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Grace voiced no complaints I knew that this was just a temporary fix, but it was all I could offer

Leaving Grace sated and sweaty in bed, I padded to the kitchen to ru to eat Grace’s apartment was the antithesis of our house It was quiet and clean At my house, the television was always on and there were always rando out Grace’s place was a sanctuary I wanted to provide this kind of atmosphere for Grace and me; a place like this that could be a haven for both of us I’d do anything to make that happen

Chapter Sixteen

Grace

The next day, I felt wrung out, like day-old bread All the soothing concern that Noah had lavished onsun He didn’t want o with hi and left the ca in the corner I wasn’t sure if I would ever feel the confidence to wield it again

"Do youwith the radio I wondered if I wouldit, since it was such a natural extension of , it felt like it weighed asit into the closet My portfolio was lying on the desk, and sitting on top was a raph I had taken of the Alpha Phis Lana ht I assumed it was one of the many rush-related paraphernalia they had produced Maybe it wasn’t true art, but I couldn’t deny a surge of pride when I looked at the tin with my photo printed on the lid

"So my reverie

"Why not today?"

"Today is Field day If I were still in the Marines, I would be cleaning today Shining "

"But if today weren’t Field day?"

"It’s nice not to have every aspect of your life under so in the desert and disrobing in order to take a--well, you know I don’tshot at But Iwith all the guys There’s a sense of community there that we had in the Marines Plus, you know, you were paid to shoot stuff up It’s unreal in soe, a coents"

The Spartan gy one wall, but there were nofroe tires were stacked in one corner, and long ropes coiled on the floor Racks of free weights lined the wall opposite of the mirrors The place sh the front roo and stare at us In the back was a larger rooht for his ten thousand dollars Except this roo down over a raised boxing platfor bench like you’d see in a schoolyard Noah ledkiss that leftfrom the tips of ht back," he said

When he returned, he and Bo were dressed only in loose shorts They cliuys caear, red on Noah and blue on Bo They looked a little like the kid’s gaer twitched involuntarily If I stood up on the rafters and looked down, the bright colors contrasting against the dull gray walls would’ve raph Dr Rossuht off quickly I shook my head to rid myself of his taunts I didn’t want to dwell on it I resolved to just live in the moment

A crowd of thickly muscled men filtered in fro or sitting around the platforht Bo and Noah circled each other, their ar the distance between them When one moved in, the other feinted They danced like that for atoward Noah with a punch across the jaw Noah’s head snapped back, but he responded with a quick kick to the side that pushed Bo away

For two friends, the blows they exchanged seemed fierce A flurry of punches, kicks, and parries followed, and a few of the blows elicited shouts of delight from the audience Noah was on his back with Bo atop hi around Bo’s torso

With a quick movement, Noah rolled Bo onto his back, his ars around Bo’s aro immediately He rose easily and leaned down to help Bo to his feet They hugged each other When so

He said he fought for money, but it was clear by the expressions on both faces that they enjoyed this exertion of testosterone quite a bit

Noah was breathing hard when he ca on the ropes, he e to look behind me, but I did see out of my periphery about a dozen heads swivel towardthat welled up inside e of pride Yes, that guy up there all sweaty and gorgeous who just fought the crap out of the other guy? That guy was gesturing toward ave rabring between us They were soft and springy

"What’d you think?" Noah askedmy arht?"

"I’m a little afraid of what I think," I ad

"It’s very primitive," I said, "and evokes a prihed low, and I felt hten in response "I don’t think this is the place for the discussion I’d like to have Let et out of here"

"Shower," I said plaintively I wanted to finger paint the sweat all over those defined yhtened onto haul

"Don’t push it, sister," he said, growling a little "Pull up on the top rope" And he ducked under the raised rope and came out on my side He jumped down and held up his arms for me I leaned forward, and he effortlessly lifted me down

"Why is your nose still unbroken? Or your face rarely bruised?" I patted his face

"It’s the facefor that though"

"Ai?"