“I’m fine,” I said quickly, flashing a smile until he stopped looking. I ground my teeth with embarrassment.
“Maybe try not to get so distracted next time,” Seb whispered as he leaned in, removing his leather jacket in the process.
“I wasn’t.”
“Sure.” He tapped the side of his nose as he tossed the jacket across his shoulder.
Undoubtedly flustered, I shut my mouth. Better to not say anything instead of embarrassing myself further.
“How are things with your mom?” Dean asked, drawing my attention to him.
“Oh, I wouldn’t really know... I didn’t go to work this morning. But Oliver hasn’t contacted me, so that’s a bonus.”
He ducked under a jeep that was suspended on a car lift, nudging aside some of the equipment on the floor with his boot so Seb and I could walk through. Which we almost did without issue, until Seb bumped his head against the Jeep's back tire.
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing while Dean crossed his arms with the takeaway bag in hand, the corner of his lips twitching slightly as he watched Seb with raised brows and a crease in his forehead.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice laced with amusement.
“Shut up,” Seb replied, rubbing the top of his head as he walked through the back door ahead of us.
Dean and I shared a look, trying not to laugh before he motioned for me to go first. As I stepped through the back door into the break area outside (a small concrete courtyard with a few scattered plastic chairs), he stopped to lean in the doorway.
“Have you eaten?” Dean asked as he pulled a burrito from the takeaway bag.
“I had a slice of cake.” I took a seat in the plastic chair opposite Seb, who was still massaging the top of his head.
“That’s it?” Dean didn’t hesitate to offer me the burrito.
I quickly refused. “No, that’s for you. It was a large slice of cake anyway.”
He frowned but dropped his hand again. “Alright... Can I get you a drink?”
Seb snorted a laugh to himself, and Dean cut him a glare.
“We’ve only got beer or juice,” he continued, watching Seb a little longer before he dragged those eyes back to me.
“Juice is fine.”
“I’ll be back in a sec.” He snapped his fingers at Seb. “Behave.”
“Excuse me,” Seb gaped, a mischievous glint in his eyes regardless of what he said. “When am I not on my best behavior?”
“All the time,” Dean drawled before he ducked inside again.
Seb shook his head as he reclined in his seat. “It’s not all the time.”
I laughed a little. “How long have you and Dean known each other?”
“Eight years.” He placed his hands behind his head. “We met the same night of our first fight. Both eighteen and freshly scouted by Antonio.”
“Scouted?”
“Antonio sends out guys to look for potential fighters, specifically around lower-income neighborhoods where he knows the kids have more grit.” He smiled a little smugly. “They approached me after witnessing a fight I got into during a basketball game. Told me I was very good at uppercuts.”
The thought of Antonio targeting young men; pulling them into a world of violence, made my heart ache.
“And Dean?”
