Chapter 8

Sam had left a sputtering and confused Paxton back at the dorm, grabbing her keys and tiny purse slung across her chest, the moment she knew where Mick was headed to try to find Alyx. She was the reason he was upset. She should fix it.

She found the Starclass Gym without much trouble, a large gym with multiple zones, but clearly it catered a certain type of person. There wasn’t very much cardio equipment, it didn’t seem very heavy on amenities like a pool or spa, but instead it had a massive weight machine section, a big free weight area, and where she found Alyx, a fighting area with all kinds of heavy bags, speed bags, punching dummies, and even a ring and wrestling area.

Alex was a hulking presence at one side, in loose black pants and a white tank top, his hands wrapped as he tried to murder the big red punching bag hanging from the ceiling beams. His back was to her and all she could see was his shaggy hair moving and swaying, some of it stuck to the sweat on the back of his neck, the corded muscles in his shoulders and arms that were exposed by his shirt, and his stiff, angry posture.

Not knowing exactly what she would see on his face, or how he would react, she circled him with a bit of distance, moving into his line of sight and letting him see her a bit more naturally so that she didn’t surprise him.

He saw her just as his fist collided with the red bag and he paused, grabbing the bag as it swayed. Then he turned away, tugging at the wrapping on his hands.

Sam followed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Alyx…”

He refused to look at her even as she moved in front of him, standing on the other side of the bench where he had apparently put his gym bag and water bottle.

“We live together. You can’t just ignore me.”

He glanced at her, then turned his back on her to sit on the bench. “I’ll move out.”

Sam blinked in shock, feeling oddly hurt. Which made no sense; she should be relieved to see him leave after all the trouble he had given her. But she didn’t like it. “You don’t have to…”

He snorted, and she watched the play of muscles across his back as he continued unwrapping his hands, sighing and walking around the bench again so that she was in front of him.

“I don’t understand. First that—“ Sam paused, trying not to say crazy, “rules list, then you keep buying me things? You flip out and I punch you, and I’m sorry about that, but now you are moving out?” She shrugged, her hands moving helplessly. “Explain it to me…”

“There’s nothing to explain. Moving out is a better option; you don’t have to report me and get me kicked out.” His voice was sullen, and he still refused to really look at her. He finished with his hands but clearly couldn’t do anything without bringing him in more contact with her.

“I’m not going to report you.”

His head shot up, pointing at her with a glare that mixed with anger and confusion. “Are you stupid? I attacked you!”

Sam stared at him, then shook her head. “I don’t think you did. You were upset.”

Still tense and defensive, he scoffed, and she pushed, her hand sliding onto his shoulder without a thought. “Alyx… what happened?” He stiffened under her palm and for a moment, she thought he would lash out.

But somehow something shifted, and he relaxed, looking up at her. “You shouldn’t be nice to me, Sam…” He turned away, head dipping again, sagging between his shoulders. “I’m garbage. Nothing.”

Sam had been in the system and had heard more than enough to know the difference between someone who was a bad person and someone who had been forced to believe it. Someone convinced Alyx that he was no good and now he believed it.

With a breath, her hand slid from his shoulder to the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair as she gently coaxed him to look up. “You aren’t garbage.”

As he stared up at her, she got the feeling this was the first kind of touch he had felt in a long time. The way his eyes softened, his face almost vulnerable and innocent despite the scar cutting through the pale skin. He looked younger with this expression, as if he weren’t the hardened and angry man she had seen for weeks and was instead a young man who felt lost and alone. Someone who needed a friend.

His eyes searched her face, clearly wanting to believe her but doubting. Feeling a bit more confident now he hadn’t lashed out, her other hand cupped his jaw, her thumb stroking his scarred cheek as her hand stroked his hair back off his forehead.

“Sam, I…” His voice cracked, and he swallowed, looking up at her with his big dark eyes. “I’m sorry… about…”

Interrupting him, she smiled, trying to reassure him that she wasn’t mad. “You don’t have to keep apologizing, and you don’t have to buy me things… “ Sam smiled. “You can keep being nice, though. I like that.”

He exhaled. “Yeah?”

“Sam? Alyx?”

Both of them jolted in surprise. Sam’s hands pulling away from his face as Alyx shot to his feet, suddenly only inches between their chests as he stood protectively in front of her, looking over his shoulder at the owner of the voice.

Mick.

“Are you guys… okay?” Mick was staring at them as if they were feral cats that at any moment would either run, attack each other, or attack him.

Glancing up at Alyx, the hard line of his jaw flexing as he grit his teeth, his hard and angry expression back in force, she sighed and barely restrained rolling her eyes. “Yeah, Mick… we are fine.” The back of her fingers brushed against Alyx’s hand, pulling his attention down to her again. “Aren’t we?”

His eyes lightened. “Yeah… we’re good.”