Chapter Thirty-Two
Brick
I was just about to start another round of pushups when I realized someone was knocking on the window. With some old metal music blaring on the radio, the knocking could have been going on for hours for all I knew. At first, I was just annoyed to have my workout routine interrupted. Meeting with Lilith in the morning was a good step in getting my footwork and my fists back in working condition, but I still treasured every moment I had to get my heart pumping before the big fight.
Then I thought about who would be knocking on my window.
“God damn it,” I muttered, jumping to my feet. “They’re going to get themselves killed.”
I switched off the radio and popped open the window. Sure enough, Ezra and Irving were staring up at me, the mountains rising behind them.
My muscles tensed as I stared down. In another world, if I were another kind of guy, they would just look beautiful. Ezra had his arm draped over Irving’s shoulders, and with that concerned frown on his face, Irving looked determined in a way that I had to admit was downright sexy. Having a couple of geeky guys like them show up at my window should have been a treat, a literal dream come true. But instead, I just felt worried, the frustration of wanting to protect them but knowing I couldn’t washing over me.
“I told you to stay away,” I said, trying to make my voice rough and callous even as my heart ached.
“We’re at the window,” Ezra objected. “Unless the trees are spying for the mob now, there’s no one to see us.”
“We were really careful walking up,” Irving added.
I rubbed my forehead, feeling the wrinkles crease. I knew enough about these two to realize arguing would get us nowhere. They’d keep objecting, and I’d either say something I regretted or cave anyway. The quickest way to ensure their safety was to get them away from my motel room. It might cut into my workout routine, but I’d rather take a couple extra blows at the fight then put them in harm’s way.
God damn it, I thought to myself.Pull it together, Brick. Caring about those two was the worst idea I’d had in years, and I was the king of bad ideas.
I turned around, grabbing my backpack and throwing in a few bottles of water, as well as some chicken salad sandwiches the diner had wrapped up for me. When I turned back to the guys and hopped out the window, they almost look startled.
“There’s a trail that runs up the mountain, just behind that bend,” I said, gesturing back. “You both up for a short hike?”
“Irving grew up in Montana, and I spent my childhood hiking through these hills. We’re definitely up for a hike,” Ezra answered.
Irving nodded. “I didn’t really do much outside in Montana. I was always working my computers and hiding out in my room. But yeah! I’d love to hike with you two. Sounds fun!”
I threw my backpack over my shoulder and headed toward the trail. I started to object that the point wasn’t to have fun, it was to get away from any spying eyes, but I gave up on the subject. No matter how many times I insisted, they just kept showing up anyway.
“I think a hike is a great idea,” Ezra said, popping up by my side. “I used to get bullied a lot growing up, but as soon as I went walking through the woods, my head would clear and I would feel relaxed again.”
Irving popped up by my other side, scuffling his Converse along the path as we walked. “Especially if you’re worked up about your big fight on Friday, it’s important to clear your head. You can fight a lot better that way.”
I stopped in my tracks, right at the mouth to the trail. “Whoa!” I said, holding my hands in the air. “Who told you two anything about my fight?”
“Good one, Irving,” Ezra teased under his breath. “At least I’m not the one shooting my mouth off this time.”
I almost laughed despite myself at Ezra’s self-deprecating humor. When I saw the cringe on Irving’s face, however, I remembered how much I had hoped I could keep them away from my personal tragedies. “Yes, I’ve got a big fight on Friday, but that has nothing to do with the two of you.”
“And then you’ll skip town,” Ezra said, sighing. “We know the routine, Brick. But you keep not leaving, and we keep finding you.”
I started up the trail again, my fingers twitching by my side. The hill was fairly steep, and the burn in my thighs helped me stay focused. “Maybe I need to stop opening the window, then.”
They sped up, flanking me on either side. They each came up to my shoulder, and with my longer legs, I could keep them hustling pretty hard to keep pace. A part of me wanted to sprint right up the hill and leave them in the dust, but a bigger part of me wanted to hear what they had to say.
“How’d you learn about the fight, anyway?” Before I could hear their answer, the truth struck me. “Oh, Lilith. Of course.”
“She was worried about you,” Irving said gently.
“Hell, she even came over to the comic book store to talk to us,” Ezra added. “Of course, with her muscles and her green hair, she practically looked like a superhero. I should probably offer to pay her just to hang around out front.”
“Let me get this straight, then. The two of you are worried about me, and so is Lilith, so you decided to do what, exactly? Come interrupt my training routine? Talk me out of something I don’t have a choice about anyway? Because this isn’t one of your comic books, and there’s no secret weapon you can use to save me.”
We reached a flat piece of land around a bend, and when we stopped, I realized that Ezra and Irving were both panting. I glanced down, startled to notice how far away the motel was. I must have really been booking it. It was like Irving noticed—when I got worked up about fighting, my muscles started moving on their own.
