Page 13 of Ruin

Yep, that’s me.

Right. I’m going again.

And, this time, I’m going to hit the crap out of this punching bag. It will not defeat me.

I get another fifty cents out of my pocket and drop the coins into the slot. The punching bag comes down.

“You’re wasting your money.”

“Wha—” I turn to the voice and—holy shit.

It’s Sex God. He’s standing right there. Looking at me.

Jesus. His eyes. Blue. Like the bluest of blue. The I-want-to-dive-into-them-and-never-again-come-up-for-air blue.

“Your stance is all wrong,” he tells me. “You’ll never get a good swing at the bag, standing like that.” He nods at my legs.

I look down at them. They look okay to me.

“What’s wrong with my legs?” I say.

He chuckles right as I hear those words echo back in my head, and I have to bite back a groan of embarrassment.

“Well, nothing’s wrong with them.” He lifts a shoulder. “They’re great legs. Best I’ve seen in fact. But the way you’re standing isn’t right. Your hips can’t turn while you’re standing like that, meaning there’s no swing in your punch. No swing, no force.”

Great legs.

Best he’s seen.

Honestly, I didn’t hear anything else after that.

“I’m sorry, what?”

He chuckles again. “You need to move your legs. Stand like this.” He shows me with his own.

“Okay.” I move my legs to mirror how he’s standing.

“That’s right,” he tells me. “And, now, you need to tilt your hips back a little, like this.”

I follow his instructions, tilting my hips.

“Then, put your hand into a fist, thumb on the outside. Pull your arm back, and let your hips pivot around. As you swing, put all your body weight into that punch.”

I do as he said. I swing back and then put all my body weight behind my arm. Along with all my emotions from leaving Baltimore and my friends and from those mean girls from before.

I hit that bag with everything I have. I feel the moment my fist connects with the leather, and I get a good hit in.

The bag slams back up, and the numbers start to rise.

Medium hitter!

Yes!

“I did it!” I bounce on my toes, excited.

“You did.” His lips lift at the corner into a half-smile. The sexiest smile I’ve ever seen.

And I’m a puddle at his feet.