Breaking Through

Chapter 21

21

Gui

Before the guys and I left the studio yesterday, Hilary approached me and asked me to go to her first self-defense class with her. I didn’t tell her, but I was planning on going anyway. Like a f*****g stalker, I had already planned everything. I would go out for a run, and today’s path would include the front of the gym. I would remember about her class, and stop my run to go check it out. Hopefully, it wouldn’t look too bad.

As bad as a f*****g stalker.

So, on Wednesday, I went down to the building’s lobby almost thirty minutes prior to the start of her class and waited for her.

When, ten minutes later, the elevator’s doors opened and Hilary stepped out, I stopped breathing.

She was a vision. A freaking goddess from a dream. And she was totally clueless. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, but a few strands got loose and framed her beautiful face, and she wore workout clothes—a sports bra, a tight top, and an even tighter cropped pants—that hugged her perfect body the way nothing, no one should.

Only me.

Closing my jaw—which I hadn’t noticed had fallen open—I did my best not to stare at her perky breasts or round ass, but it was too hard. Too damn, f*****g hard.

She turned her face to me, her bright green eyes shining with worry and fear. “Hey,” she said.

I inhaled, forcing my lungs to breathe again. “Oi.” I glanced away from her, not sure I could trust myself. “Ready to go?”

She nodded.

We exited the building and, side by side, we walked the three blocks to the gym. On the way, Hilary looked nervous, like she could bail at any second. I had to distract her.

“So, is my tuxedo ready?”

That made her smile. “Ha, sure! You can pick it up tomorrow.”

“Wow, your studio is really great. Super fast. I’m gonna recommend it to everyone I know.”

She chuckled. “I just started drafting some ideas today,” she said. “I want to do something new, but not too new, you know. I don’t want the guests to look at you guys and wonder what the hell you’re wearing.”

“That would be ideal.”

She rolled her eyes. “But I want to give your tuxedos a special touch. Something unique.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” I said, glad she had relaxed a little. “Are you working on anything else besides the dresses and tuxedos for the wedding?”

She hesitated. “Well, actually, I have a design project for school due at the end of summer. After a couple of weeks just thinking about it, I think I finally came up with an idea.” She glanced at me, a little mischievousness shining in her eyes. It made my heart pump faster. “But it’s a secret for now.”

“Oh, come on. You can’t tease someone like that. Tell me at least one detail.”

Her smile widened. “Nope.”

My chest squeezed. s**t. She was too beautiful for her own good, and when she looked at me like that, when she smiled like that, I was a goner. I knew I was a goner, and I knew I should have turned the other way and run as fast as I could … but that was the thing. I couldn’t.

My interest in her had grown, and it was out of control. Out of my control. The more I spent time with her, the more I saw a side of her I didn’t know before. Before, she had been hiding from the world, even from her friends, from us. Now I knew her better than the others did, probably even better than her sister did, which made me a little proud.

I let out a long breath.

She tilted her head toward me. “Are you okay?”

The question caught me by surprise. “W-what?”

“You’re always asking me that, but I never get to ask you if you’re okay. And you just let out a huge sigh. What is it?”

“Nothing, just polo stuff,” I lied.

“Oh. Okay.” She lowered her gaze.

What? I had to think like a chick here, or I was going to lose her. What would Gabi or Bia say? That Hil was upset I wasn’t telling her what my problem was. But how could I tell her that my problem wasn’t polo, it was her?

Not wanting the moment to end, I searched for something to say. “A club from Florida has been asking me to go play with them for a few months now, and it’s getting harder and harder to say no.” Which, in the end, wasn’t a lie. It was true that a Florida team had been asking for me, but that wasn’t a problem.

“I thought you liked doing the visiting player thing.”

“I do. It’s just that with Leo and Hannah’s wedding coming up at the end of summer, I would like to be around.” I pulled on my shirt as if I were straightening my tuxedo jacket. “Best man, you know.”

She smiled again.

Meu Deus. I let out a long breath. It was all I could do not to pull her to me and kiss her right then.

At the gym, I introduced her to John, who I had already talked to. He didn’t need much convincing to let Hilary join the class. She followed him inside the classroom, her hands shaking.

A sudden urge to go to her, to hold her tight, to tell her everything would be all right swept through me. I even took a step toward her before I stopped myself. I was a f*****g i***t.

To pass the time, I worked out on the weight lifting floor. Graças a Deus, the classroom had a glass wall and I could watch Hilary every few seconds. Otherwise, I would be going nuts now, trying to imagine what she was doing in there. To be honest, if the glass wall didn’t exist, I would probably peek through the door after each rep set.

There were only eleven women in the class, and John and another instructor who helped him demonstrate the moves. As I expected, Hilary looked nervous and reserved. It took her at least twenty minutes to relax a little and put some effort into the movements.

As the minutes passed, Hilary’s stance shifted. She stopped shaking and acted. Her movements became surer and determine, and during an exercise with John, she was the one who escaped from him the fastest.

He said something to her, making her smile. I smiled too.

“What’s that sappy grin for?”

Surprised, I turned and found Malcolm behind me.

“Hey,” I said, not surprised to see him here. He lived nearby, and the guys and I bumped into him here a lot. “Working out late today?”

“Yeah. Practice ran late today. And you?”

I shrugged. “Was bored.”

He chuckled.

I started a new rep set, and he settled on the machine beside the one I was using. When he finished his rep set, his eyes scanned the place. He did a double-take at the classroom.

“Is that Hilary?”

Did I pretend I didn’t know she was here? I sighed. “Yup.”

“Man.” He let out a low wolf whistle. “She looks absurdly hot in those clothes.”

Rage flowed through my veins and I clenched my fists. After another long breath to calm me down, I shrugged. “She’s okay, I guess,” I lied.

“You know, I think Reese has a thing for her.”

“What?” I knew Reese had a thing for her, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked her out, but I wasn’t prepared to hear that from his teammate.

“He’s always trying to get close to her when she’s at the club, and whenever the topic is girls, he keeps going on and on about her.” Malcolm tilted his head, thinking. “Yeah, I’m sure. He certainly has a thing for her.”

What did I say to that? Ask him where Reese was so I could threaten him? Tell him if he ever tried anything with Hilary, I would punch him?

Like a f*****g stalker.

“I didn’t know about that,” I lied again.

“It’s f*****g annoying actually. He’s smitten.”

I frowned. “I didn’t know they were friends, or that they were close.”

“They aren’t. As far as I know, Reese and Hilary have only spoken a few times, but he has been watching her since he joined the team and he’s definitely smitten.” Malcolm shook his head. “Which I don’t get. Reese knows about what happened, with Eric, you know. Even though I admit Hilary is one of the hottest girls I have ever seen—” He gestured to her as she again escaped from John. “—she is damaged. I’m not sure I would date a girl like that.”

The rage I had been fighting exploded, and I let it out on the machine, almost breaking it with the force I was exerting.

When I was a little less prone to strangle Malcolm, I spoke up. “It was not her fault. She was a victim and I don’t think she deserves our pity. I think she deserves our admiration. She has gone through so much, but look at her now.” I jerked my chin to the direction of the classroom. “She’s fighting it. Maybe it’ll take her a long time to feel whole again, but she’ll get there.”

Malcolm paled. “Hey, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I was just commenting. Sorry if it’s a touchy topic.” He stood from the machine he had been working on. “I forgot you and her are practically family now. You must know her better than the rest of us.”

I cleared my throat. “Exactly.”

“Sorry again. Didn’t mean to assume anything.”

“It’s okay,” I lied. It was so not f*****g okay.

Malcolm walked toward another machine, one far away from me. Good for him, otherwise I would have beat him to a pulp.

However, his words clung to me. I forgot you and her are practically family now.

It was true. One more reason why I could never, ever act on this infatuation.