25. Saturday Week Nine (pt1.)

The week had gone by really smoothly. In fact, it had gone by bloody perfectly. I had no idea what was happening between me and Eli but I was loving every second of it.

There was still a pit in my stomach though because I had realised how happy I was whilst I was lying to all my friends. The girls had no idea about any of the recent happenings between me and Eli because every time I went to tell them I realised that in telling them, there was a chance that I might let Eli's secret slip. So I kept my lips sealed.

But the guilt I felt in relation to keeping the girls in the dark was nothing when compared to the guilt I felt for lying to Noah. I was desperate to tell him everything that was going on but then I knew that he would never be okay with me and Eli especially if he knew about the fighting.

All these thoughts were racing through my head as I sparred with Eli in the gym. My Nan had asked me to spend the day with her tomorrow so Eli had agreed to move our Sunday training session to today but I kept finding my mind drifting off to a million other places.

Searing pain shot through my face as Eli's fist made contact with my cheek, "what the hell, Eli?!" I exclaimed, cupping my hands to my face.

Eli just stood there, arms crossed, glaring at me, "I've told you a million times, you don't fight if your head isn't in it."

"My head is in it," I growled at him.

"So why was I able to punch you in the face?"

"Cause you're an asshole," I growled back, hand still to my cheek. I knew he hadn't hit me nearly as hard as he could've but it still hurt like a bitch.

Eli removed his gloves and came over to me. He tried to move my hand from my cheek but I was being a stubborn bitch. He growled, "move your hands, Rei."

I did as I was told and Eli tilted my head to get a better look at my cheek, "you'll be fine. I doubt it will even bruise."

I scowled at him and pushed him away, it still hurt though.

Eli's eyes narrowed at me, "what's your problem now?"

"My problem? You're my goddamn problem! You just punched me in the face!"

"You weren't paying attention, Rei! If your guard had been up, you easily would've been able to block it."

I knew he was right, I didn't even know why I was arguing with him. All I knew was that I was angry, really angry, and I was taking all the anger out on him, "fuck you, Eli!"

Eli growled at me, "I'm not training you when you're like this."

With that, he dropped his gloves onto the floor and stormed off to the changing rooms, shit.

Exhausted, I collapsed onto the floor. I removed my gloves and put my head in my hands. I released a sigh when I realised that I was in the wrong before I got up and turned in search of Eli but instead of being faced with the moody boxer boy, I found myself staring into the pale blue eyes of my best friend.

"Rei?"

Fuck. I stood frozen, not knowing what to say. There was no way to lie myself out of this.

Noah stepped further into the gym and made his way towards me. I snapped out of my trance and jumped down from the boxing ring to meet him halfway across the gym.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Me? I train here, Rei-Rei, remember?" Oh shit, my heart clenched at the use of my childhood nickname, "what are you doing here?"

"Uh, I was just-" I scrambled for an explanation but I couldn't come up with anything, my heart was beating wildly in my chest. And then the worst happened.

"Are you done yet, Reillyn?" Eli's voice came booming out from the changing rooms followed by the unmistakable sound of him walking in our direction. I heard his footsteps slow when he caught sight of Noah but he carried on until he stood next to me.

Noah eyes narrowed between the two of us, "what the fuck is this?"

If it was possible, my heart began thrashing in my rib cage even faster. "I-I-uh," my tongue felt heavy and dry in my mouth as I clambered for an explanation. The air slipped through my mouth as I opened and closed it, losing words on my own tongue.

"Reillyn?" Noah questioned me again.

Stupidly, I said nothing, just stared at him. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to lie but how could I keep my best friend and Eli if I only spoke the truth?

"I'm training her," Eli explained from my left.

Noah's eyes flickered over to Eli and he straightened, understanding dawning on his face, "you?" He paused in his disbelief, "you, are training her."

As my eyes were glued to Noah so I could only presume Eli nodded.

Noah looked at me again, his eyes scanning my face, searching, looking for an explanation, anything that I could offer him to help him make sense of this. "Reillyn, why is he training you?"

"I-uh," I took a deep breathe, "because I asked him too."

Noah frowned in confusion, I could see the hurt in his eyes, "you asked him? But you told me that you didn't want to learn. That you wanted to find a non-violent solution."

I felt a crack form between us, a solid break in our relationship.

"And I-I-I did, it was just that-," I swallowed, trying to find purchase, Eli noticed that I was struggling. That my breathing was shallowing, that I was shaking and sweating where I stood, so like he always does, he reached for me.

He cupped my face between his hands, "Rei? Hey, tigru, breathe for me," he bent his knees so he was eye-level with me, "Reillyn, tigru, breathe."

His crystalline eyes shone with worry and that was enough to kick start me, I took a big gulp of air in, letting the cold air sweep through my lungs. My hands gripped onto Eli's wrists as I calmed myself down, staring into his eyes to find a foothold on solid ground.

Noticing that I had calmed, Eli took a step back allowing me to come face-to-face with Noah again. His eyes gleamed with hurt and he had hardened his face against me.

"You and him?" He asked

"Noah I-"

"You're with him?"

"Noah, let me explain."

"Explain what, Reillyn?!" He exploded, "tell me what there is to explain."

"He's just, he's just teaching me, Noah," my eyes began to tear up. I couldn't lose Noah. He was the only constant in my life, I needed him.

"Teaching you? For fucks sake, Reillyn! Open your eyes! He is going to hurt you. He did it with Sienna and he will do it with you," he declared.

A tear escaped at the look of hurt which spread across his face, "it's not like that Noah. He's different, he's changed"

"Just like you said Marcus had. I cannot watch you go through that again. I won't."

I shook my head, a sob breaking free from the confines of my lips, "no, Noah, it's not like that. It's not like Marcus, I promise."

"You promise?" He yelled, "you fucking promise? Tell me what that's worth? Huh? Tell me, Reillyn? You've been lying to me for weeks."

"No," tears were streaming down my cheeks, I wiped them away furiously, "no, Noah, I needed this."

"Needed this?"

I nodded, "I needed to fight," another sob escaped, "it was eating at me, the nightmares, the scars and bruises," I took a breath in, trying to control the tears as the broke through my barriers, "they haunt me every day Noah and I needed this!"

"You told me you where fine. That you were past Marcus."

"I am, I am past it."

"Then why did you want to learn how to fight, Reillyn?" His voice broke and I saw the tears shining in his eyes, "then why did you go to him?"

I reached for him, "Noah wait," he stepped back away from me, away from us, our friendship. "No, Noah, please," tears were flowing out of my eyes with no due course and I felt my chest tightening. I couldn't control my sobs as my best friend in the whole world, pulled away from me. Withdrew from me.

"Noah, Noah!" I yelled as he turned away from me, "Noah please wait."

"For what?" He screamed, turning to face me, "for you to spin more lies. We don't fucking lie to each other Reillyn."

"I know, I know," I sobbed, "I'm so sorry. Noah, I'm so sorry." This time when I reached for him, he didn't pull away, he let me grab his arm, wrap my arms around him. I was weeping in his arms, begging him, "please don't leave, please don't leave me, I'm so sorry Noah."

"So am I."

And then he did it. He pushed me out of his arms. I stumbled backwards, exhaling a shaky breath, "no, Noah, please."

He shook his head at me, "I can't, Rei, I can't."

My heart split.

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the gym. I collapsed to my knees, sobs wracking my body.

My best friend left me.

Noah just left.

Noah just left me.

A pair of arms encircled my body and I turned into them, placing my head on his chest. Seeking comfort wherever I could as my world fell apart around me.

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1652 words^

Edited ✅

Was that as emotional for you as it was for me? 😢

pt2 next