Chapter 56
Jared
I’m still smiling from last night. I can’t believe Kailey and I are really back together.
God must have heard all of my prayers, because getting her back went much easier than I thought it would.
She left this morning before Beau got back home.
Kailey told me she didn’t want us out in the open just yet.
Beau walks in, and when he notices me at our kitchen table, he stops in his tracks. “Why are you glowing like a little school girl who just received her first valentine?”
I lift a shoulder and continue to stare at my phone. “No reason.”
He drops his duffel bag and goes to the coffee pot, making himself a cup before sitting in the seat across from me. Beau exaggerates sniffing the air. “Why does it smell like sex in here, Jared?”
“You must be smelling yourself, bro. Did you get lucky last night with a mystery girl?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Don’t deflect with me.” He kicks my foot under the table.
“I have nothing to say. And we’ve gotta head out soon to hit the gym, so hurry up and finish your coffee, princess. We can race there on the bikes, and the loser fesses up about who they were really with last night.”
Beau chugs the rest of his black coffee, placing the mug down on the table. He uses the back of his hand to wipe away the coffee that spilled from his lips. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
Pssh, like I’ll let him win. I promised Dimples that for now I’d keep us a secret. But not for long. I want the world to know she’s mine, and I’m hers.
Beau and I weave in and out of traffic on our crotch rockets.
He’s a fast fucker, I’ll give him that. But not fast enough.
I rev up my engine and speed past him, popping a wheelie to show off.
I pull into the parking lot of the gym, and a minute later, he’s parked beside me.
He’s laughing when he pulls off his helmet. “You’re crazy; no fear, huh?”
“What do you mean?
“You didn’t care about anyone else but yourself out there, making sure you beat my ass.”
I pause at the entrance to the gym and turn around to snark, “I’ll be taking that name once workouts are done,” and pat his shoulder twice.
“Yeah, yeah. A bet’s a bet. Let’s knock this shit out so I can go home and take a nap. I’m whooped.” He gives me a toothy grin.
Skyler is already here, throwing punches against a bag. I can’t tell if he’s pissed off or if that’s just him.
“What’s up, man?” I yell to him while waving.
“Ah, look at you two, finally showing up, hand in hand.”
Okay, he’s still an asshole.
“Yeah, this guy even made me coffee this morning. A real stud muffin, if I do say so myself.” Beau grabs my shoulder and leans into me, trying to place a peck on my cheek when I playfully shove him away.
“Nuh-uh, cut that shit out.”
After we finish getting ready in the locker room, we do our usual stretches, then head to the punching bags, where Skyler’s already back at it.
Skyler grabs the bag, pausing his punches. “You both look… different.”
“What do you mean?” I ask while working on technique for my punches.
“I don’t know; you guys look like you finally got some pussy.” He takes his time staring at the two of us, waiting for one of us to break.
“I wish,” is the only thing that leaves Beau’s mouth as he puts in work on the bag.
“Uh-huh, if you say so.” Skyler continues his routine without bringing it up again.
While I’m jumping rope, I hear a commotion by the front door. When I look up, I see Mathew King, and he’s heading straight for me, looking pissed. Well, shit. Here we go. Might as well get this over and done with…
“What’s up?” I’m holding the jump rope in one hand and using the bottom of my shirt to dry off my face.
“Why don’t you tell me?”
I walk over to where my water bottle is on the floor and take a drink. “You’re the one who showed up here, looking for me. So, spit it out, King.”
“Ah. So you do remember who the fuck I am. Did you remember when you were fucking that whore last night?”
Instant rage blurs my vision when I hear him call Kailey a whore. All I can see is red, but I need to keep control and not fall into his trap. Gripping my fists at my sides, I smile at him instead. “I didn’t fuck a whore; I fucked someone who’s mine.”
King shoves at my chest. “You’re a real dumb cunt, you know that?”
I smooth out the spot of my shirt where his palms just were. “Nah, I just know how to get what I want. I take it you don’t have the same luck?” I grin at him wickedly, knowing that I’m pushing his buttons.
He walks up to me and stands nose to nose. “You’ve ended KC’s life as she knows it.” His tone is venomous.
“No, she’ll have a real life with me. Not with you, so get over it.” I wave my hand around. “Shit, I’m sure you could have any woman spread her legs for you.” I look him up and down, disgust lining my face. “Don’t worry about Kailey; I’ve got her now.”
His right hook hits me in the face, fast and sharp. I spit the blood that pooled in my mouth and just look at him; I don’t retaliate. “You can’t scare me away from her. I’ll take that hit because you felt like she was yours. That’s all you’ll get from me.”
Beau runs over, shoving in between us. “Cut the shit, King.”
King looks at Beau. “Did you know?”
“I know that KC gets to choose who she wants to be with, King. You're better than this. Don’t let a woman hurt your pride.”
He starts to reach behind his back, when Beau stops him. “He’s protected. You know that, and so is KC, so just leave.”
King stares down Beau before walking away with two men that I hadn’t noticed before. We watch together as they leave the gym.
“So… deaf, dumb, and stupid… You really are all three when it comes to her. Guess you didn’t have to lose the race for me to find out who was riding whom last night.” Beau winks at me and then walks away.