Page 51 of Rush
I would forget her scent, her taste, the sound of her moans, the silkiness of her skin, the tightness of her body as I entered her… I would forget it all, and I would be happy again. Jade Forsyth had only ever caused me heartache.
Had I been seeing clearly when I’d caught glimpses of the person underneath the surface? The wide-eyed wonder she’d shown at the zoo, and the depth she’d displayed when she’d described our morning in the hot air balloon. What about the tenderness and carefree laughter the night we’d chased the sunrise? Was the courage she’d found when facing her fear of free falling at the water park fake?
Picking up a black kettlebell from the rack, I carried it out onto the mat. Was the way she kissed me the other night…was it really nothing? It had felt like she poured her heart out to me, and I’d given her mine in return. No one could fake that kind of affection, could they?
Bending my hips, I swung the kettlebell back between my legs, paused, and then swung it forward as fast as I could until it reached eye level. My muscles burned as I went through a few repetitions. My mind was locked away in the movement, focusing solely on the areas of my body the weight was working.
I felt good to be back in training. I’d become so frustrated with locking in a fight, I’d forgotten how much I loved my chosen sport. Maybe Ash was right about needing a break. It was just a shame I’d chosen to spend it with Jade. She’d turned me inside out.
A shadow loomed in my peripheral vision, and I glanced to the side. Finding Ash watching me, I grunted, acknowledging his presence.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
“Define better.”
Ash grimaced. “Do I even want to ask?”
“Nope.” I turned back to the kettlebell and lifted it again.
“Mate… Did something happen?”
“Any word from the AUFC?” I asked, blatantly ignoring him. Last time I checked, he was my coach, not my therapist.
He narrowed his eyes. “Not yet, but there are some qualifiers going up next week. Looks promising.”
“Good, I suppose.”
“Ease back into your routine, okay?” he said, watching me tear through my repetitions. “Last thing you need is an injury.”
“Okay.”
My answer seemed to placate him, and he wandered off, but it wasn’t long before Cole came sniffing around, looking for something to rile me up about. It was always the same with us. Take the piss until one of us was punching the other in the face.
“What did you do all week?” he asked, watching me swing the kettlebell one last time. “You didn’t go stir crazy not being in the gym?”
“I helped Jade,” I replied, setting the kettlebell back onto the rack. Wiping my sweaty forehead with the back of my arm, I waited for the smartass comments to start flying.
Cole hesitated, his mind ticking over. “By help, you mean…”
“Help,” I snapped, glaring at him.
Cole’s mouth fell open. “Dude, you tapped her, didn’t you?”
“Shut the hell up.”
“Don’t shit me, Ry,” he said. “After all this time, you finally fucked Jade Forsyth? How was she?”
It was the wrong thing to say. After everything I’d been through in the past week, not to mention the crap Jade had pulled on me in high school, I’d had enough. No more free rides.
“After all this time, your mouth still gets you into trouble,” I said with a snarl, shoving Cole as hard as I could.
“Hey,” he said, holding up his hands. “Calm yourself, bro.”
“What the fuck would you know about giving a shit about a woman, huh? It’s not all about putting your cock in a hole. Ever wonder why you’re so fucking alone? There’s your answer.”
“Yeah, I know what I want, and it’s a whole lot of hard fucking. A different pussy every night. I’m fine with that. One day, I might want to marry one of them, but not anytime soon.I’m happy, Ry. Ever wonder whyyou’reso fucking alone?” Cole fired back at me. “Jade Forsyth. It’s about time you stop letting her walk all over you. She finally let you fuck her then dumped you right after? Is that what happened?”
“Just like a guy I know.”
