From behind me I hear, "Little Porter, long time no see. What’s up?"
I turn to see Aiden grinning at me. He's drenched in sweat, his dirty blonde hair thoroughly tousled, and his shirt long gone as he lounges comfortably on the mat, like the picture of male arrogance. He’s got your typical welterweight body—six feet tall and 170 pounds of dangerous muscle—but he barely cuts weight for his fights, which means he walks around already shredded. A fact he loves to show off at the gym. Couple the swimsuit model body with the mischievous eyes and the dimples in his cheeks, and you have a man that will flirt any girl right into bed. If I thought I could handle the charmer type, I'd probably melt at his feet, but as it stands, I just can't take him seriously. He makes me smile and roll my eyes more than anything else.
"Um, I don't actually know why I—" I start, but he cuts me off.
"Jax is in the bag room in the back, teaching one of the new guys. You can go in." The devilish grin never leaves his face.
I narrow my eyes at him. "Why do you think I'm here for Jax? Maybe I'm looking for Remy."
He just shrugs and says, "Just a hunch. Am I wrong?"
At that, I frown.Who did I want to see when I walked in here?
I love my sister, but she doesn't understand any of this. She's been headstrong since she came out of the womb, having no problem voicing her opinions or making it clear what she wants. No one has ever tried to make her feel like she's not good enough. I know she tries to understand what I'm dealing with and how it feels, but she just can't.
Jax might not have gone through what I did, but he understands enough. And he’s definitely the best at making me feel good about myself.
So, Jax it is.
I glare at Aiden when I realize he's spot on. The mischievous twinkle glows even brighter in his eyes. "He's in the back," he grins.
I huff in annoyance but trudge to the bag room anyway.
When I walk through the doorway, I see Jax standing next to one of the heavy bags, instructing a young guy on how to throw some kind of punch-kick combo. I lean against the railing overlooking the space, watching the two of them work together.
The kid is staring at the bag, hands up and brows furrowed, as he listens to Jax's instructions and tries to follow them. He throws the combo a few times, Jax offering minor suggestions each time, until finally Jax yells, "Yes! That's it! Now do it again."
I smile at the pride in his voice. He's always been a great coach, to the point that I’ve always wondered why he keeps fighting when he clearly enjoys teaching far more. He has a way with the amateur fighters, especially the teenagers, and he has the patience of a saint. Both of which are proven by him standing by and watching the fighter execute the same move over and over again until finally, it clicks.
After a few more reps, he finally notices me standing at the top of the stairs. His eyes light with the kind of smile that warms my chest and makes me smile right back. And any of the awkwardness left over from yesterday immediately dissolves, leaving us with the same pure connection that's stretched between us for years. The kind that nothing can disrupt.
"Hailey. I didn't know you were coming over. What's up? Everything okay?" Concern mars his smile slightly, so I quickly reassure him.
"Everything's great. Sorry to barge in, I was in the area and thought I'd see if you wanted to get something to eat. But if you're busy, it's no big deal. I'll just—"
"No, no, that sounds great. Just let me finish up with Pete. We'll just be a few more minutes."
I smile and nod, watching them start back up again. Jax has Pete go through some more reps, tweaking a few details and adding something onto the end of the combo. By the time they're done, both guys have a huge grin on their face.
Jax slaps Pete on the back and says, "Alright, kid, you're done for the day. Enjoy your weekend. We'll get back to working that into sparring next week."
Pete nods and says, "Thanks, man. That was really helpful." He glances at me as he makes his way up the steps and out of the bag room. And even though I shine a smile at him, he barely gives me a sliver of one in return before he's rushing past me.
I scowl at Jax, who doesn't even try to hide his grin. "You don't have to scare them away from me, you know," I scold. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."
The smile doesn't leave his face as he practically bounds up the steps to me. "I know, but it's them I don't trust. Too much testosterone in here, and you're too pretty." He presses a kiss to my blushing cheek, and any fear I have left that he's going to treat me differently after yesterday's tension is officially gone. I exhale a sigh of relief as I aim a shy smile up at him.
He cocks his head as if something just occurred to him. "Speaking of, why don't we change plans a little? Before we go grab food?"
I aim a suspicious look at him. "What do you want to do?"
A grin splits his face. "Let's teach you how to fight."
13
JAX
Her eyes widen. "Teach me how to fight?" she squeaks.