“She could be lying, you know. Just saying.”
“Yup.” I yank my seatbelt down and click it in place. “That’s why we’re going to the gym.”
“You sure?” she asks.
“Absolutely.”
Cross
“Good workout today, Cobble. See ya next week.” I grab a towel and wipe my face off as my fourth appointment of the day gathers his things. Usually by this time of day, my ass is dragging, but not today. Today I have so much damn energy I could train an entire football team.
A few minutes will go by and I’ll forget I spent the night with Kallie. I’ll get caught up in teaching a jab or timing a round on the jump rope and she’ll momentarily be gone from my mind.
Then I’ll remember.
The image of her spread out on my bed, how soft her skin felt last night as I held her tight against me will come charging back, and I immediately have another spark in my step.
It doesn’t seem real in many ways. This girl I thought I lost, the girl I knew I’d never stop thinking about is all of a sudden back and has fallen in step with me again. I’m in all the way with Kallie.
Thank God.
The door chimes and I look up, expecting to see Cobble leaving. I do, but I also see Kallie walking in.
“Hey, babe…” My voice drifts off as I take in the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Not really.”
“Then why do you look like you lost your puppy?”
She crosses her arms and then drops them. She crosses them again. “How has your day been?”
“Good. Getting better—I think,” I add, still unsure as to what’s causing her to fidget with the hem of her shirt. “How was yours?”
“Fine.” She heads to the free weights and drags her finger over them. “Did you train Megan today?”
“Yup. Last session. She took it reasonably well.”
She raises a brow. “Took what?”
“The fact that I’m not training her anymore,” I explain. “We talked about that. What did you think I meant?”
“That’s why I’m here.”
Her arms go across her middle again, this time firmly. She takes a deep breath, almost like she’s counting to ten before blowing it out. It makes me take one too in an attempt to settle the little fire that starts to burn in my gut.
“So, the things you said to me last night, Cross, about how this changed things between us…”
“Yeah?”
“Exactly how did you mean that?”
“I meant it like if I see a man hitting on you, I’ll break his face. Exact enough?” I’m partially teasing, but she there is no levity in her reaction. Instead, she bites the inside of her cheek.
“I was just in Carlson’s with Nora. Veronica said you and Megan were in your truck—”
“Woah. Hold up.” I throw the towel at the basket near the wall. “What the fuck is going on?”
“So, you were with her today? Getting lunch?”
“No—well, yes, I took her to Carlson’s and grabbed a sandwich because it was the easiest fucking way to get her out of my hair.”
Her jaw clenches as she huffs. “Really, Cross?”
“Yes, fucking really,” I say back. My head spins in disbelief. “She had Molly drop her off here and she didn’t come to pick her up. Was that intentional? Probably. Did I want it to happen? Absolutely not.”
“Explain to me again why she was in your truck getting lunch?”
Forcing a swallow, I try to be calm. “I needed to head to the school for a boxing class I was putting on for the sophomore class. Megan was still here. What was I supposed to do? Leave her on the sidewalk?”
“That’s where whores usually do their work. She’d probably feel right at home.”
“When did you get so mean?” I laugh.
“When I feel messed with.”
“Look, I was just trying to move on with my day. I wasn’t fucking her. She wasn’t blowing me. It was nothing like that.”
She turns her back to me, looking at the parking lot. “I need to move on with my day too.”
There’s a finality in her tone, an insinuation that she doesn’t just mean her day. Panic shoots through my veins and I’m to her before she can even take a step. “Hey, don’t get crazy.” My hands go to her hips. I feel her body wanting to cave back into mine, but she doesn’t let it. “I’ll cancel my last session today if you’ll go home with me.”
“I…” She gulps. “I have things to do today.”
“You do not.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then come over tonight,” I offer. There’s a level of begging in my tone I’m not proud of, but can’t deny.
“I’m helping Mom sort things she pulled out of the attic.”
“Want me to help?” I ask, running my hands up and down her arms.
“No.”
“Kallie,” I groan, twisting her around. “Stop it.”
“I think you’re right. That’s exactly what I’ll do,” she says, looking away from me. “At least for now.”