AllFreeNovel
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Chloe
Ohhh... I’m coming to class. I want to see this.
Carys
Me too.
Daphne
Someone FaceTime me so I can see too.
Maddie
You guys are no help.
When we parkin front of Crucible, after the longest seven-minute drive of my life, I get out of the car and successfully fight the overwhelming urge to slam the door behind me like a brat. But wow, that urge was strong.
“Madison.” But Brandondoesslam his door, and I whirl around, ready to scream.
I make sure to check myself and keep my voice calm.Go me.“What, Brandon? I let you drive me here. I don’t have to be happy about it. This is my job.”
“You don’t even need this job. You could quit tomorrow, and you’d be fine.” Brandon’s glare grows. “I’m not going to apologize for being worried about you. I want to know what’s going on, and I want to talk to Cade.” He takes a step before I move between him and the front door.
“Could you please trust me... just this one time, trust me to take care of myself?” I lift my chin, in an attempt to be stubborn, but I’m not sure whether I’m getting anywhere or failing miserably.
Pretty sure I’m failing.
With a shake of his head, he moves around me and storms through the front door, more like a father than a big brother, and I’m left standing outside with my blood boiling.
This is what I get for humoring his constant need to be overprotective.
I tilt my head up to the darkening sky and take a deep breath, then blow it out and watch it dance through the ice-cold air, already so over this night. When I finally push through the front doors into the busy gym, the soundtrack of metal weights clanging against the mats, Avenged Sevenfold thrumming through the speakers, and Hudson’s team yelling instructions at him while he spars in the cage, is like music to my ears.
I missed this.
I love my social-media business. I love my clients and the flexibility of the work. But there’s something about being in this gym... My muscles loosen, my mind clears, and I’m centered in a way that comes naturally here.
Awareness prickles my skin, and like a magnetic force is pulling me toward him, I turn to the cage and find Hudson staring my way, right before his sparring partner, Jax, knocks him down. “Pay attention, asshole,” is shouted in the cage, and Hudson hops right back up and shakes it off.
Oops. With a shake of my head, I turn around and decide to ignore my brother—who’s already deep in conversation with Cade next to the cage—bypassing everyone on my way to the locker room. It only takes a minute to pull off the sweats and hoodie I’ve layered over my yoga gear and tuck them away in my locker. With a chill still running over my skin, I leave my tank top on over my sports bra and adjust my boobs.
I stand there for a minute, looking at myself in the mirror and fortifying my walls so when I walk back out there, I’ve got the strength to tell Brandon to go home and let me work.
I know he’s going to fight me.
But IthinkI’m ready to deal with it.
Only when I step back into the front of the gym, he’s not there. I cross the room and pull myself up to sit on the counter behind Imogen. “Do I even want to know where my brother went?”
She looks up from the desk and swivels in her chair with an evil grin on her face, then pulls the pen out of the messy bun on top of her head and points it toward the cage.
I follow her direction, but Brandon isn’t there. And neither is Hudson. “English, Gen. I have no idea what you’re trying to tell me.”
“Hudson came over to talk to Cade and Dixon a few minutes ago. Hud told your brother he’d stick around for your class and drive you home. Then Dixon agreed and left.” She snaps her gum, then blows a giant pink bubble in my face.
A finger reaches over my shoulder, popping it. “Don’t you have work to do?” Cade asks his sister.
She stands from her chair and smacks a notebook against his chest. “Nope. I’m done for the day. See ya tomorrow.” She wiggles her fingers at me and disappears into the back of the gym.
