Keaton stayed off to the side, tightening his gloves, and I tried not to track him, but my focus kept drifting back to him anyway.
Mason and I got into the ring, touched gloves, and started moving. He threw light jabs, tested range, and didn’t try to take my head off.
He flicked a jab and smirked. “So, what’s up with you and Keaton?”
I moved around him. “Not now.”
He threw a cross and stepped back. “I’m just trying to understand the dynamic.”
I slipped inside, jabbed him, then moved out. “There isn’t one.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, right. We’re going to end up on an episode ofDatelineor some shit. The episode will be called ‘When Roommates Kill’.”
I rolled my eyes and kept going. If Keaton wanted to kill me, he could try, but I had four years of combat training, so I doubted he’d be able to get one over on me.
We finished the round without Mason talking again, which might’ve been his biggest accomplishment of the day.
Devon called time, then rotated us out of the ring before hooking a finger at me. “Rowan. Office.”
I followed him. If Keaton and I couldn’t get our shit under control, I had a feeling I’d be asked to leave because Keaton had been a member of the gym first. I didn’t want it to come to that because I knew Titan Elite was the best MMA gym in Northern California.
Inside the office, Devon grabbed a folder from the desk and slid it toward me. “Here’s the lease agreement and the house rules. Rent and utilities are spelled out. Sign it, and I’ll hand you the keys.”
I stared at the paperwork. “House rules?”
He didn’t smile. “Basic stuff like cleaning up after yourself. No guests staying longer than a few nights, and no fights in the house.”
“I wasn’t planning to fight him in the kitchen,” I replied.
Devon’s brows lifted. “Good, because I don’t want to replace my cabinets.”
I picked up the pen. “You don’t live there, do you?”
He snorted. “No, I like my peace.”
I initialed the lines, signed where he pointed, and slid it back.
He opened a drawer and pulled out a key ring with two keys. “Here. House key and mailbox key. When are you moving in?”
“End of this week,” I answered, grabbing the keys from him.
He nodded. “Perfect. Also, remember, you train here, and you follow my rules. I don’t care about the history you and Keaton have. You bring it onto my floor, and you’re gone.”
“I’m not here to screw this up.”
He watched me for a beat. “All right. Get out there.”
I stepped back into the gym and found Keaton near the equipment cabinets, gloves off, wraps dangling from his hands. His gaze fell to the keys I was holding. “Don’t touch my stuff.”
I snorted a laugh. “I’m not going to touch your stuff.”
He took a step closer, stopping just short of my personal space. “Your shit stays in your room. You clean up after yourself, and don’t make living with you harder than it already will be.”
I held his stare. “Same goes for you.”
He looked away first. “Fine.”
Mason popped out of the locker room behind him, a towel over his shoulder, his face bright again. Keaton walked off without another word.
