Nash rises from the bench and walks over to the rack of weights, keeping one eye on me. He grabs a thirty pound weight and brings it back over to the bench.
“Happy now?” he asks, doing a few bicep curls with a smirk.
“Asshole,” I murmur, making him chuckle. “Are you going to tell me why you’re really here this early?” He’s normally getting to the gym when I’m leaving. I know he isn’t here just to get on my nerves.
“I have an agility training session with Clark. I thought I would come early and hang out with you since you’re so busy thesedays.”
“I’m busy? You’re the one bailing on me to go do homework.” Not that I’m complaining he left me alone with Sydney for the rest of the afternoon.
The moment I dropped my arm on her leg I didn’t move an inch. It’s a risk every time I touch her but I sneak them in when I can. A hand to her back when we’re walking, a quick hug when we say goodbye, or bumping my leg against hers when we’re eating.
It hurts to do it—to touch her—because I know she’s not mine to do it freely. Not yet, not the way I want. The pain is similar to that of getting a tattoo. Temporary pain for a permanent brand on my skin. She leaves one behind every time.
“You’re also the one doubling up your workouts and going out several times a week. Where are you spending all your free time? Ever since you became the starting quarterback you forgot about us little people,” I joke with him.
He hasn’t let anything about being a starter go to his head. If anything, the pressure has done a number on his mental health. The team ended the season with a winning record but Nash refuses to take any of the credit with his below average stats.
“If I remember correctly, you were the one blowing me off the last time I asked you to hang out with me,” he accuses.
I turn my back to him and begin throwing the medicine ball against the wall again. “I had school stuff I needed to take care of.” By school stuff I mean go to Ray’s while Sydney wasworking.
I did make notes for one of my assignments while I was there. Technically I’m not lying to him. It’s something I always battle internally over. We were young when Nash first said he didn’t want any of his friends to date his sister.
It was a request I wanted to honor but the more time I spent with Sydney the harder it became. Maintaining a friendship with both Pierce siblings has been emotionally trying to say the least. Every choice I make seems to be the wrong one.
Nash sighs and shakes his head as if he’s disappointed in me. “Next time you head up to The Armory I’ll be there,” I reassure him.
“Sure, man. I’m going to hold you to that.” He smiles but there is tension in his brow. I’m about to ask him what else is bothering him when Joe Clark approaches us with a clipboard in his hand.
“Mahina.” Joe nods a greeting to me. Joe’s a good guy. He knows his stuff especially when it comes to recovery and injury prevention. He mainly works with the football team but has been traveling with us for our away games during their off season.
He’s probably my favorite of the student trainers on the staff. He’ll be an asset to whatever professional team hires him if that’s the direction he goes after college.
I nod back but continue working out. I need to finish and get out of here. I usually meet up with Sydney and walk with her to our first class on Thursday morningswhen I can.
“What’s the plan for today?” Nash asks, rubbing his hands together.
“I thought we would start with some drills. Are you warmed up?” Joe asks him.
“Yeah, I’m ready to go.” Nash grabs his water bottle and towel he has sitting on the floor by the bench. “See you back at the house later?” he asks me.
“I’ll be there after practice. Hart said the girls were bringing dinner over if you’re going to be around,” I reply.
“I would never turn down Lauren’s cooking. My sister’s on the other hand…” He scrunches his nose and makes a gagging noise in the back of his throat.
“Sydney doesn’t know her way around the kitchen?” Joe asks, butting into our conversation. “I’ll have to remember that.”
The twenty pound medicine ball I’m holding falls to the ground with a thud. Why the fuck does he need to remember anything about Sydney?
“You know my sister?” Nash asks, his eyes traveling over Joe’s shoulder to me. I attempt to mask my face into something that borders intrigue instead of a possessive caveman. I’m afraid I’m failing miserably.
“We met a couple weeks ago at running club,” he explains. Nash laughs.
“You must be confused. My sister isn’t a runner. There is no way she would have joined a club where you go running. Unless…”
“Charlie,” Nash and Isay in unison.
“The redhead?” He chuckles. “She was definitely the ring leader in their duo.”
