Page 40 of Under Pressure

“So you don’t fight others? You just do solo training?”

Solo training. I’ve never heard it phrased that way before. That’s exactly what I do, though. “Yeah.”

I finish wrapping her hands and move on to my own, but I’m not quick enough before Erickson makes his way over, his two usual cronies behind him.

“Jenkins, you won’t fight any of us, so you had to bring a girl to trade punches with?”

Mia glances up, her mouth pursing at his snide comment.

“Yep, that’s what I brought her here for,” I tell him casually, focusing on the cloth in my hand.

His eyes narrow when I refuse to fall for his jab. “She doesn’t look like she could lift a toothpick. You like it when they don’t put up much of a fight?”

Mia shrinks at his words, so unlike how she acts with me. Normally, I’d encourage her to defend herself, but not with him.

“That’s how I like it,” I tell him, grabbing gloves and steering her away toward the punching bags. I take her over to the furthest one, maneuvering us behind it so we’re out of his line of sight. “You okay?” I ask, rubbing her arms.

“What’s that guy’s problem?”

“He’s a dick. Gets off on bullying other people.”

She looks at me carefully. “I’m surprised you agreed with him.”

“Best tactic I’ve found is to not give in to whatever he’s taunting you with. If you argue, it only makes it worse. And he’s not worth it. The only way to win against him is to act like you don’t care. It drives him crazy.”

She nods, her eyes still wary as she looks around at the other men boxing, sparring, jumping rope. Everyone’s minding their own business, but I can practically feel her anxiety, her worry that anyone else is liable to come up to us at any moment and harass her.

“Most of the guys here are good people. I’ll be with you the whole time, but we can leave if you want.”

She looks up at me, her expression slowly morphing into one of determination. “No, that would be giving in to what he wants, wouldn’t it?”

I gaze at her, wanting so bad to kiss her right now, to tell her how proud I am of her.

But I don’t, smirking instead. “You’re growing up, Hufflepuff.”

She rolls her eyes and puts the gloves on, but not before smiling back.

* * *

“So that was Mia, huh?”

Ethan settles on the other side of the couch and I close my Geology textbook, gratefully welcoming the interruption. It was the only science course I could get to fit in my schedule this semester, and I’ve put off filling that general education requirement for too long now. “I didn’t know you could see anymore after Lawrence paired you in the ring with Adkins.”

He blows out a breath. “Adkins is dumber than a box of rocks, but he knows how to hit.” He gingerly touches the side of his head, as if it still hurts, then leans back further against the cushions. “Is she actually going to take up boxing?”

I smile in remembrance of her at the gym. “No. She just likes hitting the punching bag.”

“Never seen you smile so much.”

My grin immediately drops.

“What’s going on with you two? You’re over at her apartment, taking her to the gym. Bringing home desserts she makes—which are freaking awesome, by the way.”

“Those are mine. I didn’t say you could eat those.”

“Too late.” He looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to answer him. This is the problem with people you let close. They expect things of you.

I sigh. “We’re just friends. And we have the research study to work on.”

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