climbing onto a treadmill. After five minutes of ruthless running, I turned it off. It hadn’t helped with my frustration and being congratulated by Lyric kind of made me angrier. I didn’t want to be a head guardian. I walked over to a rack that was bolted to the far wall, next to the boxing ring. It held several different sizes of boxing gloves—perhaps punching things would help me? I didn’t work out when I was living in Gerald. I had no motivation to, but I still remembered everything Eli had taught me. I punched the bag over and over, working on the various combinations I’d learned at Mount Kuuce. After several minutes, my arms burned and I cursed myself for not training while I was away.
“I was wondering if you still had good form.”
His voice seeped into my skin, affecting me from the inside out. Subtly, I took a deep breath and grasped the punching bag, stopping it from swaying and spinning. In light of what happened after Eli stormed out last night, I’d put the situation between us on the back burner. I had bigger things to worry about. I turned to face him. Of course he looked freaking amazing in his tight tank top and his sweat pants hung perfectly from his hips. Not to mention those eyes that smiled slightly at me. I caught my lip between my teeth and then let go of it with a burst of air from my cheeks.
“Me too, seeing as though I haven’t trained since Mount Kuuce.”
He raised an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth turned down in disapproval. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. I’m hearing your name a lot this morning. What did you do?”
I scoffed. Why do people always assume the worst? I turned back to my punching bag and threw a few more combinations. Eli walked around to the opposite side of the punching bag and took hold of it, preventing it from swinging around.
“I thought you were mad at me.”
“I am mad at you, but I’ve said all I wanted to say. Now that you know, we can continue on with our lives.”
I hit the bag harder and faster.
“So, what’s up?” he prompted.
“Why don’t you ask the almighty higher power?” I slowed down my punches and then stopped completely as Eli pressed his lips together, staring at me through confused, narrowed eyes.
“You don’t know?”
He let go of the punching bag and slung his gym towel over his shoulder. “Know what?”
“Mr. Aleksandrov wants me to be one of his head guardians and it appears I don’t have a choice in the matter.”
Eli crossed his arms disapprovingly. “Are you sure?”
“He called me out in front of everyone last night and Lyric welcomed me to the team this morning, so yes, I’m sure.”
He ran his hands through his messy hair. “I had no idea.”
“I don’t think anyone did.”
He walked away from me, heading toward the door. I pulled my gloves off and the air felt cold against my sweaty hands.
“Where are you going?” I called after him, rubbing my hands on my sweat pants.
“To see if I can change his mind.”
I dropped my gloves on the floor, making a mental note to come back and hang them up later. I jogged up behind him, catching up before he got to the door.
“I’ll come with you.” Eli glanced at me, his eyebrow cocked. He parted his lips, about to protest, but instead he agreed. Eli and I strolled from the gym, collecting glances as we walked. Some watched us admiringly, others were green with envy, and the rest were uncomfortable, as if we were breaking some kind of rule they wanted no part in.
“They know?” I wondered aloud.
“Hmm?”
“They know how we feel—felt about each other.”
“They think they know.” He smiled at me. “But they don’t know a damn thing.”
Before long, we were heading down the path we had walked when I first arrived here—the path shrouded by trees. I remembered how he grabbed me by the wrists and forced me to look at him. I remembered how passionate he was… I glanced sideways at him. If he was thinking the same
“I was wondering if you still had good form.”
His voice seeped into my skin, affecting me from the inside out. Subtly, I took a deep breath and grasped the punching bag, stopping it from swaying and spinning. In light of what happened after Eli stormed out last night, I’d put the situation between us on the back burner. I had bigger things to worry about. I turned to face him. Of course he looked freaking amazing in his tight tank top and his sweat pants hung perfectly from his hips. Not to mention those eyes that smiled slightly at me. I caught my lip between my teeth and then let go of it with a burst of air from my cheeks.
“Me too, seeing as though I haven’t trained since Mount Kuuce.”
He raised an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth turned down in disapproval. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. I’m hearing your name a lot this morning. What did you do?”
I scoffed. Why do people always assume the worst? I turned back to my punching bag and threw a few more combinations. Eli walked around to the opposite side of the punching bag and took hold of it, preventing it from swinging around.
“I thought you were mad at me.”
“I am mad at you, but I’ve said all I wanted to say. Now that you know, we can continue on with our lives.”
I hit the bag harder and faster.
“So, what’s up?” he prompted.
“Why don’t you ask the almighty higher power?” I slowed down my punches and then stopped completely as Eli pressed his lips together, staring at me through confused, narrowed eyes.
“You don’t know?”
He let go of the punching bag and slung his gym towel over his shoulder. “Know what?”
“Mr. Aleksandrov wants me to be one of his head guardians and it appears I don’t have a choice in the matter.”
Eli crossed his arms disapprovingly. “Are you sure?”
“He called me out in front of everyone last night and Lyric welcomed me to the team this morning, so yes, I’m sure.”
He ran his hands through his messy hair. “I had no idea.”
“I don’t think anyone did.”
He walked away from me, heading toward the door. I pulled my gloves off and the air felt cold against my sweaty hands.
“Where are you going?” I called after him, rubbing my hands on my sweat pants.
“To see if I can change his mind.”
I dropped my gloves on the floor, making a mental note to come back and hang them up later. I jogged up behind him, catching up before he got to the door.
“I’ll come with you.” Eli glanced at me, his eyebrow cocked. He parted his lips, about to protest, but instead he agreed. Eli and I strolled from the gym, collecting glances as we walked. Some watched us admiringly, others were green with envy, and the rest were uncomfortable, as if we were breaking some kind of rule they wanted no part in.
“They know?” I wondered aloud.
“Hmm?”
“They know how we feel—felt about each other.”
“They think they know.” He smiled at me. “But they don’t know a damn thing.”
Before long, we were heading down the path we had walked when I first arrived here—the path shrouded by trees. I remembered how he grabbed me by the wrists and forced me to look at him. I remembered how passionate he was… I glanced sideways at him. If he was thinking the same
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