Chapter 55
Chapter fifty-five
Annalise
“That’s it, get your workout gear on,” Matt says, crossing the room and pulling me up off my bed.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ve been moping around all day, but not tonight.”
“Matt, I’m totally fine. I’m just tired.”
He rolls his eyes, clearly not believing my bullshit any more than I do.
Despite washing my bedding and Sasha spraying perfume all around my room for the last week, the smell of Aiden’s woodsy cologne hadn’t gone away—until today.
I walked into my room after class, already braced for the scent that once made me feel safe to smack me in the face, but instead, I smelled…
nothing. I should have been happy, I’ve been trying in vain to get rid of it so I wasn’t constantly reminded of him, but now it left me, just like he did.
“Ohhhh, you’re tired. Well, then I guess we definitely shouldn’t go race on the obstacle course.” Matt says, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.
“Seriously?” I ask, instantly more excited for this than I have been for anything else all day. Maybe all week.
“Yup! We haven’t gotten to go against each other all year, so I thought it would be fun. Plus, your class has to be a bunch of amateurs since you keep coming in first. Thought you might like some real competition.”
I’m grabbing clothes and rushing into the bathroom before he can goad me anymore. I’m down to just my underwear before my brain catches up.
“Wait, it’s getting dark,” I say, already deflating.
“Nothing gets past you,” he laughs, shaking his head, “Gods, it’s a good thing you’re pretty.”
I throw the pajama pants I just took off at him, “I meant that we can’t see if it’s dark.”
“Okay, I was joking before, but now I might mean that. How have you not noticed the lights all around the course?”
I’m already back in the bathroom, changing into my sports bra and leggings. “Probably because I’m too focused on having the best course time, unlike some people I know that consistently come in second and third.”
Before I know what’s happening, I’m upside down, looking at my best friend’s ass in his sweats as he carts me out of my room.
*Bang*Bang*Bang*
“Sasha, come on, open up. We need someone who won’t cheat to come keep time for us.”
I assume Antonio opens the door because I hear him laugh before calling out to Sasha, “I can already tell we’re not gonna want to miss this. Grab a jacket.”
Apparently, someone invited James and Josh too, because by the time we get out to the course, they’re already there waiting. The latter pulling me into the biggest hug, “I’m sorry he turned out to be such an asshole. Guess it’s time we make a ‘if we’re not married by thirty’ pact or something.”
“We are here to not think about that piece of shit,” Matt barks, then catches himself and his voice turns joking, “And you don’t like girls anymore, so how, exactly, would that pact work?”
“I didn’t say we had to be faithful. Hell, maybe we’ll find a guy we both like, and we can take turns dating him,” Josh says to me with a wink.
My stomach flutters as I remember the couples that brought in a third on my Swingers Weekend mission, but then I’m flooded with the memory of Aiden and me in the voyeurism room later that night, and I’m as turned off as I would be with a bucket of ice water thrown on me.
“As tempting as that sounds, I’m going to have to pass. Ideally, I want my husband to like checking me out.”
James snorts, “Might need to up your marriage criteria, Lee. I’m pretty sure half of the guys at academy would fit that bill.”
“That wasn’t my only—never mind.” I look to Matt, “You ready to get your ass handed to you?”
“Ready to see you try. What are we doing for the pit? Waiting and facing each other twice?”
“I’ll fight you guys,” Antonio says with a smirk.
We are definitely in for more than we bargained for, but I don’t voice that thought out loud. What I say is much, much worse: “You mean you’ll try,” damn my stupid inability to keep my mouth shut. “I didn’t mean that!” I shout as he starts down to the pit. “I was kidding!”
“No. Broken. Bones. You hear me?” Matt calls out, but I’m not sure if it’s to Antonio or me, so I just nod.
“Ok, I’m flipping a coin for who goes first. Tongues or tails. Lee, you call it in the air.”
“What kind of coin—”
“Tongues!” I call out, interrupting Matt when the coin starts to fall.
We all circle around where the coin is spinning on the ground.
“It’s tails!” Sasha shouts, despite us all being a few inches away from each other. “Don’t you know tails never fails?” she laughs.
“Nooo…I’d rather have Droopy kisses than his butt.”
“Who the fuck is Droopy?” Josh asks. “Uncle Mike has said the name a few times, and I still have no idea what he’s talking about.”
Sasha and I burst into laughter, but it’s quickly calmed when Matt yells that he’s ready from the starting line.
“On your mark. Get set. Go!”
Matt takes off like a bullet, and I realize that despite how much time we spend together, I haven’t seen this side of him since we got here.
He makes it up the rope climb like it's as easy as climbing a ladder. He’s a little slower on the monkey bars than I am, his body mass weighing him down more than mine does, but his dismount to the ground is smoother than I think mine has ever been.
Every step he takes, I’m running with him on the edge of the course, just like we did growing up.
Critiquing, finding where we can each improve, and sharing it only after we’ve used the others' weaknesses to our advantage, of course.
He gets a little zap under the barbed wire, and I accidentally laugh out loud.
“Shut it!” he yells, but I can hear him smiling.
Once he gets out, he’s barreling into the mud pits, which are extra messy after the afternoon storm that passed through.
Unfortunately, they don’t slow him down in the slightest. I bounce up and down with every step he takes on the wall climbs, practically feeling them against my skin, and I don’t miss Josh and James laughing at me.
He takes a little longer than I thought he would on the last two walls, especially with his wingspan so much longer than mine.
That same wingspan helps him keep his footing as he sprints across the balance gauntlet, and then he and Antonio are squaring up for a surprisingly well-matched fight.
For such big guys, watching them in the pit is like watching a ballet.
Every movement is fluid and strong. Their muscles flexing beautifully, and the lights shining down on their sweaty bodies make them look sparkly.
I try to take in every step and jab Antonio takes, looking for any weaknesses, but I’m not seeing any.
“Which one can’t you take your eyes off of?” James asks beside me.
“Both,” I answer honestly, “but mostly Antonio.”
“If you weren’t my best friend and I didn’t know you were trying to figure out how to beat him, I would hate that answer," Sasha laughs.
“Definitely just trying to find a mistake or a tell!” I tell her. “I seriously don’t see any, though. I might be taking the five-minute penalty.”
“He oversteps on his retreat steps. Watch when Matt takes the offensive,” Josh says, watching as intently as I am.
Sure enough, the next time Matt lunges and Antonio retreats, he puts himself slightly off balance for a split second.
“Isn’t this cheating?” James asks.
“Nope!” Josh and I answer in unison before I continue, “This is the benefit of going second. Do you not watch your opponents before you have to fight them in Combat Class?”
“Nah, Korr knows I’m losing either way, so I pair up with the other non-fighters, and he usually gets annoyed and tells us just to go run.”
“Are you serious? Why didn’t I think of that?” Sasha says, and I’m surprised James has never brought it up after hearing Sasha complain about class.
The five-minute timer goes off, and Matt moves to the rope swing without hesitation. His momentum and landing are both perfect, and he rings the bell as Sasha calls time.
“Alright, Lee, you’re up!” Sasha says, and I catch myself humming one of my pump-up songs as I approach the starting line.
As soon as Sasha says go, I’m working my way up the rope. I know I’m slower than Matt is here, but I should be able to make it up over the next two obstacles.
Skipping bars like always, the momentum is pushing me as much as the adrenaline is.
I get through the wires without getting shocked and am feeling really good entering the mud pit until my shoe gets stuck, falling off, and causing me to fall face-first in the mud.
Our entire cheer squad is laughing, but I don’t waste any time digging in the mud for it.
Instead, I kick off the other shoe and move to the wall.
I realize on the first step that the socks are going to work against me, so I toss them off too—possibly in the direction of Matt’s face.
Like always, the wall isn’t bad until I need to jump between spots, but being barefoot actually allows me to get a better grip, so I think I get through a little faster than normal.
Antonio is laughing as he watches me dismount from the balance beams, mud clinging to my clothes and hair. “You look terrible! I might forfeit just so you don’t get me dirty,” he says, but still gets into fighting position.
Much like Matt’s fight, we exchange blows, get decent blocks in, but unlike Matt, I know to wait for that extra bit of retreat.
We’ve got to be close to our own five-minute mark when the opening finally happens, I lunge—not in a hit, but a football tackle that I know will make Josh and Matt proud. Antonio is so caught off guard that he doesn’t even try to soften our fall.
“Time!” Sasha calls between laughs, and I risk the extra seconds to pull some mud from my hair to wipe across Antonio’s cheek. Before he can get revenge, I take off to the rope, swinging through the air and yelling like Tarzan until I drop to the platform and ring the bell to stop my timer.
As soon as my feet touch the ground, Josh has me in his arms, running toward the mud pit with Matt only a few steps behind.
I don't even have enough time to try to get loose before I’m tossed in, mud splashing everywhere as they dive in after me, laughing and flinging handfuls back and forth until none of us are recognizable anymore.
So much mud is thrown around that I’m spitting the entire walk back to the barracks trying to get it out of my mouth.
Sasha, Antonio, and James yelled their goodbyes shortly after we hit the mud, and it isn’t until we’re climbing the stairs that something hits me.
“Wait, who won tonight?” The guys look to each other, laughing before Josh finally says, “Sasha forgot to start your timer.”
“No she didn’t; she called time during mine and Antonio’s fight.”
“Yeah, that was because she said something about being excited to wash the mud off of him,” Josh says.
“Better turn up your music while you shower,” Matt teases.