Beat (The Beat and The Pulse #1) by Amity Cross Page A

into
the studio. Breakfast went down without touching the sides and I slunk into the
gym before Ash even arrived. Even then, I was too embarrassed to meet his gaze
when he did show up for the days training.
    But that didn’t stop
me from stealing glances when he wasn’t looking. How couldn’t I? His body was
magnificent, total perfection, and it had almost been mine. He’d almost been
mine, but now it was just another hurt piled on top of all the others.
    All day he smiled and
laughed, his fingertips brushing Monica’s arm. Jealousy flared sharp and
hot in all my nerve endings and didn’t subside - not for one second. If anyone
was developing an anger problem, it was me. I wanted to scream and kick him
right where it hurt, but all I did was run on the treadmill like it was some
kind of screwed up metaphor.
    I managed to steer
clear by hiding in the gym, only having the company of the Twins as they
alternated on the bikes or the treadmill and whatever Dad had them working on
out in the studio.
    I did circuits on all
the equipment, only breaking for lunch and by mid-afternoon Lincoln finally
felt it was time to intervene. He leaned against the arm of the treadmill as I
climbed on for round something…I’d lost count a while ago. Tomorrow, my muscles
would want to punish me, too.
    “Did something happen
between you and Ash?” Lincoln asked, eyeing me with concern.
    I shook my head, not
trusting myself to open my mouth.
    “If he’s fucked with
you, Ren, just say the word.”
    “And what would that
achieve?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
    “Did you give him
that shiner the other week?”
    “Me?” I scoffed. “I
wish.” The cut on Ash’s face was still there, but the bruise that had risen was
long gone.
    “I’d like to shake
the hand of the person who did.”
    “Good luck to you,” I
replied, going for the controls. Fast. Yeah, let’s run fast.
    Lincoln snatched my
hand away from the button. “You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep up that
pace.”
    He was right, but I wanted
to feel something else other than rejection.
    “ Ren .”
    “Fine.” I sighed,
stepping back to earth.
    “Take a hot shower,”
he said, a hand on my shoulder like a protective older brother.
    I snatched up my
towel and started toward the door.
    “Ren?”
    I turned at the last
second.
    “I mean it, you know.
Just say the word, okay?”
    “Thanks,” I replied,
smiling thinly.
    Feeling slightly
better that someone was in my corner, I crossed the studio with my head down
and disappeared into the back. I could hear Ash’s voice echoing in the showers
and I stopped short, peering around the corner. His back was against a
partition between showers, Monica’s long model-esque perfect body pressed up
against his. Suddenly, a pile of vomit rose in the back of my throat as his
strange behavior last night was explained in glaring black and white.
    Her hand was on his
crotch, rubbing his cock and that was all I needed to see. I backed out of the
shower block before either of them noticed and escaped up to my closet, trying
to ignore the pain slicing through my chest.
    I didn’t get why he
was in bed with me one second and rejecting me the next. I didn’t get what was
so wrong with me, but now I understood and it hurt more than I wanted to admit.
Was I forever going to be dumped for the prettier sister?
    All answers were
pointing to yes and wasn’t that a bitter pill to swallow.

    As darkness enveloped
Beat, I switched on the back row of lights as per my usual nightly routine. I
should’ve spent that night resting after my epic workout, but I hadn’t had a
chance to hit anything all day. I needed to hit something before I hit someone .
    I pictured Ash's face
as I pounded my fists and feet into a bag.
    Asshole. Punch.
Dickwad. Kick.
    Hopefully he got the
memo not to turn up tonight. I snorted. He wouldn’t come after the ultimatum
I’d given him. I thought about all the places he went between closing at Beat
until he turned up at