AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aria fucking Kastellanos. That’s why.
So, I haven’t tried to fuck another woman again.
A rush of adrenaline shoots through me as I throw a punch—a quick jab aimed at Evander’s chest. He sidesteps smoothly, countering with a swift kick toward my gut. I block him just in time, the impact reverberating through my arms. Holy hell. He’s not making this easy tonight.
Evan is a fighter, and every time I train with him, he pushes me to my limit.
There’s a rhythm to our fights born from years of training side by side. He knows my moves as well as I know his.
Evander grunts again and gives me a menacing look. “Drop this bullshit act. I’ve known you almost my entire life, D. I know when something is wrong.”
“Fuck off. I’m fine,” I pant. With every strike, my breath becomes more labored, and I’m forced to inhale deeply to maintain my stamina. I manage to land a solid punch to Evan’s shoulder, causing him to stagger a bit, but he recovers, retaliating with a series of rapid strikes. I weave and dodge his moves. As the spar continues, our movements become more aggressive.
Evan shoves at my chest, causing me to fly back on the mat, and I almost trip on my own feet.
“What the fuck was that for?” I grit out.
Evander charges at me again, but this time, I’m ready, so I lift my arms in front of my face. He unleashes a combination of punches aimed at my head, and I manage to block most of them.
He throws a jab, and I dodge it. He throws another and it grazes my left cheek. “Ow! Fuck.”
I counter with a spinning kick, which he narrowly avoids, ducking under it.
Going for a takedown, Evander closes the distance, grappling me by my arms and using his momentum to flip me over. We both hit the mat hard, rolling apart.
“I’m going to fucking beat the truth out of you. So, if you’d rather avoid the pain, I’d suggest telling me what the fuck is wrong,” he says, anger lacing his tone.
Evander is the only person who knows exactly what I’m feeling when I’m feeling it. As kids, we developed a way of communicating with each other without having to say a word. He’d know when I was sad, upset, or angry, even before I did. He would notice the smallest shifts in my behavior and call me out. I couldn’t hide shit from him then, and I can’t hide shit from him now.
But I refuse to tell him that the reason I’ve been beside myself is because of a woman I only met once. I’m fucking embarrassed just thinking about it. When did I grow so soft?
I’m not a man attuned to his feelings. I don’t feel.
Stripped from any emotion as a child when my parents died.
I still relive those moments.
Two separate occasions when my heart was ripped out of my chest, leaving me with nothing. The only people I care about are my brothers.
One of those said brothers punches me in the gut, hard, snapping me out of my haze.
“Speak, motherfucker,” he growls, still on the mat next to me.
I look up at the ceiling and exhale. “It’s her.”
Evan lets out a low chuckle. “I knew it.”
My head snaps toward him, and I narrow my eyes. “Then why the fuck did you just beat the hell out of me to find out?”
This time, he laughs even harder. “Because I needed you to man up, Dionaki.”
I groan loudly. “You’re fucking annoying, man,” I say, putting my head back down on the mat. I fold my hands above my chest.
I can’t seem to shake the memory of Aria. Two months of longing, replaying our brief encounter in my mind.
It’s fucking foolish. She’s unattainable, yet I can’t help but hope we cross paths again.
“I still can’t believe you spent the night with her,” Evander says. I scoff in response, saying nothing else.
