roll.
After a couple of minutes, he'd successfully wrapped his left hand, with some help from me.
"You'll get used to it in no time," I said, hopping off the bench. He stood up and flexed his hands. Steve whistled us closer. He nodded his chin to a pair of boxing pads and boxing gloves on the floor next to him.
"Put those pads, Sapph," Steve said. "And come finish up with Keith."
I put on the boxing pads and took position in front of Keith, my eyes on Steve and Hunter next to us. Steve made him put on boxing gloves, helped him tighten the straps, then took position in front of him.
"Alright, boy. Let's see what you got," Steve said, holding up his pads. "Keith, show us a one-two."
I held the pads up while Keith punched. A jab followed by a cross. One. Two.
Hunter looked between his gloves and the pads. He raised his hands, his posture shifting slightly. I held my breath, even Keith was watching.
Jab. Cross.
Keith whistled under his breath. "Nice sound," he mumbled. I mutely nodded. A vaguely familiar expression crossed Steve's face. It was the face he made after someone he coached won a professional fight. The face of victory.
Steve hit his pads together and lowered his posture. "Alright, again! And put your hips into it. Watch Keith's posture."
Keith did another one-two combo, Hunter's dark eyes intensely watchful.
He was a quick learner.
Sweat gleamed on Steve's forehead after a few minutes. It was like the more Hunter did it, the better he became at it. Even the guys nearby were stealing glances.
"Alright!" Steve said, lowering the pads. He gave Hunter an appraising look. "Where'd you learn to fight?"
Hunter shrugged, his breathing labored. "nowhere, really."
"Your breathing sucks. You smoke?" Steve asked. I bit back a smile.
Hunter hesitated before giving a short nod.
Steve made a displeased grunt. "You'll have to work more on your cardio, if you don't want to cut smoking."
Steve looked at me. "Get to work, brats. You can gawk at your boyfriend all you want later."
Blood rushed to my face. "I wasn't-"
Hunter's eyes crinkled at the corners. He winked at me. I turned around with a huff and held up the pads for Keith. "Let's go."
Even with my back to Hunter, it seemed half my senses were attuned to him, the other half was focused on Keith. The younger boy's punches were stronger and more precise. He'd be a force to be reckoned with in a few years.
"Alright, take a break," Steve said, sounding out of breath. Keith stopped, rolling back his bony shoulders. I wiped my sweaty face on my shoulders. My arms were killing me from holding the pads up high. Keith was a lot taller than me. I turned.
Hunter was breathing heavily, his hands on his knees. Sweat dripped off his chin and nose to the floor mat. Steve was grinning. He slapped Hunter's back, almost pushing him to the ground. "You and I will have a real good time, boy. A real good time."
Hunter glared at him. He straightened, wiping off his sweaty face.
"Hey, you two," Steve said, taking his hand out of the pad and pointing a meaty finger at me and Keith. "You two don't get a break yet. Keep it moving."
Keith and I groaned as one. I slapped the pads together and got in position. "Come on, Keith."
"Watch them closely," Steve told Hunter over the thuds and whoosh of gloves and pads. "Both Keith and Sapphire. Holding pads isn't just standing still. Sapphire isn't a punching bag. She's meeting his strikes. Look, see how she's in a proper fighting stance? She's moving with Keith like another boxer would.
"Not anyone could just hold pads. It could get you or the other party hurt. Sapph's been with us long enough and has done it enough times to know how it works. Good work, kids! Take five."
I dropped my arms and sank to the floor, completely laying flat on my back, sucking in big gulps of fresh air. Keith was chugging water somewhere nearby. I could hear his throat moving.
Water sounded nice. Right after I get enough air into my lungs.
A water bottle hovered over my face. Hunter sat down next to me. I sat up, ditched the pads and accepted the water with a thanks.
He was giving off so much heat, it was like sitting next to a fire. His own water bottle was empty by the time I finished half of mine.
"How do you like it?" I asked.
He put his arms on his raised knees, the muscles of his arms ridiculously defined from the intense workout. "Good."
"You'll come back?" I asked.
He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."
Fernando swaggered towards us then. He ruffled my hair and easily ducked my half-hearted punch.
"Fernando," Fernando said, holding his hand out to Hunter with an easy smile. Fernando could make friends with a rock.
"Hunter," Hunter said.
"Yeah. Sapph's boyfriend," Fernando said with a grin that dimpled his tan cheeks. "Nice form. Where'd you learn to fight?"
"Nowhere," Hunter shrugged.
Fernando nodded and looked at me. "I kind of want to see him go against Brandon."
I frowned. "No way. Brandon is pro. He'll eat Hunter in two minutes."
"Who's Brandon?" Hunter asked.
"He's one of the guys who used to train here. He still comes in, sometimes."
"He's a pro boxer," Fernando added, sitting on his haunches in front of us. "If you get serious about this, you can hold your own against him in a couple of years."
I waved my hands in front of Fernando's face. "Don't get carried away. He's just trying things out for now."
"Yeah, but-" Fernando's eyes flickered towards the door, then did a double take and grinned. "Devil spawn's here."
I glanced over my shoulder. Walking by the front desk was Aaron. I groaned. I really didn't want to see him.
"Steve's not letting him near the rings," Fernando said. "He would've black listed him from the entire gym if he could, you know."
"I know." Aaron was the nephew of the other co-owner of the gym.
"Who's that?" Hunter asked Fernando.
Fernando grinned. "That, Hunter, is the guy who gave your girlfriend a black eye."
Hunter blinked. Then slowly turned his head toward Aaron, who was coming our way.
Uh-oh. I didn't have a good feeling about this.
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