Page 38 of The Fight

“Or what?”

Before he can answer, Shay and Austin stop moving and jog to the ropes. Blake turns to them with a smile, leaving my question hanging in the air.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” he booms. “That’s what I like to see. Always moving forward, light on your feet. Keep it up, Shay.”

I want to pry more, ask more questions and try and figure out what the fuck he’s talking about, but when I look to Shay and see the smile on his face, I don’t have the heart to ruin his moment. He’s back in the fight with a clear head. So, I stay quiet and smile instead.

Austin lifts the ropes for Shay, and he slides out, bouncing to the ground beside me. As he leans over to kiss my cheek, I look behind him where Blake is standing and see him watching me with intense eyes.

Shay moves to where he discarded his shirt, and in those few seconds, Blake walks up to me, leans over, and whispers in my ear. “Tell Sylvia I said congratulations on her wedding.”

Before I can ask how he knows my mom, let alone her name, he snaps back to his full height. Shay is back by my side and wraps his arm around my waist. “Let’s get out of here.”

I nod, wrapping my arms across my chest a little tighter as I keep my eyes on Blake.

“It was nice finally meeting you, Blair,” he comments as I turn on my heel.

I push into Shay’s side and let him lead me out of the gym.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

SHAY

Iwalk out of the gym with Blair in tow, the air cool against my face from the sheen of sweat across my brow. As soon as we slip into the solitude of my Jeep, though, I can tell something is up.

Blair keeps her gaze fixed out the window as I start the car and pull out of the parking lot. “You good?”

“I’m fine,” she replies, but it doesn’t sound convincing. She looks at me for a second, then turns away like she isn’t sure how to explain what’s going on with her.

I keep my eyes on the road but reach across the console and grip her thigh. “Did Blake say something to you? I know he was still pissed about the other night, but he’s good now.”

Blake is the only explanation. She was fine when we made it to the gym, but now, as we’re leaving, not so much. The only linking factor is Blake. I get he wasn’t happy with my performance the other day, but he is fine. He scolded me a bit, but I know I’m too valuable to lose. He’ll get the fuck over it.

She nods a little too quickly. “Just Blake being Blake, I guess. I don’t know. He doesn’t seem too thrilled that we’re together. But it’s fine.”

I throw my head back for a split second before snapping it back toward the road. “Blake has no control over me, Blair. He can dislike us being together all he wants, but at the end of the day, he doesn’t matter. What exactly did he say?”

“He was just being weird. Asking questions, trying to figure me out. He was acting like I don’t belong in your world.”

“Well.” I give her thigh another reassuring squeeze. “Too bad Blake doesn’t get to decide where you belong.”

Blair glances back out the window with a weak smile. Suddenly, her words from the other day filter back into my head.“What’s his endgame? Get you signed or whatever and sweep you away?”and it suddenly makes sense. I’m sure Blake was just trying to eliminate the very obvious distraction that is Blair, warn her in a way I need to keep my head in the game, but to her, it’s him trying to take me away.

And after last night, I’d like to think that’s really something she doesn’t want.

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” I ask, making my voice a bit softer. “You’re worried Blake is going to take me away?”

She freezes beside me for a split second. “What? No. I’m not worried.”

I don’t buy it. I can feel the shift in the air. Whether she wants to admit it or not, I know.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to hide. I know things are complicated with our parents, with everything. But you don’t have to worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

She rolls her eyes and pushes my hand off her thigh playfully. “You’re so full of yourself.”

Turning into our drive, I throw my Jeep in park as soon as we stop. “Maybe. But you love it.”

The word slips out quicker than I can even think about it, and immediately, I don’t know how to follow it up. That’s fast—too fast.

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