Page 19 of Pumped

EVEREST

“Everest?” Beau’s voice booms through the staff locker room at Mars Fitness.

“Over here.” I tug on my work t-shirt and toss my street clothes into the locker.

Beau, one of the owners of Mars and my boss, comes around the row of lockers. “Sawyer said you were here. You know you didn’t have to come in today, right? We can cover for you.”

“I know.” I comb my fingers through my hair once before sliding my cap on backward. “But if I have to spend another second with that jerkwad, I’m gonna do fucking murder.”

Beau’s eyebrows fly up and his lips quirk into an amused smile. “Which jerkwad? And will I need to bail you out of jail?”

“You might,” I mutter.

Owen’s been a grade-A asshole this past week, bossing everyone around, issuing orders, railroading anyone who dares to question his decisions. It’s like he’s determined to get the whole ordeal over and done with so he can go back to his fancy, cushy life. It’s like he doesn’t even care that two people we lovehave just fucking died. Or that our baby niece has lost both her parents in one day.

I knew the guy was frigid, but I didn’t realize he was so utterly heartless.

Even his reaction at the lawyer’s office this morning. The blood had drained from his face when the lawyer read out the will, like she was reading his death sentence or something. Jesus.

He’d been so quick to pawn Ivy off onto his parents earlier this week when we’d all sat down to talk about it. He’d had it all planned out, every single detail. Ship her off so she could be someone else’s problem.

I hadn’t said anything at the time because, well, it wasn’t like I had a better idea. His parents had raised two kids, so they obviously knew what they were doing, and they're retired, so they have plenty of time on their hands. It seemed like the only choice we had.

But then the lawyer said that Eden and Jeremy wanted us to raise Ivy. Honestly, I was stunned, shocked, staggered. Someone wantsmeto raise a kid? What the hell do I know about raising kids?

But as the news sank in, the weight of losing my sister suddenly felt a little lighter. I wasn’t really losing her. Not all of her, at least. There was this mini-Eden I’d get to hold on to. I could keep a small part of my sister with me. I could keep the memory of her alive.

Owen didn’t see it that way, though. All he saw was the work it would take. And yeah, I’m not a complete idiot. I know raising a kid isn’t easy. I know it’ll take a lot of time and sacrifice and effort. There will be rough patches, especially at the beginning. But come on. It’sIvy. She’s an angel. We get each other. We’re cool.

Besides, it was Eden’s and Jeremy’s last wish. That means something, doesn’t it? Of all the people in the world, they wanted me—and Owen, I guess—to raise their daughter. It’s an honor, a privilege. It’s our duty to fulfill their wishes, to do everything in our power to live up to them.

But all Owen cared about was his stupid life with his fancy job and his fancy apartment.

“Seriously, dude, you okay?”

Beau’s standing at the end of the row of lockers, arms folded and voice gruff. To a stranger, he might look intimidating, but I’ve been at Mars long enough to know he’s merely concerned.

I couldn’t be more grateful. For Beau and his husband, Gavin. For Sawyer, Logan, and other guys at Mars. They’ve been like a family to me from the first day I started this job. We joke around a lot and they sometimes give me a hard time. But when life gets real and shit hits the fan, when it really counts, they’re always there for me.

I collapse onto the bench, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by sadness. It’s not the first time it’s happened and it’s always unexpected. Things will be going fine, I’m getting through the day, thenwham, a bulldozer full of grief slams into me. “I don’t know.”

Beau leans against the locker like he’s settling in for a drawn-out conversation. “Talk to me.”

Where do I even start? I’m just… sad. Just so fucking sad. But Beau knows that. He and the guys were at the memorial service.

“There was some lawyer thing this morning, right?”

I nodded. “They gave me custody of Ivy.”

Beau tilts his head. “Please tell me Ivy is the name of a motorcycle. Or maybe a plant?”

I roll my eyes. “Ivy is my niece.”

“Your human niece?”

I snort. “Yes, very human. Six years old.”

Beau looks pained as he speaks again. “Uh, no offense or anything, but… why would they do that?”

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