Page 20 of Little Devil

“JJ!” she barks. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Out.”

“I’m not finished talking to y–”

I slam the heavy front door behind me and jog down the front steps, fumbling with my keys to unlock my car. I jump inside and speed off towards the beach, hitting the breaks just as quick when I realize pictures won’t cut it today.

I need to vent.

Hit something.

I turn around and drive down to the gym on the other side of town, barely paying attention to my surroundings while I grab my duffel bag from the trunk and sling it over my shoulder. Still wearing my school uniform, I walk inside and swipe my membership card over the scanner, pushing the bar to let myself in. Kian’s older sister spots me through the window in her office and walks out to greet me, her warm smile fading when she catches the look on my face.

“Back room’s all yours, babe.”

“Thanks,” I mutter, cursing myself when I hear the pathetic crack in my voice. “Hey, Kelly? Can you, uh, not tell Kian about this? Or anyone?”

She nods and I walk away, ignoring the eyes of the members working out on the main floor while I head through to the private room reserved for boxers. It’s dark and cold in here, the only light coming from the sun creeping through the tiny, rectangular windows across the top of the back wall. I drop my bag down in the corner and change into my gym clothes, quickly tying my hair up into a messy ponytail at the top of my head. I leave the lights off and plug my phone in to crank the music up, then I slide my gloves over my hands and fasten the velcro with my teeth.

And then I vent.

9

Xander

“Dude, pay attention,” I scold, quickly snatching the bar from Kian’s trembling hands when he looks like he’s about to fucking choke himself with it. “What the hell are you looking at?”

“Nothing,” he rasps, tipping his head back on the bench to look at me upside down. “The view’s pretty good from down here, though.”

I raise a brow and lift the bar back up to the rack, walking around him to grab my water bottle from the floor. I take a sip and he struggles to sit up, resting his elbows on his thighs to drop his head in his hands.

“You guys do this every single day?” he asks, wincing while he rubs his sore muscles. “It hurts.”

I chuckle and toss him a drink, still amused by his hot pink boy shorts and matching headband. He turned up at the house just as me and Travis were leaving for his sister’s gym, said he wanted us to take him home to change so he could tag along and play with the big boys, as he put it. I don’t know the guy well, but I’m pretty sure the heaviest thing he’s ever lifted is his thigh to shave his scrawny little chicken legs in the shower.

Travis finishes his set and sits up to wipe the sweat from his forehead with his t–shirt, smirking to himself when he catches Kian’s eyes on his abs. Kian drags his bottom lip out through his teeth and I cock my head at him, bouncing my eyes between the two boys who can’t seem to keep their eyes off each other.

“Are you two fucking?”

Travis chokes on his water and Kian blushes like a nun, telling me all I need to know.

Boy’s no fucking nun, and it seems my cousin knows it.

“Dude, will you shut the fuck up?” Travis hisses, quickly looking around to check no one heard me.

“Sorry.”

He glares and I smirk, frowning when he swallows and scrubs a hand over his mouth. “Xan, listen–”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Explain yourself to me like it’s something that needs an explanation,” I say simply, rolling my eyes when he stares at me like I’ve grown two heads. “I know what fucking is, Trav. I do it all the time.”

“That’s different.”

“Why is it different?”

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