Riding It Out

Thirteen

Pain. So much pain.

It had been two days and I still struggled to lift anything heavier than a full mug of coffee because of the training that I had suggested to.

It also didn't help that Trace and Jacob refused to let me have a day off. 'The muscles will condition and get stronger and it won't hurt so much if you continue through the pain' they had told me.

What a load of shit.

It still felt like I had been lifting weights when I hadn't at all. I hated it. But this was my fault, I was the one who wanted to do this so I really had no room to complain.

'What happened to your lip?' Cale asks Trace. We were back at the club house as everyone had arrived home this morning.

'Should see the other guy' Trace scoffs playing it off.

I roll my eyes at his lie 'I am fine'

Cales eyes widen 'You socked him one?' he was amused and impressed.

'We were doing some training drill things and he was acting bad guy, I got an elbow to his face' I shrug playing it off myself so not to draw attention to myself.

'Classic' Cale laughs with a head shake to Trace and wonders off.

'I had a whole story planned of how I beat six guys at once and only have this lip split' Trace says but I knew he was kidding.

'Naw, did I bust your ego with that split lip?' I smile up at him and he steps closer, his hands coming around and resting on my ass. 'Want me to kiss it better?'

Trace smiles and nods his head 'I know something else you can kiss better' he says lowly with a smirk.

I gasp and give his lips a small kiss before pulling away 'You wish' I pay his chest and move out of his grip.

The whole thing with Trace still terrified me. I couldn't help but feel like at any moment, he will leave or push me away and break my heart. I was scared but I was also scared about if he didn't push me away.

'Hey' Neikyler gives me a polite, forced smile as I sit myself at the bar with her.

'Hey' I greet 'I heard Indi mentioned the gym to you..?' I was feeling, seeing her mood on it. Indi had said it was a bad idea to ask her after the fact so I was curious.

'Ugh' Neikyler rolls her eyes 'I don't need a gym or to release anger, I just need to grieve my brother' she tells me in a snappy tone.

I didn't at all blame her for her reaction and I didn't take offence to the tone either. I simply nod 'Okay'

She frowns and slowly glances at me 'That's it? Not going to give me a speech on why it would benefit me?'

I shake my head 'Nope, you don't want to do it then that's your call I guess, just know the offer is there and Jacobs friend it pretty cool, and he's hot' I say hoping it gets her attention. I seen a slight perk in her at the mention which only made me smile.

'Thank you' she tells me 'For not coddling and prying and stuff' Neikyler says after a moment.

'We all have lost someone but you.. you've lost yourself into he grief of your brother and everyone is just worried, they love you and you know that but I get it. You aren't ready to find yourself again' I shrug.

It had taken me three years to even awknoweldge I had lost myself in the first place and it was this family that made me realise it.. these guys made me want to be me again.

'I know' she says quietly and then walks away. I felt for her. It couldn't have been easy to lose a sibling like that, especially a twin. I know it had nothing to even do with me but it did annoy me a little that they burried him on their birthday, like, couldn't they have waited the one day? Now, every birthday she will be reminded that her brother was burried on that same day.