I got up and shuffled through my pile of clothes to find my phone. Summer had sent me a text, semi freaking out over the fact I hadn’t called to let her know how the date went. “I should probably call her before she files a missing person’s report.” I smiled as Kaden grabbed my hand.
“I understand. I should probably get going.” He bent down and kissed me. “I’ll let you get dressed.” Then he gathered up his clothes and left the room to give me a bit of privacy.
Why would I need privacy to put my clothes on? I wondered. It isn’t like I wasn’t just completely exposed to him a few minutes ago. The realization over how much of a gentleman he truly seemed to be made the butterflies in my stomach flutter once more.
Once I was dressed, I followed him out to his car, watching as he got into the driver's seat. For a brief moment, I was bummed he was leaving already. As soon as the door was closed, he stuck his head out the window and motioned for me to get closer. As I did, he stuck his arm out the window, pulling me in and kissing me again. “Get some rest because I’m kicking your ass tomorrowduring our session,” he announced before he began to cautiously back out of the driveway.
“Hey!” I suddenly realized he hadn’t kept up his end of the bargain. “You never told me your dark secret.”
Kaden laughed and continued backing out without saying a word.
“Kaden.” My voice came out stern yet still playful.
Gently, he pressed on the brakes and looked back at me from the road. “I’ll share everything with you at practice. You can multi-task right?”
He didn’t say anything else before speeding away. Sure, I could harass him over text, but I was looking forward to our sparring session and I didn’t want to come across as desperate. I went back inside and called Summer to tell her all about how the date went.
???
Kaden
“I’m going to kick his ass,” I told Arlo as I pushed my glove into the punching bag before pulling back and hitting again with a hook.
I glanced over to see Arlo standing there and analyzing my every move. “Maybe you should. I think you’re ready.”
I stopped dead in my tracks once the words had escaped his mouth. “I’m ready?”
“How do you feel?” he inquired and I knew he wasn’t questioning my current mental state.
Jumping up and down and shaking my arms out I realized I wasn’t in pain. I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I had felt pain from my accident but it had definitely been weeks. “You think I should challenge Mark?”
He nodded his head. “You’re accepting an award at the banquet, it will be broadcast, you should announce your return to the octagon and challenge him. Right then and there.”
It wasn’t a bad idea. Icouldavenge Val for the way Mark had treated her and he wouldn’t even see it coming. I could even set things up so she would have the opportunity to fight as well. Arlo seemed a bit eager to make this happen. “I suppose I might need a coach.” I smirked.
“If you think for a moment you are going to ask anyone besides me, you’re wrong.”
We bumped fist to glove. “Let the official training begin.”
Twenty Three
Val
The air in the gym was thick and smelled of a combination of sweat and antiseptic cleaner. There was a time in my life the fragrance would have pushed me away but now, I longed for it.
My lungs burned after the first three rounds of sparring. When going hand to hand, Kaden and I had begun doing our rounds just like we would if we were actually fighting. My mind wasn’t having it though. He had left me hanging last night, not sharing his darkest secret, and I had to know. The moves that were supposed to be about muscle memory and conditioning weren’t sticking. I found myself pinned against the mat, Kaden’s weight settling on my hips and his forearm pressed against my neck. It wasn’t hard enough to choke me, but he sent a clear message:you lose.
“You’re thinking too much,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear, a low vibration that traveled through my skin.
His voice was going to be an issue, the sound of it made me immediately surrender to him. Finally, he released the pressure, pulling his arm back, but his body remained stationary.
I glared up at him, noticing his dark eyes were also searching for mine. They had a fire in them that made me weak. Yet, I still felt like there was a wall separating us.What is wrong with me?It felt strange that one date, one night together, had affected me so much.
He cocked his brow, a signature move of his both on and off the mat. It was how I knew when he was trying to analyze the situation. “Talk to me.”
I released a heavy sigh, I was frustrated with myself for getting up in arms over this. It was his story to share. I shouldn’t pressure him. I had been so willing to dish out all of the skeletons in my closet though, while I felt like I almost needed to pry to help him clean out his. “It’s just… I shared my entire history that I’ve barely shared with anyone and I feel like I got cheated out of hearing your story,” I finally spat out, pushing against his chest with a sudden surge of adrenaline similar to my fight or flight response.
He got up and extended a hand to me. This time, I ignored it, standing up on my own and watching his reaction. He seemed weary. I walked over to the edge of the mat and snatched up my towel, dabbing the sweat from my face.