Free Dismantled (Girls on Top #2) by Yara Greathouse

her smile, it’s like the best high anyone can wish for. My heart rate accelerates, my stomach drops and nothing in the world seems to matter anymore. It all takes a backstage to her.
    She’s anything and everything I will ever need. I recognize that now, but it’s too late for me to act on it. I’m all messed up and have done so many wrongs it will take a lifetime to right them all. The sad thing is that she has no idea of the way I feel towards her and I would never tell her. She deserves better. But if she wants to throw some ‘scraps’ of attention my way, I’m going to take them. I will gladly take them. These good memories will help me get my shit together later, during the times that I feel the pit of darkness calling for me.
    She catches me looking at her. “Where is your head right now, Traxx?”
    “Right here.”
    “You look like you were anywhere but here.”
    “Nah. Just thinking.”
    “Okay. That’s a danger zone all on its own.” She laughs gently. “Why don’t you find me a song – did you bring your phone?”
    I pull my phone out of my pocket and grab the plug she’s handing me. As I’m looking through my playlist I find a song that she is definitely not expecting. As soon as the clapping starts, she looks at me open mouthed and surprised.
    “Oh, no! You didn’t!”
    “Yes, I did!”
    “I expected some hard rock, but this… you gonna have to sing with me now! I love ‘Uptown Funk’.”
    “Oh, hells no! I’m not going to be one of those people…” And just as I say that, Ciara starts singing along to the upbeat music, and she is so happy it is contagious, so I start to play-dance like a maniac and she is singing – off key, as usual – but we definitely don’t care. By the end of the song, we are both singing and car dancing with the rhythm of the music until we pull up to the gym’s parking lot.
     

Ciara
    “That was fun! Now, come on, champ. It’s time to get serious and pump some adrenaline through your body.”
    “Do we have to?” He asks me with a sad face.
    “What are you, five? Come on! The last one inside the gym will have to cook dinner tonight!” As soon as he realizes what I’ve said, he scrambles to get out of the car. Since I was already out, I slam the car door, turn around and book it towards the door of the gym, hearing him pounding the street behind me, but I’m in good shape and I give it all I’ve got, not daring to look back, finally reaching the door a mere few seconds before him.
    “Dammit! Those little legs can move!” He says with a hint of a smile and it makes me giggle.
    “This body has nothing but power!” I fan my hands from head to my knees and then point at him, “Don’t you forget it! And now you need to start thinking about what you will be cooking us for dinner.” He rolls his eyes at me as we enter the building.
    We work our way around the machines, doing set reps and alternating between working our upper body and then the lower body. It’s a light workout, definitely not serious. Traxx’s mood has definitely improved, and that makes me happy. From time to time I notice Traxx giving others a dirty look, and I wonder what’s going on in his head. About forty five minutes later, we are sweaty and suffering from the ‘feel good’ kind of tired.
    “Wanna jump on the treadmills for a little while? Or the ellipticals?” I ask him.
    “I think my ass has been kicked around enough for one day – no elliptical. Let’s go to the treadmills.”
    Since it’s a little late, the gym doesn’t seem as full as it was when we first got here, and we are lucky to find two treadmills side by side. The moment I step onto the treadmill’s belt, I notice one of my shoelaces is undone, and I get on my knee to tie it. Traxx gets on the treadmill next to mine and starts pushing the buttons to get it going. As I’m finishing with my shoelaces, I see a pair of very large feet stand in front of me. I follow the hairy legs, strong tattooed arms,