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“Apologize?”
He nods shyly. “I’m sorry for what that looked like last night. It wasn’t… I never… I wouldn’t…”
“I know. It’s cool. I saw you say no. Some women just have sticky hands and no brains. They can’t all be as awesome as me and T and Iz.”
He nods softly. “Truth. You’re one of a kind, Princess. In any case, I wanted to say thanks for standing up for me. You went to war for me, so I wanted you to know I’ll always have your back.”
He turns to Iz. “Bubs. I’m sorry what happened hurt you. You’re my best friend, and you were my date. I’m sorry she fucked it up.”
She shrugs. “It’s okay. Can’t say it’s unexpected. You’re pretty hot property at the moment. Bitches are gonna line up for attention.”
With a frown, he stares at her a moment longer.
He has a million words screaming through his eyes, but she wouldn’t know, because she refuses to look.
With an unsatisfied grunt, he turns. “And Aiden–”
“Actually, no, me first.” Aiden’s frown is so similar to his brother’s, but for an entirely different reason. “I’m sorry I brought Anja last night, guys. It was sort of an impulse decision. I’d actually hoped to invite someone else…” he trails off with a shrug. “But it didn’t work out, and Anja was just there. I’m sorry we kinda ruined the evening.”
“You didn’t ruin the evening.” Tink grins. “If anything, she actually made a stuffy evening a lot of fun.”
Jim chuckles. “We need to get your wife back in the ring, B. She’s got spirit.”
* * *
A few days later, with only a few days left before the fights, I find myself back at my desk distracted when I should be reconciling accounts.
I’m annoyed at myself with the amount of nervous foot tapping I’m doing. My nails are a mess. I think I’m more nervous about the guys’ fights than they are.
Four days, and a handful of hours to go. Not that I’m counting.
The guys will continue their impossible routine of training – train until they drop, eat until they explode, sleep until the alarm goes off – until Saturday.
Sunday, they rest.
Monday, they fight.
After our big night out Saturday night, we all simply lounged around the house all day Sunday, snoozed, and watched movies. It was the guys’ last day off before the fight. Jim and Bobby ate their official, high protein, high carb, fresh meals prepared by someone more knowledgeable in the kitchen than me, and the rest of us ate shit.
I’d say I feel bad for the guys, for their strict dietary requirements at the moment, but truthfully, I think they felt much better after their cleaner meals than the rest of us felt after gorging on chips, pizza, and soda.
Summer break’s finished, and even if Jack argues, even though he claims the guys need him to help at the gym, we’re still kicking him out the door in the mornings with the threat that if he ditches school, he won’t be going to the fight.
He takes his ass to school.
Unlike a year ago, he’s actually a good student. His grades are amazing, and even sweaty and panting and shirtless, most nights he can be found at the gym on the mats with his books spread out around him while he does his homework and waits for the next class.
He enjoys school, but his loyalty to the gym is fierce.
With the guys’ fights being blasted all over TV every five minutes, the gym’s popularity has grown so much more, that they’re at risk of fire violations if they let more people into the building.
Bobby said it’s normal.‘Happens every time.’Then the excitement dies down a few weeks after the fight, and the majority of the newbs stop turning up and the gym goes back to normal.
Despite Iz’s basketball, she’s working almost full-time at the gym to keep up with demand. It’s amazing to see such a small – heavily pregnant – woman instructing big burly men as she teaches them how to fight or spots them as they lift weights.
These mountains of muscle listen to the itty-bitty girl. They don’t patronizingly pat her head and mentally tell themselves to let the ‘little lady talk,’ then they’ll do whatever they were going to do anyway.
They really listen, and when she speaks, they damn well stop what they’re doing and pay full attention.
