Page 50 of Gym Bros (Bay Area Bros #2)

SAMUEL

A drenaline makes me high, and the fight was too short to burn it off. When I see Calyx looking like he just stepped off a runway walking into my warm-up room, I feel like a fucking god .

I charge him as I dry my face and head with a towel before tossing it aside and grabbing hold of him.

He squeaks as I plant my mouth on his and stiffens against me, his hands on my chest.

“Sorry,” I laugh, straightening out his suit. “I can’t believe you came.”

He glances over my shoulder, and I remember suddenly. “Oh—fuck—my dad’s here. He surprised me, too.”

Calyx takes a step away from me and nods at my father.

“Good to see you, Calyx,” Dad says.

“Marcus.” Calyx’s smile is tight as he looks back up at me. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I know what you’re probably thinking—the other guy must’ve sucked and that’s why I submitted him so fast, but he’s actually on a team that’s really good and has a decent record, but yeah—he was a little outmatched. ”

Rachel laughs. “He actually did ask that. I didn’t understand his nickname. He didn’t get a single head shot in,” Rachel says.

“He tried, but I’m pretty fast. My back is also really flexible.” I wink at Calyx who still looks like he can’t quite process what the fuck he’s doing here, and honestly I can’t either, but it’s making my heart swell like twenty sizes bigger.

“Did you actually watch?” I ask him.

Rachel answers again. “We all did. Eyes open and everything. You looked great.”

I smile at her. “Thanks.”

Calyx is looking at my dad again. It’s bad timing for sure. I’m guessing it was hard enough for him to come today without having to face the manager he’s been dodging for months.

“Dad—hey?—”

“Actually—I?—”

Calyx gives his head the smallest shake at Dad’s words, and my father shuts his mouth.

“I’ll um…” my dad clears his throat. “Let you catch up with your friends. Dinner though?”

“Yeah, of course,” I say, turning to pat him on the shoulder despite the sudden chill in the room.

He gives me a warm smile. As he leaves the room, though, Calyx is staring at the floor. He didn’t even say goodbye to him. They barely acknowledged each other. Before I can ask if something happened, Rachel puts a hand on Calyx’s back and says, “We’ll be in the lobby. Congrats again, Sam.”

“Yeah—awesome win,” Priya adds.

Once they’re gone, Calyx looks up at me, and something twists in my gut. Not in a good way, but maybe I’m nervous that he’s here. What if he’s made some decision about me I don’t want to hear now that he’s seen what I do? “You all right?” I ask.

He nods. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I told you I would be. Is there something else? Something about the fight? Or my dad?” I’m reaching, but I need to understand why I feel so off balance all of a sudden.

“I just wasn’t expecting him,” he whispers. He steps in finally and puts his arms around me. I return the embrace and kiss his neck almost automatically. “This was a lot,” he adds.

“Thank you for coming,” I tell him, holding him tight.

“I love you,” he says with so much emotion powering the words I have to pull away and check on him again.

“You sure you’re okay?”

His smile is faint, and his gaze is soft. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

“You knew I would be though, right?”

He nods.

“Good.”

“Are you allowed to leave?” he asks.

“I have to stick around for my other teammates to fight, and then I have dinner with my dad, but I understand if you don’t wanna come. I want you to, though. I’ll make him promise not to bring up business.”

“You can’t…Samuel…”

“Don’t worry about it,” I say, touching his face lightly. His eyes flutter closed a moment, and then he’s looking up at me again. So fucking beautiful. “We’ll get together afterwards. Okay? Just us.”

He nods.

“I’m fine ,” I tell him because he still looks pale, and I can’t for the life of me read his mind right now. It’s usually way easier, but again, adrenaline. Half my brain is still in the octagon.

“I know,” he says, running his hands down my arms, sweat and all, before taking a step away from me. “I know. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Calyx?” I say as he’s turning to leave.

“Mm? ”

“I love you, too.”

He flashes me a small smile over his shoulder and goes.

“Mitchell’s heading out,” Jim says from outside the door.

“On my way,” I tell him, grabbing another towel before leaving the warmup room to join my teammates and watch the next fight. I look around for my dad, but don’t see him.

My team greets me with slaps on the back and fist bumps when I rejoin the group from our gym.

It’s the warmest reception I’ve ever gotten, and I’m all smiles.

Our fighters win every match, and we get swarmed afterward.

I’m shooed away by one of the coaches who doesn’t want me to talk to any of the fight promoters yet, and I’ll admit to being slightly miffed about it. Maybe more than slightly.

It’s not like I set this fight up on my own—the coaches did, but I’ll be pissed if I have to go six months without a fight because they’re focused on their older guys.

I have to remind myself I’m new here. It’s fair that they don’t trust me not to act like a tool. It’s in my best interest and my career’s best interest to shut my mouth and do as I’m told.

It’s frustrating, but I’m likely to get ahead quicker this way even if it is difficult for me to trust that anyone has my best interest in mind better than I do.

I have a text from my dad letting me know he’s still in the lobby, so I pack up my gear and meet him out front.

I can’t really describe the smile he’s giving me when I find him. It’s not one I’m familiar with. Maybe pride? But there’s curiosity there, too. Like I surprised him. “What do you want to eat?” he asks.

“Everything.”

He chuckles softly and suggests a steakhouse not too far from here.

“Am I dressed for steak? ”

“We can meet there in a while if you want to go home and clean up first.”

“That’d be great,” I tell him. “You wanna head back there with me?”

“I—uh—yeah. Sure.”

I want to tell him about me and Calyx tonight, but I haven’t decided whether it’d be better to do it at dinner or in private, but the fact that he’s coming back to my condo with me means I can feel out the timing.

I was really surprised to see him at the arena.

Evidently he came straight from the airport.

I asked if Mom sent him, but he’d only laughed.

Some of his earlier enthusiasm has dampened some, though, and he seems distracted.

The kiss I planted on Calyx when he came to my warmup room might have something to do with it, but it’s not like I used tongue. It was a smack at best. A smooch.

Still, I guess I’m not really in the habit of grabbing guys and kissing them on the lips, so maybe it’s best to get this out of the way at the condo.

I call Calyx from the car, and he answers on the first ring.

“I’m on my way home,” I tell him.

“Good.”

“I didn’t really give you a chance to answer about coming to dinner earlier. And let me preface this by saying he’s also headed to my condo now, and I’ll tell him about you and me. If that’s okay with you.”

“Yeah, it’s…yeah.”

“You sure?” I ask, picking up on that same weirdness from earlier. Whatever it was that I felt in the pit of my stomach.

“Yes,” he says more firmly. “I’m gonna skip dinner, though. I’d rather just see you later.”

“I’m remarkably uninjured.”

“I noticed that. ”

“You looked gorgeous today,” I tell him. “Did I mention that?”

“No.”

“It was intense. Got me right in the nuts.”

He laughs dismissively. “Shut up, Samuel.”

“Thank you for coming. Seriously, angel. I know it wasn’t your first choice of place to be, but it means…everything.”

Calyx is so quiet, I can’t tell whether he hung up or not. Then I hear him clear his throat softly and in a lower voice he says, “Being where you are is always my first choice.”

My chest swells with a feeling so strong, I’m not sure even I can contain it. “Then next time, don’t let Rachel say she’s my girlfriend.”

He huffs, the intensity of the moment dissipating. “Did you hear that? I didn’t know she was planning to do that.”

Grinning, I say, “It was sweet, but I don’t intend on hiding someone like you.”

“You’re not worried about what people will say?”

“I already know what they’ll say,” I tell him. “That I’m not nearly good enough for you.”

His answering laugh is soft.

“Look, I don’t give a fuck,” I tell him. “You know me.”

“People can be really hateful,” he says.

“So can I,” I assure him.

“What if no one wants to fight you?”

I sigh. “Would that break your heart?”

“Would it break yours?”

Granted, I’ve never thought about it that way, and I guess I should. “Listen, let’s talk about it later. It’s not like I’m going pro tomorrow. No one’s heard of me.”

“Okay, sorry. I didn’t mean to get all deep.”

“I’ll text you when my dad leaves, okay?”

“Okay,” he says. “Love you. ”

“Love you, too.”

I’m showered and dressed for dinner when I come out of my bedroom to find my father staring down at his phone screen. Beauty is on the floor near his feet, asleep. I walked her right after I got home. It was just around the block, but I think we’re all recovering from the last few weeks.

“Hey,” I say, having a seat on the couch.

“Ready?” he asks.

“In a minute. I wanted to tell you something.”

He slides his phone into his pocket and folds his arms, nodding for me to go ahead. It’s not an intimidating pose for him or anything. He makes it look casual and stylish.

I take a deep breath and come out with it. “I’m in a relationship with Calyx.”

His face doesn’t move for a long few seconds. Then he blinks and lifts his brows. “Oh,” he says with the barest hint of surprise, like he was going for surprised but couldn’t quite manage it. “A romantic relationship?”

“Yeah,” I say.

“How long’s that been going on for?”

I frown at him. This isn’t what I expected. Not that I had any expectations, but it wasn’t this . Sort of a cold, emotionless interview.

“Right after my birthday.”

“I see. And how’s it going?”