Page 53 of Fighting the Darkness

“Jab. Jab. Kick. Jab. Trip. Kick.”

Over and over, I follow the moves he calls. I get lost in it, forgetting about all the other bullshit for a while. When he finally calls it, I’m exhausted but feeling at least a little better.

“You did much better after it was just the two of us,” he tells me.

I shrug. “I was just having a hard time getting out of my head today. I told you I’d do better, and I did.”

“Yes, you did.” He hesitates for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”

I stiffen, freezing for a moment before turning to face him. “I guess, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll answer. Actually, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll answer your question honestly if you’ll answer one for me.”

Griffin considers me for a moment before nodding. “A question for a question. I can get behind that.”

I drop onto the mat and start on my cooldown stretches. “So what’s up, Griffin?”

“Did something happen between you and Wilder?”

My head jerks up as he sits beside me. I make a face. “I really didn’t think that’s what you were going to ask, but a promise is a promise. He needed to fuck after the fight last night, so we did. Then he took me home, and we fucked some more. Now he’s back to being a dick. No, actually, he’s worse than ever.”

“Is that why you don’t want to work with him anymore?”

“Technically, that’s a second question, but yes. Until he can stop being a jackass, I don’t want him training me. If he can act like an adult for once in his life, then I’m okay with training with him. Until then? No.”

Griffin nods. “I thought it might be something like that. Wilder seems to have an issue with sex.”

That makes me laugh, and Griffin shakes his head. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know. Are you cool with me asking my question now?” At his nod, I continue. “What about you and Soren?”

“Damn, just going straight for it, aren’t you?”

I shrug. “I don’t know how else to ask.”

He falls silent for so long, I’m beginning to think he’s not going to answer.

“It’s complicated.”

I snort, rolling my eyes. “Isn’t everything that’s worth having?”

“We hooked up once a few years ago, and then we just kept hooking up. I train him and he works here, training others. We’ve always been friends, so it kind of rolled into a friends with benefits thing.” Griffin sighs. “For a long time, I felt like I was taking advantage of him because of how much older I am than him. Once I got over that, I ended up falling for him. It’s obviously one-sided, but I don’t want to give him up. Does that make me selfish?”

“I don’t think so. But I’d like to address a few things. First, you’re not too old for him. You’re what? Like ten years older than him?”

“Eleven. I’m eleven years older than him,” he corrects.

“Pish posh. That’s nothing. I’d even go as far as to say that you’re not too old for me—not that I’m hitting on you. It’s just an observation,” I rush to assure him.

He laughs. “I didn’t think you were.”

“It’s not that you’re not hot—because you are. You definitely have some serious daddy vibes going on.” I snap my mouth shut, trying to figure out where the verbal diarrhea came from as I flush. Shaking my head, I change the subject, “And how can you be so sure that it’s only one-sided?”

Griffin gives me a look. “He flirts with you in front of me, and I think he has a thing for Wilder.”

“Seriously?” My eyebrows shoot up. “After what he told me about what happened, I didn’t think he’d ever be into Wilder.”

Griffin shrugs. “But you don’t deny that he’s been flirting with you?”

“Why would I? You were standing there last night. I mean, he walked out naked and was practically swinging his dick around in front of me.”

---