Kayden releases a frustrated breath but continues with his third attempt.
“There you go,” I say as he keeps the ball going with his feet. This time, he manages to balance it better, the ball moving along his feet in a light and rounded manner. “Yes.
That’s it. Find the rhythm.”
Kayden looks up at me, his lips twitch upward at my encouragement. But that one second is all it takes for him to lose his footing. When the ball rolls away, he swallows his annoyance before looking at me expectantly.
“How long was that?”
I glance at the timer.
“Nine seconds.”
A loud groan.
I wrinkle my nose at him, a challenging gleam in my eyes. “You’re gonna quit on me, Killer?”
“No,” he says unflinchingly, already moving to retrieve the ball again.
For the next hour, I perch myself on the edge of the railing while Kayden tries to get a consistent rhythm going with the ball. I can’t help but snicker every time the ball flies away from him. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to reset the timer for him to start over.
By the end of the hour, Kayden finally manages to get past thirty seconds. Not quite the victory he’d hoped for, but when I read his latest timing to him, he lets out the loudest howl of joy and plants a huge kiss on the ball. I force myself not to cringe because ew, dirt, but it makes me happy when I see him swelling with pride at his accomplishment.
“Let’s call it a night,” I declare.
Relief slackens Kayden’s impressive shoulders and he joins me by the railing, hopping over it and allowing his legs to dangle in the air, like mine. Above us, the sky is a blanket of darkness, with not even a wink of a star in sight. The temperature has dropped within the hour, but the adrenaline from practice has warmed both of us up enough to keep us from feeling like we might get frostbite from being out here.
“Hey. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to a minute,” he says to me apologetically.
“It’s fine,” I tell him, both of my hands gripping the railing on either side of me as I turn to face him. “It’s not about perfecting the move. It’s about being aware and connecting yourself to every part of your body, especially to your feet.
You’re not gonna win against Jax in a punching contest. He packs too much weight behind his punches. The strategy is to be agile on your feet, then find the right opening to take him down.”
“Good strategy,” Kayden notes with an agreeable nod.
I can’t keep myself from staring at him. The winter chill has begun to dry the sweaty mess of his dark, wind-tussled hair. His eyes are closed and he inhales deeply, as if allowing the wind to carry all his thoughts away. I’ve never seen him look this calm before. It inspires a warm feeling in my chest.
When his eyelids flutter open again, his eyes are bright with curiosity.
“Is it true that you did ballet?” he asks softly.
I bite my lip, debating whether I should share this piece of information with him. But it doesn’t bother me if he knows, so I cave.
“Yeah. When I was in middle school,” I explain. “My dad was the one who got me into it. Said it would help me achieve some much-needed poise and grace. He pulled me out once he found out to get good at ballet you have to develop a lot of hard muscle.” My lips flatten at those memories. It feels like a lifetime ago when my life didn’t revolve around fighting and Jax. “It did help me ease into MMA better, though. Taught me a good deal about balance and coordination. I don’t think I’d be nearly as good a fighter as I am now. Which, ironically enough, is a nice middle finger to my dad.”
I wonder if what my life would be like if I’d just shaped myself into who my dad wanted me to be. Maybe there would be less animosity between us. A part of me wishes I could be more like Beth—sweet and compassionate and demure; who fits into the mold in every way possible.
“Keep with fighting. It’s what you’re good at,” Kayden says with an easy grin, echoing the words I said to him back at me. My heart does a little victory lap around my rib cage at the sight of his dimples. He rubs his hands together, eyelids dropping before rising back up to my face again. This time, there’s apprehension in them. “I—uh . . . I’m really sorry I’m a pain in the ass most of the time. You’re a good trainer and you deserve my respect. Which you have.”
His sincerity warms my heart, the heat spreading across my neck and up my face. I like this new side of him. Despite our rocky start, I’m glad to know that we’re on the same page with this deal. And about damn time too.
An unwitting smile touches my lips as I close my hand over Kayden’s, sealing our comradery.
“Then let’s kick some ass together, shall we?”