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Chapter One
Ames
Iwas going to make Philly my bitch.
Since I couldn’t get away with punching Allie in the face, I would do the next best thing and travel onward and upward without her. My pulse thrummed as I stepped outside my brand-new apartment on Spring Garden, the scent of asphalt, tires, and fresh starts weaving my way. With my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, I headed down the sidewalk in the direction of the gym I’d been wanting to check out.
Moving an hour away from my town didn’t seem like a total hit of the refresh button, but it was enough space between me and my ex-girlfriend to suffice for now. My bestie, Nina, wasn’t thrilled, but when I’d convinced her she could crash at my place anytime she wanted to go barhopping, she came around. I buzzed with energy as I cut a quick path through block after block, drawing in the bustle around me.
This—the hum of cars, the occasional shouts, the brightly colored banners of the storefronts along the street—this was the shift I needed. The only thing better would be finding a gym to train at. Climbing the ranks in the MMA meant frequent fights, and a good trainer and a good gym made all the difference.
Unfortunately, I found my last trainer buried between my girlfriend’s legs.
My blood hummed. I needed to unleash on some punching bags stat.
Hence the new gym. Knockout had a great reputation, and it happened to be within walking distance of my new place. Even though I’d made the shift over the past few weeks, not getting to the gym on the daily caused an itch under my skin. No amount of home workouts could compare. My skin prickled as I kept my eyes peeled on my surroundings. This part of Philly wasn’t the best area to be walking around by my lonesome, but a lot of new businesses were moving in. Besides, Nina and I had gone to more shows at Union Transfer than I could count, so I at least knew what streets to avoid.
I tugged on the strap of my duffel, my head on a swivel. Up ahead, my destination appeared into view, and relief wound through my veins simply from the sign overhead. I’d always been athletic, even if I hadn’t been a sports kid, but I hadn’t thought my years of taekwondo would’ve led me down this path. In part, my jump into MMA had been due to a stupid crush I’d harbored for years.
Samantha Taylor. Nina’s older sister.
Way older. Old enough that she’d never given me a second glance, even if she’d been my lesbian awakening at the ripe age of ten.
Sam had been getting into MMA training at the time, and she constantly swung by when I visited Nina. Her tank tops had been criminally low and pasted to her sweaty skin, her glossy, thick hair had been swept into a ponytail, and the cool attitude she emanated had been all sorts of swoon.
Except then she’d vanished.
Nina didn’t know why her sister had left, just that she didn’t come around anymore, and her parents refused to spill the slightest bit of information. We’d gotten nosy and tried to sleuth, but nothing came up. Except my switch had already flipped, and by high school, I was dating girls and signing up for my first MMA classes. Never heard what happened to Sam, though, and Nina became as tight lipped on the topic as her folks.
My heart thudded hard as I slowed, my steps almost reverent upon approach. The rainbow flag at the front door calmed me, though friends had already told me that the place was queer-friendly.
My hand settled on the cool metal handle of the door.
New city. New gym. New fucking start.
Maybe if I repeated the mantra enough, it would sink in, rather than feeling like I’d tucked tail and ran. I yanked the door open and stepped inside.
The scent of sweat and cleaner hit me at once, and I breathed it in. The gym was larger than I’d expected, especially for the city, and it teemed with energy. This bright and early, plenty of people were already getting their workout in before starting their day job. Trainers ran their clients through reps in one corner, and a big ring took up the center of the place. Grunts, thwacks, and shuffles echoed to the rafters of this repurposed building. Comfort soaked through me at once.
To the right lay the front desk, a flat black surface that matched the red and black mats throughout the place and the white walls. The guy standing behind the desk had a sweet look about him, not looming over everyone or bursting with muscle like a lot of the folks here. He offered a smile and a nod as I approached.
“Are you on the hunt for a new gym?” he asked.
My lips quirked. “I’m guessing you know your regulars well.”
His eyes crinkled at the sides with his soft grin. “Just a bit. The crew around here’s pretty tight knit.”
“Glad to hear it,” I said, trying to ignore the wrench in my chest. My old gym had been like that too. It had been a home away from home, and I’d spent years with those people. But after finding Allie and Chaz midfuck, I couldn’t stomach going there anymore. Chaz had literally been in my corner for so damn long, and that sort of betrayal…
I forced a grin. “So does that mean you’re going to give me the whole spiel?”
“Sure, sure. The name’s Emmit. Do you want the rundown or a physical tour of the place?”
I shook my head. “If you’ve seen one locker room, you’ve seen them all. Just the rundown works for me. I’m Amelia, but most folks call me Ames.”
“We’ve got the locker room and showers deal, weight room, cardio, punching bags, and there’s another room designated for classes. Your membership allows you to attend as many of those as you want.”
“I’m more looking to hook up with a trainer to get fight ready,” I said, leaning against the side of the front desk.
