Page 4 of Only You
I notice Phillip has zoned in, his protective nature in full force, but he doesn’t say anything—just gives a silent nod to me. I tilt my head in his direction in a quick manner, and we finish dinner before I take Cason to the gym near their house.
Kellan bought himself and Cason memberships for Cason’s birthday, and after using their guest pass, I decided to become a member too. We have a heavy bag at the shop I can use,but I spend a lot of evenings here with the broad amount of equipment, working shit out that’s jumbled up in my head.
Going a round with the punching bag does wonders for me. It’s clear the kid and I share that kinship as he pulls gloves onto his hands and goes to town before I even get the treadmill I’m currently on started up.
I let him punch it out until his shoulders start to droop, and it’s clear he’s worn himself out, but I don’t make a move to head over to him. I let him come to me. We had a rocky start—I didn’t like the way he talked to Kellan, even if I understood his anger—but we’ve gotten close over the last year. He knows he can talk to me.
Surprisingly, it doesn’t take all that long for him to pull the gloves off his hands and head over to the treadmill next to me. I let him get settled into his pace before I finally ask what I’ve wanted to all night. “You okay?”
“Sure,” he says far too easily, not looking at me and obviously not at all surprised by my question.
“Really?” I increase my speed and start into a full jog, my arms working in time with each fall of my feet. “You were awfully quiet tonight at dinner.”
“Yeah well, that’s just me, you know? The strong, silent type.”
He managed to sound almost serious with that one, but we both know he’s full of shit. Not that he isn’t strong and fairly quiet—but that’s not why he was quiet at dinner tonight.
“Come on. Is it Blake?” I have to ask. It wasn’t all that long ago that Blake, a kid Cason’s age who was dating Raegan, assaulted Raegan. And that’s exactly what it is, even if Raegan is still refusing to give too many details on it. Taking no for an answer didn’t happen, and Raegan broke his nose.
But since then, the kid has been taunting Cason. Nonstop. It’s the reason I ran into Remy again after all these years—because Cason finally had enough of Blake’s bullshit and clocked him. But Blake doesn’t stop. Bullies don’t ever just stop.
And it’s something that’s still very much on all our radars.
Despite Cason telling us he has it under control. I know it’s only a matter of time before it explodes again.
“Nope,” he says, quickening his pace.
I slow mine down to a stop and turn to look at him, my muscles tired and sweat kissing my skin. “You sure about that? Because you can tell me, kid. You know you can. I’m not going to lecture you about how you can’t pummel him into next week.”
He snorts at that, speeding up more, his arms working faster and faster as his legs really start to move. “He just doesn’t shut the fuck up. Ever.”
“About Rae?”
He stutters only slightly, nearly losing his balance, but recovers. “No. If he does, he’s dead.”
I nod, keeping my promise not to lecture him. “So what is he saying then? If it’s not about Rae?”
He wipes at his brow with one hand, keeping his pace. “Stupid shit. Like me growing up a poor foster kid and how my mom’s dead.”
I huff, the whole thing so ridiculous, I almost laugh. “Wow. Bullies, man. They never change, and they never grow any more clever, do they?”
That makes him laugh slightly, but he shakes it off. “Don’t try to tell me you were bullied. You were probably six foot in grade school.”
I smirk, but it turns grim. My thoughts go straight to Remy, and my insides go cold. “Not me. Someone I really cared about though.”
I jump off the treadmill and start to head to the weight bench, but he surprises me. “My principal?”
I sigh and roll my eyes. “Your brother is a gossip.”
He chuckles. “I think you should talk to him.”
“Yeah well, I think you should tell your brother about Blake.” I look back at him over my shoulder.
He grimaces, his jaw stubborn and his glare stern. “Guess we’ll call this a draw then.”
I fight rolling my eyes at him again but give him a quick nod in agreement before I head over to the weight bench. I’m going to keep a distant eye on the whole Blake thing. Don’t get me wrong, he has it coming. But I won’t let Cason ruin his future for that little shithead either.
Keeping him going to the gym to work off his anger is a good start.
