“Maybe give him a kiss?” Her tone was teasing. Beth chuckled along.

“God, no! No kissing! Keep your perverted thoughts to yourself. I’ll think of a way out myself!” I said, exasperated.

As they started to argue again, I almost cut the call when my phone buzzed.

My heart jumped when his name popped up on the screen.

I opened the message. My legs stopped in my tracks, but my heart started racing to miles.

Be ready tomorrow evening. I’ll pick you up at seven sharp.

THIRTY-THREE: OBSESSED

ACE

Sweat trickled down my neck to my spine, the thriving heat in my body accelerated my speed, and the buzz of zeal coursing through my veins encouraged me to force myself more. Even the wounds on my knuckles didn’t stop me from hitting the hard punching bag once more.

The more pain I was in, the more I could keep myself in check. The more my head focused on my physical agony rather than my heart’s desires and… fears.

As I worked on my agony and salvation, his brown eyes never left me from the corner of the gym.

“Achilles, stop it. Your knuckles are bleeding! What’s wrong with you tonight?” Caleb’s voice reached my ears. But the anxiousness of his tone couldn’t halt my movements.

Intense working out every night to help me sleep and keep myself sane was a routine of my life, but the pain and exhaustion became a necessity for me since I had her in the same city as me.

Not being able to see her and have her into my arms even after her being so close to me drove me crazy. But not to scare the light of my life away from me by revealing the intensity of the craving I had for her, I had to bind myself back with everything I had.

Red stains smudged on the gray punching bag as I continued.

“You’ll have to meet her tomorrow evening. You remember that, right? What explanations will you have after she asks about the cuts?”

My hand halted in midair, going for another shot. My gaze fell onto my wounded knuckles. He was right. She already asked me once.

Though those wounds were from showing those bastards their places who tried to hurt my Rosebud.

My jaw tightened at the recollection of that night when some vile drunkards followed her. The night she went to rescue her friend, not thinking of her own safety.

Only I knew how I stopped myself from destroying them to bits for even thinking of harming her.

Running my hands through my wet locks, I let out a curse. Frustration and anger raged through me.

I was away for just one day from her, and she got herself into trouble. And it wasn’t the first time she pulled that kind of stunt. She tended to be careless, even back in New York.