I somehow manage to turn my focus back on when I walk into the gym an hour later. Maybe it’s the look Tristan gives me the first time he spots me grinning at nothing in particular. Either way, I force all thoughts of Dani out of my head and throw myself into fight training.
I’m in the process of dying under Tristan’s weight when suddenly there's a gasp from the doorway at the entrance to the gym. Tristan and I both stop our movements and look questioningly at the girl standing a few feet away from us, a shocked look on her face as she stares at us rolling around on the mat.
I feel Tristan's leader and businessman personality snap into place as he pushes off of me and stands up. "Hi, can I help you?" he asks her.
"Uh, I doubt it," she responds bluntly. Her eyes dart around the gym again before snapping down to the phone in her hand. "I'm looking for a dance studio, but clearly this is the wrong spot."
And now that she's mentioned it, I realize this girl looks like the definition of a ballerina. She's tiny, tinier even than Hailey, and everything about her screamsgraceful.Even the way she turns her head is effortless, like not a single motion of her body is unintentional. Plus, her dark hair is slicked back into that perfect bun that ballerinas always wear.
I don't miss the smug look Tristan sends Remy, or the exasperated eye roll he gets from his girlfriend in return.
"You're close to the right spot," Tristan tells the girl. "Unfortunately some websites still have the wrong address listed for the studio. It's in the building at the other end of the block."
She blinks at Tristan. "Oh. That’s weird. Okay, thanks, I guess.”
But she doesn't quite move to leave yet because Kane chooses that moment to walk into the mat room. He's shirtless and fresh off another Tristan-ordered burnout, which means he's drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. I know he's covered in tattoos but I always seem to forgethowcovered he is—and how fucking terrifying he looks when they're sweat-drenched and on display.
I don't blame the girl when her eyes go wide, because God knows if I was ninety pounds soaking wet and used to beauty and grace, Kane would scare the shit out of me, too.
Kane seems to notice her at the same time. His strides slow when he sees her, and he doesn't hide his perusal of her. But in typical Kane fashion, there is no room for any emotion besides anger on his face, which makes it impossible to tell what he's thinking. And which definitely makes him terrifying. I’m sure Tristan is about two seconds away from trying to save this tiny ballet dancer from Kane’s hateful glare.
Except… she’s not scared of him. Because she glares right back.
Her gaze hardens, her spine straightens, and she returns every bit of the energy that he’s currently aiming at her.
It’s enough to make Kane pause. His strides slow, and he gives the girl a second glance, as if he’s trying to get a second read on her. But she’s not giving anything up beyond the hard stare she’s giving him, so after a moment, his gait becomes determined again. He walks toward the heavy bags on the other side of the room, tosses a dummy out onto the mat so he can straddle it, and begins raining punches down on the padded face.
The weird crackle of energy between them evaporates when Hailey walks out of the office and asks, "Did I hear someone asking about the dance studio?"
The girl's gaze snaps over to Hailey, as if she'd forgotten why she's even here. "Yeah, that's me. It had this as the address but that's obviously wrong."
Hailey smiles warmly at her. "Yeah, some websites still have the wrong one listed. I can walk you over there, though. I'm not taking class tonight, but I can at least show you around."
The girl raises an eyebrow. "You go there?Andyou do this?"
Hailey chuckles. "Nah, punching things isn't really my thing. I'm only here because my boyfriend and sister train here."
Right on cue, Jax exits the office to stand behind his girlfriend, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, forever unable to stand any distance between them.
"Hey," he greets with a big smile. "I'm Jax. I'm the boyfriend."
"And I'm Hailey," Hailey tacks on.
The girl stares at them both for a second before answering. “Nice to meet you both. I’m Isabella.”
It registers in the back of my mind that the gym has quieted, that the sound of fists against leather has stopped. But I'm too curious about this girl that's captured the entire gym's attention to really notice.
"That's such a pretty name," Hailey gushes. "And so perfect for a ballet dancer." She smiles knowingly. "That's your main dance style, right?"
Finally, Isabella cracks a smile. "I guess it's pretty obvious, huh?"
Hailey returns the smile. "It's okay, there are worse things to be obvious about. Come on, I'll walk you over to the studio."
Isabella takes another look around the gym before turning to follow Hailey outside. I watch as her eyes lock with Kane's again, both of them freezing in place when it happens.
I don't know what passes between them in that split-second glance, but it causes a shiver to run through Isabella before she turns to follow Hailey.
You could hear a pin drop in the gym once the door closes behind the girls. Even Jax is staring after them, looking equal parts confused about what just happened, happy that Hailey could help, and miserable that he can't follow her.