She has been on the mats working a takedown with Eli for the past hour. Meanwhile, Max and I have been working the bag, trying to execute the training plan AJ left behind. Her and Rory are a few states over at a gym for a training conference that she was personally invited to. Dad surprised her with the email and I could hear her stop breathing from across the room.
Liam Henderson is one of the most accredited striking coaches in the nation. He has multiple titled fighters under him and he wanted AJ to come help run part of his training conference. It’s a huge fucking deal and we were all more than happy to run all the things while they were gone. She demanded our dad go with her. I think she is nervous about meeting Liam. Rory went to actually participate in the conference.
A new song plays over my headphones and I take that as a sign for me to get back to work. I walk around the bag, landing every hit with precision and accuracy. Training the basics consistently leads to quickness and strength. I remember Dad making us run the same drills, over and over again, just to show us that repetitive behavior becomes a habit. And it’s vital to fighting in every way.
Eli trains jujitsu because it is where his mind goes the quietest. Max loves to dabble in everything. He loves being able to do a lot of things andhe is never pressed to be the best in anything. He just enjoys it. I like the physicality of fighting. I like the rush of blood through my whole body. The way that my skin feels alive with every cheer that vibrates through the crowd. The charge in the air that makes you breathe differently. It’s addicting.
I pivot around the bag after throwing a low kick and nearly stumble bringing my foot back down when a squeal rings through the air. Reaching out to stop the bag from swaying, I peek around it to see Mia jumping up and down while Eli is on the ground. Mia has been working that move all morning. She’s been so frustrated that she has struggled so hard, but Mia is one of the hardest working people I know. She never quits. She hasn’t trained as long as we have, so she still overthinks every move because the mechanics aren’t natural to her. Watching her finally get it makes my chest expand with pride.
“Atta girl, Sunshine!” Max yells across the gym and slams his hand against the bag. I watch her eyes go right past him and find mine.
She has a hesitant smile on her face and she’s breathing heavily. A few wild pieces of hair are framing her face but her eyes are steadily searching mine.I saw it, pretty girl.I do my best to tell her through the distance. She must understand because she nods and grins before turning around to help Eli back up.
Her new tattoo glimmers in the raw sunlight. She spent the day after her birthday with AJ and Devyn getting it done. It’s a small circle encased by dots and lines, creating a sun at the base of her neck. Stray rays of light and feathers stretch softly down her spine ending in a soft drawing of Icarus. Devyn captured Mia’s soul in ink. Mia is always burning so bright and reaching for so much that she risks getting burned and falling.
We were lying in my bed, soaking up the warmth of the sun and finding peace in the quiet, when I asked her why she got that tattoo. She looked up at me with her eyes so full of color and loud thoughts. She said that it’s to remind her it’s not the reaching for something that isdangerous, it’s not being grounded that makes you fall. That has sat on my heart since she said it. What is she reaching for?
“She’s getting stronger.” Maxwell steps up beside me and breaks my concentration on her.
“She’s already strong.” I throw a controlled punch on the bag.
Max grips the sides of the bag to hold it still while I work a few combinations. When my hands start to feel the familiar burning sensation, I pull away to catch my breath.
“You should take her on a real date.” Max raises an eyebrow at me, daring me to try and avoid this conversation with him again. He and Eli have been relentless about trying to get me to push things further with her. But they don’t understand her the way I do. She’s comfortable with what we are right now and I don’t want to push her away by making her feel like she needs to do more.
“She goes on dates.” I switch places with him and hold the bag for him to work.
“Those don’t count.” He tosses a few punches before looking back up at me, “and she hasn’t been on a date in weeks. She is either here, at the coffee shop, or with you. That girl deserves a real date.”
“I’m going to her birthday gala this weekend with her.” I remind him. He throws a punch and kicks so hard that I feel it travel through the bag.
“That’s not a date.” He isn’t wrong. But I feel like it is a step towards making sure she knows I’m serious about the time I spend with her.
“I hear you, okay? I’m working on it.” I toss the bag back in his direction, hoping he will take the hint to stop harassing me.
“Working on what?” Eli joins us and I sigh.
“Taking our girl on a date.” Max fills him in.
Eli laughs before gripping my shoulder. “Afraid of being turned down?” He jokes.
“Remember when you two were unsure about her because we don’t know anything about her?” Eli and Max line up next to each other andcross their arms before staring me down. AJ hates when we do this to her, rightfully so. It’s annoying as fuck. “What?” I grunt.
“She has grown this gym twice the size it was. She has single handedly reminded AJ what fun is. And you haven’t been moping around the gym nearly as much as you usually do since your injury.” Eli points out.
“All because of her.” Max adds.
“She deserves someone to chase her, to want her.” Eli points at me, “Don’t be a dick.”
“I’m not a dick! It was my idea to throw her a birthday party.” I lower my voice before continuing, “And I’m still mad at you for showing her that damn drawer and telling her I’m the one who buys her all the cherry shit.” They both die laughing now and I have to glance over my shoulder to make sure Mia can’t hear us. She is at the front desk doing her work before she has to leave to work at Melinda’s this afternoon.
“You shouldn’t have made Maxie pretend to be the one doing it to begin with.” Eli corrects.
“She doesn’t want more than what we are doing.” I mumble.
“How do you know?”
“Have you actually talked to her or asked her?”
