‘Keep your chin up.’ Elizabeth instructs, no nonsense.
She’s been even more agitated today and that’s a pretty impressive achievement considering she’s usually a storm cloud anyway.
I deflect her punch and jab at her stomach.
She grunts but I know this one isn’t in annoyance, it’s in approval.
Liz agreed to keep training with me after I opened up about feeling useless. A spark had ignited in me after my conversation with Vishrut a couple of weeks ago, and it reminded me I’m not some fragile thing. I may be one hell of an anxious girl, but I might as well be an anxious badass who can defend herself. I willnever know what this world will throw at me. All I will be able to control is how I react to it, and if it's anything like the past few years, it is more than likely going to contain some violence here and there.
No more moping around for me, I can do that after I’ve worked my body hard, preparing a better chance at my baby's future.
Liz advances on me, aiming for my face and I dodge again. The air whooshes as I feel the power her punch is packing, as it narrowly misses the side of my face.
‘What the fuck is going on here!’ A voice that belongs to the bane of my life shouts.
Heavy boots stomp my way and if I’m not careful I’ll lose my eyes in the back of my head if I roll them any harder.
‘Hello, big overbearing brother.’
‘What the fuck are you playing at, Isla?’
‘We’re training, fuck off and annoy Fauna.’
I’m pretty sure she’s hiding from him. The girls in love, there’s no doubt about that but I know my brother and I know my best friend. He’s an obsessively overbearing asshole and she’s a bad bitch that likes to look after herself. Watching the two of them figure out their dynamic has been entertaining to say the least, but somehow they fit perfectly together.
Right now, I could punch her because the whole point in me being happy for them is so that his focus is on her and not me.
‘Fauna is busy.’ Ruaridh grounds out like it pains him to even think about it.
I bark a laugh, ‘she’s outside the stadium, and you’re going crazy. Is that it?’
‘No.’
‘I can hear your teeth grinding,’ Liz chimes in.
‘Aren’t you supposed to be looking out for her,’ Ru jerks his chin my way. ‘Not beating her up.’
‘Iamlooking out for her,’ Liz scowls.
Damn, if looks could kill… Seriously, she is acting way more cranky than usual.
‘And how the fuck is punching her in the face doing that?’
‘I want to stay strong and training is helping.’ I push his chest, ‘so back the fuck off.’
‘Isla, I don’t —’
‘Ruaridh.’
My heart skips a beat at that voice, firm and assertive. The voice I’ve grown used to, the one I’d kept in my dreams and now the one I’ve gotten to hear for real these past few weeks.
Liam stands watching us, his muscled biceps bulging with his arms crossed in front of him. The warning glare aimed straight at my older brother is sinister and it’s kinda well… hot as fuck.
Ruaridh shoots him a scowl in return. I would pay to watch their conversation after this.
I sigh, folding my arms in front of me, matching Liam’s stance and look at my brother. ‘What is it?’
‘I wanted to… chat.’
