futilely, attempting to wring out the pain. Even that shit instigated my already agitated state. But when the door flew open and she stood there with a sloppy damp ponytail, short biker shorts, a fitted t-shirt, and nothing else on, all the pain numbed and my fucking chest swelled with an unfamiliar sensation.
“You don’t know how to punch. You could’ve busted up your knuckles.”
She managed a sandwich bag and ice cubes here in her room, and held it over my swelling hand as we sat cross-legged on her bed facing each other.
Angry, my head bounced back. “I don’t know how to throw a punch? Do you know how crazy you sound?” Not to mention how tender my fucking ego is right now?
She shook her head. “Flesh on flesh impact is dangerous. Gloves protect your bones in a fight. When you don’t have them, you gotta space your knuckles apart before landing your punch.” Her eyes roved up to me, natural lashes curled like a baby’s. “You see why I don’t lose my shit on loser humans? If I did, my hands would look like a man’s.”
She flexed her hand open and I noticed the light pink nail polish from her birthday manicure. Inexplicably, that soothed my raging ego. Tori was so damn beautiful…tough and smart.
“But I didn’t.” Still, I argued like a damn child. “As you can see, it ain’t broken.”
Her hand brushed down my beard and landed in the middle of my chest. “But you are.”
“No, I ain’t!” I spat, face tight.
She took me at the sides of my face. “You love her. She betrayed you. That hurts.” Then I lost her eyes and hands, and she shrugged. “You’re human. Shit happens.”
“Shit happens,” I repeated, not understanding what that meant.
“I mean, I guess in relationships. People get hurt.”
“How do you know? You ever had a boyfriend?”
She gazed at me with narrowed eyes. “You know I haven’t.”
“Then what do you know?”
Her eyes flashed wide, clearly offended by what I said. That’s not why I was here. It was not who I was to Tori. Anymore.
“Fuck it,” I grated. “I’m mad.”
“Good.” She pushed me at the shoulders, and I was reminded of her strength. My body swung back farther than I was used to coming from a girl. But it was Tori’s version of “gentle.” “Glad you can cop to it.”
Then I had a stupid urge to say, “I ain’t no pussy. I can say what I mean.”
Her head bounced back and she blinked. “Okaaaaay,” she uttered lowly. “Glad you can—”
“Tomorrow’s my birthday,” I announced unexpectedly.
“Oh.” She blinked, confused as hell.
“You forgot.”
She nodded. “Kinda.”
I knew it. It was all good, though. “I’ve got two tickets to a book release event happening tomorrow afternoon, about two hours away.” Tori stared right at me, giving me her undivided attention, but no reaction. It’s what she did when stuck, I noticed. “I want you to come with me.” My voice faded and eyes fell to her folded legs.
And then, “Because you can’t go with Aivery now?” Her voice so innocent.
I shook my head. “I was never going with her.” I tried to explain and got nothing back from her. “The tickets came in the mail yesterday. I made my decision when you were in my bed last night and I opened the box.”
“Then why can’t you look at me?”
Finally, I did meet her eyes. “Because I don’t want you to say no.”
“Why would I say no?”
“Because it’ll be an overnight trip.” Then I thought. “Unless you train tomorrow night or this weekend.”
She shook her head. “My next training day is Sunday. I fight next week.”
Good. “Mine, too.” Then I thought. “Well, I have practice Sunday morning then a meeting with my team. After that…”
She nodded, lashes beating successively. Tori licked her lips, clearly uncomfortable. “But I don’t have anything to wear.”
“It’s just a book tour. Jeans, shoes, and a blazer would work.” I shrugged, nervous as hell. “I know you have those.” Her eyes bounced below as she considered it. “You don’t want to come.” I could tell. Feared.
“It’s not that.” She sighed and scooted back to the pillows on her headboard.
“Then what is it?”
“It’s all of it. Today…you breaking up with Aivery, for real. And last night when I tried to get you to…” Fuck. Tori wanted to fuck last night, and I wouldn’t take the bait. “It’s all confusing.”
“We’re friends, right?”
She scoffed. “We’re not friends, Ashton.”
“Then what are we?”
She wouldn’t look at me, eyes cast out the window. “That’s what I don’t