𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 [𝟏𝟖+] ✔

18

"Again. Use your height as an advantage. Be fast and don't second guess your next move, got it?"

"Got it," I reply, nodding, refusing his hand to help me get to my feet.

I push myself up from the mats, standing tall or small, since he likes to keep pointing out that I'm vertically challenged for being five foot two against his six... whatever his bloody height is. I try to catch my breath, raising my fists to guard my face and getting into my stance. Eric does his usual and decks me yet again, the same drilling he's been doing from the start, and I'm beginning to get the hang of it. The tenth time around, I manage to stop him from dragging me to the ground, jamming my knee into the back of his so he nearly folds.

I give him a cocky smile with a shrug as he glares at me. "What? You dropped your guard, should pay more attention," I say with added enthusiasm. "Be careful. You don't want me to beat you black and blue for my mum's party tomorrow."

"Such a full of shit cow," he replies with a laugh, jerking his head to the side until it cracks and gets into his own stance. "You need to punch harder, make sure you remember to twist your hips into-"

I cut him off by striking, my knuckles barely skimming his cheek, the other fist catching under his eye. He tries to hook his ankle behind my leg, but I lose my balance and tumble back to the ground, taking him with me when I grab his wrist. Acting fast, I quickly roll over, so he's pinned beneath me, holding his hands above his head.

He's smirking at me; the idiot isn't even trying to stop me. "You're learning. The element of surprise... good, keep going."

I should probably add in that he's topless and my spaghetti strap keeps sliding down my arm, something that's been catching his eye one too many times.

"You just talk too much," I say through a pant, sitting upon his midsection, leaning back against his bent legs and shoving my hair out of my face that's fallen from my messy bun. "I'm tired and it's late."

"Perfect," he says with wide eyes, making me flinch forward to grab at thin air as he parts his thighs, sitting up and pushing me so I fall onto the mats between his legs. "One lap of the dome and we'll call it a night."

Propping up on my palms behind me, I scowl at him and blow my hair out of my eyes. "Really?" I ask in disgust, looking at the pitch-black outside. "It's dark and nearly midnight!"

He doesn't seem to care about my protest, just runs his hand through his hair and leans his elbows on his parted knees, as if I haven't been here training since this morning. "And? Scared of the dark, Dan?"

My eyes narrow. "You know I'm not."

"Then stop complaining."

I fight the urge to scoff at him, to grab one of the dumbbells and whack him over the head. He's been more of a dick than usual today, and if he gives me one more comment about Gary and Robert, I might knee him between the legs.

I'm starting to think the added time and more aggressive fighting forms are because I told him Gareth had offered to help with the training yesterday, and instead of denying the poor lad who had the biggest pleading eyes, I'd said I wasn't too fussed if Eric wasn't.

Apparently, my trainer was fussed, and even told me to stay away from him.

"Would my dad not go crazy if he found out I was out at this time? You're not on duty. You're still suspended, so it would be unauthorised." He nods at me in response, and I ponder on how many ways I can hurt him. Maybe I can sneak into his room while he sleeps and smother him? Yeah, I'll try that. "I hate you, in case you've forgotten all the other times I've told you."