Twenty
MIA
I’m still holding the gun between his shoulders when Eli slowly turns around and is smiling so brightly that his brown eyes almost look like honey.
Before I can register what he’s doing, he drops his gun and sweeps me up in his arms and laughs.
I expected him to complain or be pissed that he lost. This is almost more unsettling.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He shouts over to where AJ is grinning proudly.
He squeezes me a little extra close before putting me down.
I don’t think I flashed anyone, thankfully.
My jacket is still tied too tightly for me to even budge the knot loose.
Eli kisses my forehead before saying, “that was genius!” Then he turns to AJ and glares.
“Next year, your ass is mine though. Be prepared.” He hands me his card, completing the royal flush.
AJ comes over and wraps her arms around me, paralyzing me. “That was badass.” She pulls away like she didn’t just initiate a hug and smile and laugh all at the same time.
“Who came up with that?” Max asks us as we meet the group in the middle of the mats.
“She’s the brains, I’m the muscle.” AJ gives me the credit, but it was a joint planning session over margs this past Monday.
It’s scary how calculated her brain can be, she took in every detail of what she knew the boys would do.
She saw Eli buying the masks a few weeks ago and somehow came up with this mastermind assumption they would pull triplet antics and switch them out.
I was only slightly surprised when Oliver was standing in front of me with a different mask on.
Triplet or not, I knew him as soon as he walked into the storage room.
AJ was my lethal shadow, I was the pretty distraction.
And it worked flawlessly. Eli taking out Rory so fast wasn’t part of the plan, but it worked anyway.
And AJ knew Eli wouldn’t resist coming for her.
We practiced me hiding and coming out of those lockers so early in the morning before anyone came into the gym just to make sure it was executed perfectly.
I will never underestimate the dedication that any of them have for winning after tonight.
Eddie wraps his arms around mine and AJ’s shoulders, “Proud of my girls.” Maxwell and Oliver flip him off. Rory steals AJ by pulling her in front of him and his hand resting on her stomach. “Pick your victim, Mia.” Eddie motions around the circle.
“Oliver.” No hesitation. Everyone cheers but his eyes are locked on mine.
The kiss is still searing my skin, making my lungs swell in my chest. Butterflies?
Never had them really with Oliver. It’s always been this colliding of nerves and hunger and need.
Like the feeling you are about to do something you know will be dangerous but the rush is too compelling.
Then when it’s over you feel slightly safer than before. That’s what it feels like with Oliver.
“Great! You can start tonight.” Eddie squeezes his son’s shoulder, but Oliver is still only staring at me. “I’m going to go grab some dinner, make sure this place is fully cleaned and ready for morning classes.” He calls over his shoulder as he leaves out the front doors.
“We’re heading out.” Rory announces like he’s been waiting to leave since the moment he got here.
I can’t even blame him. His girlfriend looks hot tonight.
But as always, he looks over AJ’s shoulder from where she leans into him and checks on me before they actually leave.
“You need us to give you a ride home?” I look at my best friend being so free and happy tonight.
There’s no way I’m going to hinder that by making them take me home.
So I shake my head slightly. I rode over with AJ, and Rory drove himself but I think they are both about to just head upstairs anyways.
I can probably just borrow her car and bring it back tomorrow.
“I can take her home.” Max is quick to offer, always willing to take care of me as well.
“You were the first one out, you should have to help me clean up.” Oliver teases.
He has all the color packs carefully balanced in one his hands, picking up the guns with the other.
Max must not realize that he’s holding the open color packs because he jumps on his back, Oliver throws him over his shoulder and the color packets go all over his face and hair.
Eli doesn’t even attempt to hide his laughter.
“Damn it, Max.” He looks up and his whole face looks like a five year old girl did his makeup with the brightest eyeshadows.
I stifle my own laugh because he looks so frustrated.
He drops the guns and runs his hand through his hair as he looks at the mess on the floor, causing more color to invade the loose waves of his hair.
“Eli. Maxie. You two get the guns and throw away what is left of the color packets. I’ll go grab a vacuum and mop.
” A vacuum is probably the only way we are going to get the colors out of the cracks.
The boys easily go and do what I say as Oliver reaches out to me but I step out of the way just before he gets a hold on my jacket. “You should go shower…”
“You were really impressive tonight.” He grins.
“You weren’t even trying.”
His shoulder lifts. “I’m okay losing to you.”
“Did you like my costume?” I play with the end of the strings of the knot just to keep my hands busy.
“That image will be imprinted on my brain.” He’s keeping his distance, not even trying to get close to me.
He’s not even using the full extent of his charm but I feel unsteady being near him right now.
I’ve been working so hard lately to get where I need to be that I forgot what it feels like to not be in survival mode.
I get what AJ means when she talks about the gym being the haven for her mind, which is a big reason Eddie named it West Haven.
He wanted it to be that for everyone who comes in.
And we each need our own version of a freeing and defended space.
This gym has taught me more about who I am in the past eight months than I ever learned growing up.
“Go shower, Oliver.”
“Come with me.” He is so unashamed in his request.
I give a small shake of my head. He just smiles before he heads off to the locker rooms with the showers. Eli and Max come back with a bag to gather all the guns up. Max even has a vacuum for me.
“You guys can head out, I can get this cleaned up in a few minutes.” They both look at each other and do the thing they always do.
“I promise to wait for Oliver to give me a ride home and not get in the car with a stranger.” All three of these brothers are always on the same page even if they aren’t in the same room.
They know that Oliver won’t want me to call an uber and prefer for one of them to take me home.
“Seriously promise?” Max asks, doubt clear in his voice.
“Promise, promise.” I salute them.
Eli jiggles his keys before tossing the bag of nerf guns over his shoulder. “I’m going to lock the doors. Don’t let in strangers. I fucking mean it, Mia.” He points to me as he narrows his eyes.
It takes me only a few minutes to get the powder vacuumed up, much easier than I expected.
All I need to do now is mop. When I go to the locker room to fill up the bucket, all thoughts are paralyzed by the sounds that are coming from the shower.
I recognize those sounds. I know the body that releases them.
I drop the mop and inch my way toward the shower stall closest to the end with the water running.
Small moans and muffled grunts keep the steam company as they fill up the empty space. Should I be creeping on him while he takes a shower? Absolutely not. But I know what he’s doing and all I can think is that he asked me to join him just earlier.
“Fuck, Mia.” The words are barely audible through the sound of running water and the way they are panted out but I hear them. I take a step backwards, contemplating if I want to just exit quickly and pretend I was never here.
“Change your mind, pretty girl?” His voice comes from behind the curtain and it’s like my feet are now cemented to the ground.
The curtain is drawn to the side and he is lazily stroking himself, no qualms about me standing in front of him.
And it occurs to me that I have never seen him so naked in so much lighting before.
I’m having a hard time trying to breathe right now.
His tattoos are all shining as the water washes over his body and he leans his back against the tile, not even flinching at the cold contact.
“I heard my name.” Is all I’m able to choke out.
“That’s because I said it.” I can’t keep my eyes from falling back to where he is still stroking. “Are you joining or watching?”
“I get a choice?”
I get a full smile, perfect teeth and all this time. “I’d prefer you join but you always have a choice.”
I kick off my shoes as we maintain contact. His stare is as intoxicating as ever. “How did you know it was me?”
“Walking cherry bomb, remember? I always know it’s you.” He watches me stand still, clearly choosing to not leave. “Come here.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” I grin.
His voice softens, “Please.”
“You tied this too tight. I can’t get it off. Guess I can’t join you.” I shrug and pout at the same time.
He moves fast, his steps unfaltering as he pulls me into the shower and yanks the knot loose. “You’re soaking my jacket.”
“Fuck this jacket.” He tosses it out onto the floor, water already puddling around it.
The remaining paper is removed next, a little harder since it was wet and stuck to my skin.
“I can’t believe you walked into this gym dressed in paper.
” He grips my hip and pulls me closer as he drops his head onto my shoulder, pausing for a moment.
Just letting our chests rise in sync as we both try and control our breathing a little more.
“I don’t have a condom.” He groans.
“I’m on birth control.”