Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Atlas
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t beat your ass into this mat.” Seth scowls at me, stretching out his arms.
“Because I already admitted I was an asshole, and what good will it do to try to beat me up?”
Seth tilts his head to the side and pauses for a second, like he’s thinking it over. Then nods as if he’s come to a decision. “You’re almost right,” he says as he takes his first swing.
Emma let us turn the basement into a makeshift gym a few years ago.
Rhett was complaining about the gym equipment and how there was only one available, which was across town.
She surprised us with a gym setup, going all out.
There are weight benches around the far side of the room, punching bags, cardio equipment, and of course, a set of flat mats.
Not only do we come here to work out and visit Emma, but if there are any issues, this is usually where we solve them.
Seth’s fist almost connects with my right cheek, but I move away quickly, throwing my arm up to block it. “Shit, man. I said I was sorry.”
Smirking, he steps back, his body swaying back and forth. I’m trying to figure out where he’s going to go next, but he’s never predictable on the mats.
“Tell me what you’re sorry for.” He stops for a minute, as if he’s genuinely interested in my answer.
“I bet it’s for acting like a jealous baby over Cora,” Kash shouts from the weight bench he and Rhett are currently occupying.
Twisting my head in his direction, I scowl. “I wasn’t acting like a jealous baby,” I shout back at him. “That guy was being a creep. He—” My reply is cut short by the wind being knocked out of me.
I fold over, holding my stomach, wheezing for breath. Fuck, I forgot how hard Seth hit. “Nice one, asshole. Hit a guy when he isn’t looking,” I huff out. Lunging forward, I swing my fist out toward his jaw. Seth bats it away with a smug grin on his face. Fucking assholes. All of them.
“Come on, Atlas. If you can’t be honest with us, at least be honest with yourself,” he taunts, taking another jab at my side.
Circling around each other, I glare at him. “I am being honest. I don’t know what the big deal is.”
“The big deal,” Rhett yells, “is that you know James isn’t a creep, and that Cora is smokin’ hot, bud.”
“Shut your mouth about her,” I bite out. They shouldn’t talk about her that way. She’s too good for any of them. When she smiles, it lights up her whole face. There’s a little dimple in her cheek, and it takes everything in me to not go over and stroke it to see if I can make it go deeper.
“Ooh,” Kash hollers. “Someone is awfully sensitive about the girl he claims to not want.”
“It’s because Atlas can try to lie to everyone, but he knows he wants Cora,” Seth tosses out, a smug look on his face.
Fuck this.
I throw my full body weight into his stomach and lift him off his feet.
Tossing him to the ground, I lean over him, sweat pouring off my body.
“You think it’s funny?” I swing my fist into his side.
“You think you know it all, huh?” I shout, swinging wildly.
I can’t even tell if any of my punches are landing; my vision has gone red.
“Atlas! Stop!” I hear a voice shout, but I can’t. I’m too far gone. Everyone thinks they know best about me and Cora. Cora is mine, and I know it’s complicated and I’m acting like a jealous baby, but I need to fix it my way.
“Oh, what the hell is going on now?” a feminine voice yells.
My head snaps in the direction the voice came from, and Seth seizes that moment to land a right hook so hard I fucking see stars.
Falling on my back on the mat, he stands over me.
“You owe me an apology for the wild haymakers, dick.” He glares, wiping the blood off his lip, breathing hard. “And you owe Cora an apology for acting like a jealous little twat.”
My breaths are coming out in heavy pants, and my heart is racing, but my blood is still boiling. I’m pissed, but it’s because I know they’re right. I do like Cora. I want her, but it’d probably look suspicious if the guy she was talking to suddenly went missing.
As I lie on my back, trying to collect my thoughts, a foot nudges me. Turning to the side and getting ready to pull Seth back down for a second round, I freeze. It’s not Seth. It’s Emma. Shit.
“Have you had enough yet, dummy?” She quirks a brow down at me.
“Yeah. I think so,” I admit as I jackknife into a sitting position.
Resting my head in my hands, I close my eyes. The only thing I see is Cora’s smile, but it quickly morphs into a scowl. I acted like such a jerk, I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually quit. I don’t want her to quit. I want her to stay. I want her. I’m so screwed.
“Good. Come get ice for your eye. I bet that’s gonna be a real shiner.” She shakes her head. “Nice shot, Seth.”
I whip my head in her direction.
“Really? You’re congratulating him? It was a cheap shot.”
Emma shrugs. “Maybe, but at least it got you to stop and think. Didn’t it? Bet it knocked some sense into you when he rang your bell. Come on, ice before it gets too bad.” She waves at me to get up and follow her.
Glancing at Seth, I see his hand outstretched.
“Good?”
“Yeah, we’re good.”
“Good. You look like shit.” He licks his busted lip and grins at me.
“Yeah, well, you don’t look much better.” I smile back at him, wincing a bit. That last shot really stung. Accepting Seth’s hand, I pull myself off the mat. “Thanks, man.”
“For the hand, or the beating?”
“Both.” I admit as I head out toward the kitchen to see Emma about the ice, ignoring Rhett and Kash’s snickering.
Walking into the coffee shop on Tuesday afternoon, the scent of coffee and baked goods washes over me.
Fuck, I missed this place, or at the very least their products.
Heading over to the counter, I take in the lobby to see if the angry girl from last time is still here.
Luck appears to be on my side because I bite back a laugh as she scowls at a customer.
I’m pretty sure she and Cora are friends, or at least friendly. She usually comes into the shop with a cup that has the business’ logo on it, so I know Cora’s at least a frequent customer.
Browsing through the case as I wait, I try to decide what to pick out. What says, ‘I’m sorry I was a jealous dick’? Making eye contact with the girl at the front, I see her name tag says “Mara.”
Yep, just who I need to see. I’ve heard Cora mention her name a time or two.
“You’re not welcome here,” she says, paired with her signature scowl.
Turning around, I figure she’s talking to someone behind me, but as it turns out, I’m wrong.
“Who?” I stupidly ask.
“You. You are not welcome here.”
“I thought you said I was welcome back anytime. Remember?”
“That was before.” She glares. Jesus, what is her deal?
“Before what? I didn’t do anything. I haven’t been here in weeks.”
“Are you sure about that? Cora doesn’t work for you and your idiot friends at your tattoo shop?” she questions. “You’re not the guy who yelled at her when she had an emergency last week?” She raises a brow. “You’re not Atlas?”
Shit. The way she is glaring at me makes me thankful looks don’t kill.
I’ve had my share of angry people stare at me, but this girl is downright scary.
Her dark hair is tied into a single braid, and the ring in her nose isn’t a stud; it’s a snake.
Tattoos line her hands, and from what I can tell, they don’t stop there.
She looks like she eats nails for breakfast.
“That was a misunderstanding.” Glancing around, I notice a few people staring. I push down the warm feeling creeping up inside of me, telling me to bolt. “She comes in soon, and I was hoping you were here,” I admit.
That knocks some of the anger off her face; in its place now is curiosity.
“Why?”
“Because I acted like a jerk. I know she comes in here frequently, or that you at least know her, so I wanted to get her something she can have when she comes in. To go along with my apology, of course.”
She stares at me with dark eyes for what feels like forever.
“If you can’t help me, that’s fine. I’ll make my own judgments, but I figured it didn’t hurt to ask.”
Moving toward the glass case, I watch as she pulls out a chocolate croissant and a muffin. Putting both into a bag, she sets it on the counter. Before I can speak, she puts her hand up, silencing me. Working behind the counter, I watch in confusion as she puts together two drinks.
“That’ll be thirty-six dollars and eighty-five cents.”
“Bullshit. There’s no way that’s more than like twenty dollars.”
“You’re right, but for you it’s double the cost until I hear otherwise. You can take it, or you can leave. I don’t care either way but just know that if you talk to Cora like that again, you won’t have to worry about her quitting. You’ll have to worry about me, and that’s far worse.”
Done questioning her logic, I pull out my card and tap to pay on the little icon.
“Don’t forget a tip. Thirty percent is standard for apologetic jerks.”
I stay silent as I pay, leaving her the tip before grabbing the bag and drinks.
Juggling my apologies, I only take a few steps when she tells me, “Go with the iced coffee first and the croissant. It’s one of her favorite pairings.
The tea and muffin are her breakfast tomorrow.
She usually has it once or twice a week. ”
Turning back to look at her, I nod in appreciation and understanding. Her arms are folded across her chest. “Oh, and don’t forget what I told you. I’ll be seeing you, Atlas.”
Well shit, that didn’t sound ominous at all.