Winner Takes All

Chapter Twelve ✘ Jinxing Abilities

"Baby we could be anything you like,
Tell me when to go, or to stay all night,
Our type of love, It'll never be a fight."
Clever - Nolie

A bead of sweat trickles down my back as I heave the barbell upwards and downwards twice, until Faith, who's spotting me, lifts it up and places it on the stand.

"That's it for your set," She tells me, and I nod, panting.

I release the metal grip, my shoulders aching and lungs burning, sitting up on the bench as I reach over to grab my water bottle on the floor.

All around me, my teammates are gruelling in their own workouts, and our Coaches are walking around, checking up on everybody. The sunshine streaking in through the floor to ceiling glass walls of the CSU basketball team's gym is so bright that I have to squint a little.

Earlier today, Coach Summers had sent us a text on our team groupchat, informing that we'll be training in the gym today, and instructed to gather by the basketball facility building.

Everything here is truly state of the art, with top notch equipment and facilities, from a sauna room, a gym that's the size of a penthouse, media room slash meeting room, and even a fucking kitchen stocked with a bunch of healthy shit.

It's pretty obvious that the men's basketball team is the pride and joy of CSU, and that they have brilliant funding and sponsors. I almost feel envious.

"This place actually makes me want to workout more." Bella snickers, setting her dumbbells onto the floor. "The boys are so lucky."

"Hey, we get to use them, so we're lucky too." Maya teases.

"Where are they anyways?" Faith asks, wiping her forehead with her towel.

As if on cue, the glass door on the opposite of the side room springs open, and the basketball team comes spilling inside, their laughter and chatter loud enough to catch everyone's attention and fill the huge room with commotion.

"Faith. You and your psychic jinxing abilities piss me off." I groan, falling back on to the bench.

Faith laughs breezily in response, moving over to the bench presses with Malia. The boys disperse, blending in with our team, and a few of the girls get distracted, but one sharp look from Coach Summers and they go back to their workouts.

The gym is huge and has multiple of the same machines so there's plenty and more space, but somehow, Micah and Jace end up on the bench presses right next to me.

Not even bothering to hide the annoyance from my face, I pick up a weight to start doing weighted crunches. Laying down on the mat I had laid out awhile ago, I start on my set, counting under my breath as I go.

"Impressive core strength, Jordyn." Micah's voice catches my attention, and I cast my eyes sideways to see him spotting Jace, who's on the bench press I was on just a few minutes ago.

Before I can stop myself, my eyes latch onto Jace, and something thrums in my chest at the sight of his muscles bulging from the weights, his tattooed skin stretching taut. I can't look away.

I'm close enough to make out some of his trillion tattoos. He has a collection of skulls, flames, wordings, swords, snakes, and even a tiger head. The dude has an entire zoo inked onto his skin. My eyes drop to his calves that are revealed because of his basketball shorts. There's multiple tattoos creeping up from his ankles, disappearing under his shorts.