Page 9 of Reverence

I could’ve classified this as an achievement.

The most rewarding aspect of finally seeing someone crack, even the slightest, is the inevitability of them finally breaking and me being the cause of their ruin.

“Someone did their research.” she spoke condescendingly. “How long did it take you to find that information special agent?”

“Not long.” I crossed my arms. “I mean, being the daughter of parents who divorced at such a tender age and being abandoned by your father. That’s rough. If you weren’t such a fucking bitch, perhaps I would’ve sympathised with you.”

She laughed, like the witch she was, clasping her hands together. “Oh, Ares. You almost wounded me.”

She said. “I’ll give you credit where credit is due though. If you weren’t such a bastard, perhaps we could’ve been friends because this moment is just too precious.”

“Do you ever stop talking or do you need to have a lamentable comeback for everything?”

“I know that the women you normally associate yourself with are timid and submissive but that unfortunately isn’t me.” she stood up from the floor. “So to answer your stupid question, I’ll always have a shrewd comeback.”

I removed the wrapping from my fists, trying to ground myself.

The constant back and forth drove me up the damn wall. “I have to hand it to you.”

“Have to hand what to me?” she moved closer, that smug expression plastered on her face.

“You’re good at baiting people.” I tossed the bandage over my shoulder. “And you easily deflect whenever someone reciprocates your taunting.”

“Deflect? That’s not the correct term I’d use because that insinuates that I care enough to change the topic and quite frankly, I don’t.”

“I see.” I closed the distance between us and she looked at me cautiously, tilting her head back slightly. “It’s genuinely beginning to make sense now.”

“I don’t have time for your riddles, Ares. I came here to work out and having a heart-to-heart with you wasn’t on the agenda.”

“Conversation getting too serious now, huh?”

She looked up at me through her long lashes, a few grey tendrils covering the sides of her face.

The heat in this room felt suffocating.

“The closest we’d ever get to having a serious conversation is if one of us were dying and the other was partially responsible for it.”

“Till death do us part.” she rolled her eyes and turned her back to me, walking towards the weightlifting equipment but I followed suit.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” I smiled.

“Why don’t you grab your belongings and leave?” she wiped down the seat of the leg press machine before sitting. “I’ve seen enough of you in the span of twenty-four hours, to last a lifetime.”

“No, I think I’ll stay.” I folded my arms across my chest and the moment was short-lived, but she eyed my biceps before shaking her head—lying back, lifting both legs and placing her feet firmly against the platform.

“Suit yourself.” she said, holding the handles before pushing the weight up and then slowly bending her knees. “I’ll be sure to tell everyone that you were watching me exercise like a creep.”

She repeated the motion a few times before taking a break and then continuing.

My gaze drifted to the side of her thighs.

Involuntarily, I swallowed hard as a bead of sweat dripped down my temple.

“They’d never believe you.” Maybe I needed to leave. I couldn’t stay here and keep observing this.

“I swear your sole purpose on earth is to torment me.” she released a heavy breath. “Go do something productive with your life.”

“Tormenting you is considered productive.”