Worth Fighting For | Book #1

Chapter 37

My heart felt heavy as soon as I stepped into the large, empty studio, mimicking my current mindset of complete and utter emptiness.

I absolutely hated the thought that my first time being intimate with someone was now tainted with my idiotic words and Josh's magnified yet justifiable response to my question.

It had only been two days since our ordeal but we hadn't managed to utter a word to each other, mostly because Josh had avoided school all together with only Tyler and Harvey really knowing where he was.

And for that reason and a few others that had brought up ideas like this one, I was now walking through a building I'd never thought to enter. "Hello?" I called out, my voice echoing slightly.

"Sorry, the class finished twenty minutes ago." It was only the top of a head that I finally saw retreating from a small room in the back, resembling an office. The person was looking down at something on their phone before they finally looked up, my breathing managing to halt in the process.

We were surrounded by what I could only recall as something I'd seen in Rocky. There was a large boxing ring situated to the middle of the room as various punching bags and mats surrounded the area, setting the aroma of sweat and something else I wasn't quite used to.

Our gazes locked like I'd expected us to, but there was a familiar kindness in his eyes. His calloused hands held tightly to the clipboard beneath his fingers, straining slightly as he looked at me. Handsome would be too simple a word to describe the man in front of me.

He was dressed casually for the location in a pair of grey sweatpants and a black jacket over a slogan tee, reading the name of the place I was currently standing in. His body looked to be sculpted perfectly by whatever exercise regime he was doing, causing my thighs to impulsively clench back together.

As much as I hated to admit it, he was rather similar in structure and looks to Josh. However, this man was much more athletic for his obvious job, and with longer hair that seemed to be pushed back with remnants of his fingers through it.

"I just wanted to know when your next self-defence class was." My voice was strained as I stared up at the man in front of me, struggling to maintain my composure with my understanding of what a male can really do to me.

"There is a waiting list." I could audibly hear him swallow as he stepped closer to me, leaning his body up against the ring beside us.

"Do you not do private classes?"

"I mean—"

"Please, I don't care how much it is."

I'd saved up enough money from working at the local pool during the summer, giving me a good amount of savings. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to use my parents' separation to my advantage.

I knew that I'd only need a few classes to make myself feel even the slightest bit better. I still wasn't too sure why I was so determined to learn this stuff. I guessed that it was my mind telling me that I wouldn't let people like Jack or Ryan hurt me again. There were more reasons underlying my decision, but I pushed them to the back of my mind as I looked back up into the beautiful brown eyes in front of me, more determined than ever.

"You're not going to leave until I say yes, are you?" I grinned to the mutual understanding we now both had.

"Savannah." I outstretched my hand for him to shake with the upmost knowing smile playing continuously against my lips. "Nice to meet you—?"

"Mason."

*

His eyes were no longer as beautiful when sweat was now dripping closely down my eyes and rendering my vision fuzzy. Mason was smirking like he had been doing since the start of the session when he'd realised how weak I truly was.