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“Really?” I ask with excitement, and he nods. “You sure you’re allowed to?”
Ty tilts his head and flashes a small grin. “You let me worry about that.” He winks, then steps back. “I’ll let you get dressed now. Sorry again for barging in. Breakfast is ready whenever you are.”
A genuine smile splits my face. “Okay, thank you.”
That afternoon, I skip the gym and decide I’ll take Ty up on his offer tomorrow when I’m not so sore. Instead, I find a meditation class on TV and work on de-stressing before I have a panic attack from being locked in here. If I’m going to stay sane, I need to keep levelheaded. Stretching and breathing techniques help keep my core strong and ready to tackle whatever is thrown my way.
“You ready?” Ty asks me the following morning. “Made you a pre-workout chocolate shake.”
“Where’s breakfast?” I frown, looking around the empty counter. Though I typically eat light in the morning before classes, I’ve gotten used to Ty’s cooking.
“In that cup.” He jerks his chin toward it.
Grabbing it, I look at the thick liquid and glower. “It doesn’t look like eggs and hash browns.”
Ty snorts and shakes his head. “No, but it’ll help give you energy so you don’t burn out after one rep.”
“Oh, God,” I groan. “I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I?”
“Nah.” He shakes his head. “You’re a dancer, so you should be drinking this anyway.”
“Agree to disagree.” I sniff it first, then take a drink. “It’s no crispy bacon.” I gulp the rest of it down and make a sour face. “Chocolate takes offense to that being called chocolate. More like chalky vomit.”
He scoffs, shaking his head at me. “It’s not that bad.”
“Next time, just feed me a cup of dirt.” I snatch a bottle of water and take a long sip.
He pops a brow, then leads me down the hall to the gym. “Anyone ever tell you how dramatic you are?”
“Only since birth.” I chuckle, thinking of my sisters who’d wholeheartedly agree.
After Ty spends twenty minutes explaining the proper way to lift weights without straining my muscles, I sit and take a break to rehydrate.
“So, tell me about this boyfriend of yours,” he says after I catch my breath. “Or, ex—as you said.”
I arch an eyebrow, curious if he really wants to know or if he’s just gathering information for Victoria. Though, she already knows Liam and I were together behind her back, which is why I’m here in the first place.
“You want to know about Liam?” I ask, cautiously watching his expression.
When he barely flinches and keeps his eyes on me, I decide he’s being genuine.
“Whatever you want to share.” He shrugs, then continues, “How long were you together?”
“Uh…well.” I chew on my lip, thinking about how to answer that. “That’s a difficult question.”
Ty chuckles. “That’s supposed to be an easy one.”
“Technically, we first met my senior year of high school four years ago. I lied about my age, he scolded me for almost getting him into legal trouble, and then I moved to Sacramento a year later. We were reunited when my sister invited me to a party, and it was Liam’s house.”
“I bet that was a shock.”
“Oh, it was. Then he basically ignored me for three years. Well…he tried to anyway.” I swallow down another gulp of water. “We were around each other a lot because his best friends are dating my older sisters.”
“Really? Mason’s dating your sister?”
I narrow my eyes at him, studying his expression as he swallows hard. Almost as if he hadn’t meant to say that.
“Yeah, but how’d you know his name was Mason?” I ask, tilting my head.
“You told me the other day,” he quickly responds.
I know for a fact I didn’t. There’d be no reason for me to mention anyone’s name until this conversation. However, I’m not about to challenge him or give him any reason to hurt, kill, or throw me out to the wolves.
“Oh, uh, right.” I palm my forehead. “Liam’s roommate.”
“So you started seeing Liam not long ago?”
“Yeah, it’s recent. So recent, in fact, it’s like it never happened.” I pinch my lips together and stand. “Okay, break’s over. I need to hit something.”
“That I can definitely help you with.” Ty smirks and nods his head toward the punching bag in the opposite corner.
An hour flies by, and I’m drenched in sweat. I haven’t worked out this hard in months, but it felt great to relieve some stress.
“Come, I’ll make you an after-workout drink. You need to stay hydrated,” Ty says as I follow him into the kitchen.
I groan, leaning against the counter. “Ugh, when do I get to have real food again?”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty of protein for lunch.” The corner of his lips tilts slightly as he digs into the fridge. For some reason, his sentence comes off dirty, and I chuckle.
