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“It’s nothing,” I reply, pushing my food away.
I can’t eat.
Rory asking me not to come back last night and her radio silence ever since has got me twisted up inside.
I don’t doubt she loves me.
What I do doubt is whether I’m enough to stop her from running away from what’s got her frightened.
“Brother, I’ve known you four years, and in all that time, I’ve never seen you push food away. You sick?”
I stand up so fast I knock over my chair. “I said it’s nothing.”
I walk away and hit the clubhouse gym for the next two hours because I’m about ready to ping off the walls with restless energy.
I beat the bag until I’m breathless. I yank the battle ropes until my arms are burning with fire and flip the tractor tire until my shoulders beg me to stop.
When I finally give in and stop punishing my body, I see Paw leaning up against the wall, looking at me.
“Want to tell me what’s going on?” he asks calmly.
“Like I said, there’s nothing to tell.”
“You’ve been training for two hours on as much sleep. What’s happening in that head of yours?”
Chaos. That’s what’s happening.
“I need to work off some energy, is all.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure punching bag doesn’t agree. I think I saw it sigh with relief when you walked away.” I go to walk past him, but he stops me. “Is this about Rory? Has something happened with your girl?”
I hesitate long enough for him to decide he’s right.
“You guys have a fight? You know, I’ve never seen you like this over some girl before.”
I glare at him. She’s not just some girl.
“Don’t give me your fight face,” he says calmly. “I’m simply pointing out that you’re distracted, and maybe now is not a good time to be.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right to fight Raptor on Friday night.”
“Hey, I don’t give a fuck about that. We might not be blood brothers, but you are my brother. If you’re not okay, talk to me. Don’t carry it alone. Let me help you. It might ease some of the pressure banging about in that skull of yours.”
I don’t want to talk about it.
Don’t want to face it.
But Paw is right.
Talking about it might help, even if sharing things isn’t in my nature.
“There’s something she’s not telling me, and whatever it is, it’s got her running scared. She tells me she loves me and then tells me not to come around for a while. That she needs space.”
He grimaces. “She say how long she needs space for?”
“Told me not to come back last night.”
“You hear from her today?”
