Page 114 of More To Us

Chapter Twenty-One

Austin

Kira and I have now been dating for over a month and that nagging feeling I had that something's going to go wrong and end this is finally going away. I don't know why I ever felt that way with her. I knew from the beginning she wasn't like the other girls I've dated. Unlike them, Kira wasn't dating me because of my name. When we met, she'd never even heard of me or the band. And I had to practically beg her to go out with me. But once she agreed to it, our relationship took off. We quickly became friends and then became more than that.

Now it's the end of September and our relationship is better than ever. We work out together every morning and see each other almost every night. We spend most of our weekends together and she's been to two Wheeler family dinners. My family loves her, and...I think I might too. I'm afraid to admit that, even to myself, because I'm not ready to feel that way about a girl. So for now, I try not to label my feelings. I just know that Kira's everything I've ever wanted in a girl.

Today is Friday, and tomorrow I move into my new apartment. I can't wait. I think my dad's a little sad to see me go, but he only lives fifteen minutes away so I'll go over there and have dinner with him a few nights a week so he's not stuck eating alone every night.

I don't have much stuff to move, but my brothers are still coming over to help. Callie, Jen, and Ivy all offered to decorate the place, but I politely declined their offer. This is my first apartment and I want to be the one who decides how it looks. Given that it's a studio, I don't have much space to work with. I'm going to hang my old guitars on one wall and mount the TV on the wall next to it. The other walls are windows so that takes care of my wall decorations.

"Almost done," I say as Kira positions herself on the leg press. "Ten reps and then we can go."

We're at the gym, finishing up another really tough workout. Kira keeps making me push her harder, which I do, but I really wish she'd take it easy. I've tried to get her to slow down, or at least ease up a little on the intensity, but she won't listen to me.

"Add some more weight," she says after the first couple reps.

"What you've got on there is plenty," I say, standing next to the machine.

"It's not enough."

"We just upped the weight last week. It's too soon to add more."

"Look." She does another rep, going faster than she should. "It's too easy."

"It's not too easy. Your legs were shaking and your form was off, both signs that you're using too much weight."

"Please." She gives me that smile that she knows I have a hard time saying no to.

I check that no one's watching, then lean down and kiss her. "That smile will earn you a kiss but not more weight on the machine."

"But—"

"If you want to work harder, do more reps. We'll add five more." I step back. "Go ahead."

She sighs and continues with the reps.

"Okay, last five," I say, coaching her. I can tell she's tired and I want her to quit but she's determined to push herself. At least more reps is better than more weight.

She does the first one, going slow because her legs are about to give out.

"Kira, let's just forget the extra reps. You did enough for today."

"No. You're my trainer and you told me to do them so I'm doing them."

"I only told you to do them so you wouldn't add more weight. If you'd just—"

"Oww!" She cringes and the weight she was lifting slams down, making a loud noise that makes everyone around us look over.

"What happened?" I ask, holding her arm.

"My leg." She points to it.

"Is it a cramp?"

She shakes her head, then bites her lip and clenches the side of the machine with her hands. "Oh, God, it hurts."

I look at her leg. It looks okay on the outside. I look back at her. "Kira, you need to tell me what's wrong."

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