Her Shadows

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

JAYCE POV

Once I'm done, embarrassingly, dealing with my predicament into the toilet, I try to piece together my dignity and walk back out to Sunshine, who is STILL not dressed.

She is re-wrapping her hands and preparing to resume her workout. I walk over and lean against the couch, crossing my arms, just watching as she braces herself into position and begins to throw punch after punch.

Every knock of her fist has the bag flying back. I become transfixed in watching the small shifts of her feet, the push and pull of her muscles, the sheer control, ability and skill thrown into every move.

After about 10 minutes, she pauses to take a sip of water and looks at me with a sweaty face.

"You're amazingly good at that, you know." I complement as I stand up and ruffle my hair back into its mess on my head.

She nods her head in acknowledgement of my praise. I guess she already knows just how good she is. "Do you know how to box?"

I let out a laugh, "nah, never learned how. I've wanted to, but I ended up just sticking with the gym and running." I reply, as I walk over to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water.

She cocks her head, "do you want me to show you how?"

I think it over. Getting increasingly close to Amelia AND learning how to box like a bad-ass? "Yeah, that'd be great!" I begin to take a sip.

"Great, take off your shirt."

And then I choke on the water.

During my coughing fit, Amelia moves closer, grabbing the glass from my hand and rubbing my back soothingly as I calm down.

Once better, I stand back up and look at her. She stares back at me with flushed cheeks, from the exercise I would presume. But then, when she seems to take in our close position and her hand still laid on my back, she seems to actually blush because of me.

She quickly removes her hand and takes a step back, crossing her arms and entering the defensive.

But that's ok.

She just touched me without any of my initiation or influence.

She just, of her own free will, showed me emotion and blushed.

That is a milestone I will take any day.

I put her out of her misery and resume our conversation as though her touch hadn't happened, even though her handprint burns my skin still. "Sorry Sunshine, you took me off guard. Didn't realise you wanted me to undress that quickly. I mean, we haven't even had our meal yet."

Her arms uncross as her usual cockiness slips back, "oh don't get your hopes up too high and definitely get your mind out of the gutter. We're boxing, and you do not want to get that shirt soaked when I destroy your ass."

I huff a laugh and take a step towards her, "Sunshine, my mind is exactly where it needs to be. And that's on you." Her slight smile slips, and her eyes widen so minutely I almost missed it. And yet I glean, because I've finally caught this girl off guard.

With that, I pull my shirt off, ruffle my hair back and walk toward the bag.

I yell over my shoulder, "we doin' this or what?"

She's suddenly at my side, fuck she moves quietly.

"Oh honey, you have no clue what you just signed up for.

And evidently, I didn't. Cause she absolutely whooped my ass black and blue. Forcing me through technique after technique where my arms burned, and my core shook. When the food finally arrived, I cheered with so much glee I swear I heard her snort with laughter and it was so adorably similar to Pepper Pig, I had a laughing fit for 5 minutes.

All in all, I am appallingly awful at boxing. But seeing the delight on her face and the laughter in her eyes as she watched me flail about was worth any amount of pain.

That night, I fellasleep sore but with a smile on my face, thinking of my Sunshine. And somehowknowing, she was thinking of me too.

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Damn they are cute