This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,98

pleasure overworking us until we’re sweating like pigs. That, and he fucking loves boxing so much. I get being obsessed with something, but yikes. He hits the pads like he wants to murder someone. He trains with a singular focus, and when he finally lifts his gaze, it’s like he’s come out of some sort of hypnosis.

“Damn,” I blurt, blinking at him as he takes a water break. He’s much more intense than he has been in our past sessions. “Do you fight professionally?” I honestly have no idea where Cole found this guy. Other than living in the same town, how would they know each other? I’ve checked out his body, for reference purposes of course, and I don’t see any tattoos that would make Finn a Dragon.

He shakes his head. “Nah. That was never my thing. My brother could’ve done it. Something happened though.” He sighs. “Long story.” He takes a swig from the water bottle he’s brought with him. “How do you feel about training?”

“Good,” I confirm, sweat pooling in the small of my back. “Great, actually. I don’t know if I’ll ever need it but I actually kind of like it.”

“Don’t sound so surprised.”

I shrug, kind of shocked by it all. I may not be as intense as he is but there really is something about hitting things. It’s like the best way to get rid of unwanted stress. When I’m training, I don’t think about anything else. The threat of getting hit in the face makes sure of that. It’s nice not to think.

It’s kind of like reading. Reading always took me away, and this does the same. Except with reading, someone else’s life takes over you. With boxing, it just becomes you and the things flying at your face.

Lucas and Wyatt start a round of sparring. It seems weird seeing them go toe-to-toe in the living room. Wyatt’s been giving me puppy eyes all morning, hidden by his not-so-subtle teasing about being left out last night. But right now, he’s focusing on dodging Lucas’ left hook and returning with one of his own.

Finn lowers his voice. “You know, Cole wants me to give him my opinion of your boyfriends.”

“Yeah?” I ask, peeking at him. We haven’t broached the subject of Cole since he got here. Then again, I haven’t known him very long, and our time has been centered around him barking orders about what we’re doing.

He cocks his head, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “It’s weird, isn’t it?” he questions. “How you guys are connected.”

“Long story,” I tell him, mimicking what he said earlier instead of talking about his brother. I don’t know what kind of relationship he and Cole have, but something tells me that if Cole wanted Finn to know why he was here, he would have told him.

He lowers his voice again, moving next to me. “Are you okay?” he asks.

I turn to look up at him. His hair, the ends wet with sweat, stick out around his ears. “What?”

“With Cole,” he whispers, moving the water bottle in front of his face to obscure his words.

I bite my lip, and Finn’s gaze pleads with mine. “I think so,” I tell him.

His shoulders sag. “I had to ask. I knew a girl once who got caught up in stuff that seemed too much for her. It wasn’t,” he adds quickly. “I just worried about her.”

“You seem like a nice guy,” I tell him, sure of it now. Whatever his affiliation is with Cole, he’s good. And I’m not so sure Cole isn’t masquerading as a decent guy either. “What do you know about him? Cole?” I clarify.

“Too much. Not enough.” He takes another drink from his water. “It’s always the same with guys like him.”

“You’ve known a lot of people like him?”

“My fair share.” The muscles in his jaw tense. “Just do me a favor. Don’t go to the Heights if you can help it.” Before I can agree or disagree, the buzzer on his phone goes off, and he slaps his hands together. He gives each of the guys some pointers as if he could carry on a perfectly weird conversation with me and also watch out for things Lucas and Wyatt are doing wrong.

Afterward, he ends the session, telling us he’ll return on Monday. When the door closes behind him, I’m sucked back into reality. We’re hiking into the Superstitions tomorrow. We have to. It’s our job. But I also want to. If anything, working with the guys on