Whispered Promises

Chapter 25 - Shadows in the Past

Jackson's POV

The clinking of weights echoed through the gym as I wrapped up my set of deadlifts. Sweat dripped down my face, but it was a good kind of burn. After the craziness of yesterday's motorcycle competition, I needed this—the steady rhythm of my workout, the grounding feel of the weights in my hands.

I set the bar down and rolled my shoulders, thinking back to the event. Josy had been her usual bubbly self, bouncing around excitedly, and Alex had seemed... well, like Alex—cool, collected, with that no-nonsense attitude she wore like armor. But Lucien? He had stuck to her side the whole time, looking completely out of place yet smiling like a kid who just won a prize.

And Levi? Well, he hadn't even been there.

Not that I blamed him. Family stuff. Obligations. But it was hard to ignore the weird vibe hanging in the air yesterday. Lucien showing up with Alex had stirred something up, even if Levi wasn't there to feel it firsthand. His absence had made it more noticeable somehow.

I chuckled to myself and grabbed my water bottle, taking a long drink as I leaned against the wall. The tension between Alex and Lucien had been subtle, but not subtle enough for me to miss it. Lucien liked her, that much was obvious. But Alex? She didn't seem to mind his company, though she still had that edge about her, like she was holding back.

I wasn't one to poke my nose too deep into other people's drama, but sometimes it was hard to ignore what was going on right in front of you.

Just as I was thinking about heading out, I heard footsteps approaching. I glanced over and saw Levi walking into the gym, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. He had that focused, determined look on his face that he got when something was eating at him.

"Yo, Levi!" I called out, waving him over. "Didn't think I'd see you here this early. Everything alright?"

Levi shrugged as he made his way toward me, looking a bit more serious than usual. "Yeah, just needed to clear my head. Figured a workout would help."

I raised an eyebrow. Levi was usually pretty chill, but something was definitely off. "You sure? You seem... tense."

Levi grabbed a set of dumbbells and started a set of curls, avoiding eye contact. "Nah, I'm good. Just a lot going on lately."

I watched him for a moment, then decided to dive in. "Missed you at the motorcycle competition yesterday. Lucien took your place. Kinda surprising, considering he's more of a four-wheels-and-seatbelt type of guy."

Levi's expression didn't change, but I caught the slight pause in his reps before he shook his head. "Yeah, heard about that. Family stuff came up. Lucien said it went alright though."

"'Alright' is one way to put it," I said with a smirk. "He looked like a fish out of water the whole time, but Alex seemed to appreciate him coming along."

Levi's jaw tightened, just for a second. Not much, but enough to let me know I wasn't imagining things. He set the dumbbells down and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Lucien's got his own way of doing things. I'm sure Alex was fine."

I studied him for a second longer, then chuckled. "Dude, you're brooding. Don't try to pretend like you're not."

Levi shot me a glare, but there was no real heat in it. Instead, he exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "It's not like that," he muttered. "I'm not worried about Alex and Lucien."

"Right," I said, leaning back against the wall beside him. "That's why you look like you're about to tear that wall down with your bare hands."

Levi rolled his eyes but didn't argue. He glanced away, staring off into the distance. "It's just... complicated, alright?"

I raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to this than he was letting on. Levi wasn't the type to spill his guts, but I could tell something was bothering him. "What's so complicated about it? Lucien's into Alex, you're... well, I'm not sure what you are, but you're definitely not indifferent."

Levi hesitated for a moment, then sighed, dropping his tough-guy facade just a little. "Look, it's not just about Lucien and Alex. There's... history there. With me and my brothers."

"History?" I asked, curious now. "What kind of history are we talking about?"

Levi shifted uncomfortably, like he wasn't sure how much he wanted to share. But after a moment, he seemed to make up his mind. "You know Xavier, right?"

"Of course," I said. "Hard to miss a guy like him."

Levi let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, well, he's part of the reason things are so... tense between me and Lucien. A while back, when we were younger, I was dating this girl, Charlotte. Things were good for a while—at least, I thought they were."

I nodded, leaning in a bit. Levi wasn't usually one to talk about past relationships, so this was new territory.

"One day," Levi continued, "Xavier shows up with this cocky grin on his face, talking about this girl he hooked up with. He didn't know who she was at the time—had no idea she was my girlfriend. But yeah, you can guess where this is going."

"Oof," I winced, feeling for him. "So Xavier..."

"Yep," Levi said, popping the 'p.' "He slept with Charlotte. Didn't even realize until it was too late."

"Damn," I said, shaking my head. "That's rough. Did he know she was your girl when it happened?"

Levi shook his head. "Nah, he didn't. I'll give him that much. But it didn't matter. It started this whole rivalry between us, and ever since, things haven't been the same. Even though it wasn't really Xavier's fault, it still messed everything up. I guess I'm just trying not to make the same mistake with Lucien, you know?"

I let out a low whistle. "So that's why you're staying out of it with Alex?"

"Pretty much," Levi said with a shrug. "Lucien deserves better than that. I'm not about to step on his toes like Xavier did to me."

I was quiet for a moment, letting that sink in. Levi's relationship with his brothers had always been... complicated. But hearing this, it made sense why he was holding back with Alex. He didn't want to be the reason things went sideways again.

"I get it," I said finally. "But dude, don't let that stuff from the past mess with your head. Lucien might like Alex, but if there's something real between you two, you can't just ignore it forever."

Levi gave me a half-smile, the tension easing slightly from his posture. "Yeah, maybe. But for now, I'm just trying to figure things out without making everything worse."

I clapped him on the back, keeping it light. "Fair enough. Just don't brood too hard, man. You'll end up with wrinkles."

Levi chuckled and shook his head. "Thanks for the concern, Mom."

We shared a laugh, and the mood between us lightened up. Levi wasn't one to let his emotions show too often, but at least he'd let me in a little bit. I just hoped he'd find a way to work through whatever was going on between him, Lucien, and Alex before things got too messy.

Because in our group, when things got messy, they usually didn't clean up easily.

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