Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Okay,” she said slowly, looking doubtful. “Do you need backup?”
“No,” I said. I got up. Her arm slipped off my body. “You get dressed and make sure you don’t get a cold.”
Holly gave me a small, encouraging smile as I turned around and headed for Alec’s room, but she didn’t manage to wipe the doubt from her face.
My fingers shook as I arrived in front of the white door to Alec’s room. Alec and I had originally planned to meet in two hours to have dinner together in the cafeteria. I brought my fist up against the door, but I didn’t knock, just rested my knuckles against the smooth surface. Maybe Holly was right. Maybe I shouldn’t talk to Alec. But how could I pretend nothing had happened?
“Alec’s in the dojo.”
I whipped my head around. Tanner stood behind me, dressed in workout clothes, covered in sweat, a towel hanging around his neck. Two guys stood a few steps behind him. One of them was Ty, Tanner’s older brother. He was in his twenties and had been gone on a mission in Afghanistan or Iran or something like that until very recently. He looked remarkably like Tanner—same dark skin, long limbs, almond-shaped eyes, but he had shaved all of his hair off and his nose was slightly crooked, as if it had been broken and not treated properly. The look in his eyes was distant. I didn’t recognize the stocky, muscle-covered guy beside him.
After a quick nod in their direction, I turned to Tanner. “Huh? What did you say?”
“Alec is giving Devon and Phil kickboxing lessons in the dojo. He’ll be there for at least another half hour,” he said. There was a hint of curiosity in his voice.
“Oh, thanks.” I forced my lips into a smile.
Tanner stopped rubbing the towel over his mohawk. The guys must have sensed the rising awkwardness because they excused themselves and headed off to their rooms.
“Something wrong?” Tanner asked.
I shook my head. “No. I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” I said. “I just need to talk to Alec. Thanks for telling me where to find him.” I hurried past him, but I could practically feel his eyes burning into my back. If I was acting that rattled around Tanner, it was unlikely that I could hide my feelings from Alec.
When I arrived on the ground floor, I could already hear panting and the sound of someone kicking and hitting the punching bag. I hesitated in the doorway to the dojo, unsure if this was a good idea. Alec had always been the one thing at FEA that I could count on. This could be the end of my relationship with Alec, of the thing I’d been longing for since I joined FEA. What would I do if that went away?
The familiar scent of the dojo welcomed me: rubber from the new green workout mats mixed with the pungent odor of sweat. I’d spent so much time surrounded by the smell that it didn’t even bother me anymore.
Alec was pulling off his boxing gloves and began unwrapping the protective tape from his fingers when he glanced my way. He gave me a quick smile before he turned back to Devon, who was punching the bag, his face furious and determined. Phil was sitting on one of the green mats on the ground, arms wrapped around his knees. His head was tomato red, his clothes drenched in sweat. It was obvious that he wasn’t as fit as Devon and Alec. The workout clothes hung loosely on his wiry frame, their fit much too big on him.
When Devon stopped pummeling the punching bag, he glanced in my direction, but as quickly as his gaze settled on me, it moved on.
The smile that had been playing on Alec’s lips died. Could he feel my inner turmoil? Alec’s eyes rested on mine, and our surroundings became a blur. I could hear Phil talking, could see him struggle to his feet from my peripheral vision, but nothing could penetrate the whooshing in my ears.
Alec said something to Devon and Phil, who both glanced at me briefly before they grabbed towels and water bottles, and walked toward me, then out the door. When they were gone, Alec moved toward me. His hands were still taped, but he didn’t bother unwrapping them further.
“What’s the matter?” he asked softly as he came to a halt in front of me. I searched his gray eyes, looking for a hint of something, anything to keep me from saying what I was about to say. He touched my shoulder. “Tess?”
I took a step back so his hand slipped off me. I couldn’t focus when he was touching me. I could see the confusion on his face, but there was something else mixed with it. Compassion? Understanding? Regret? Or maybe I was just looking for things that weren’t there.