The Ties That Bind Us: (The Ties Duet Part One) Danda K. (dark academia books to read TXT) 📖

that way until my boy Morgan let me crash on his couch for a while. That’s when Gelissa came along.”

He explains how she was always pushing him to fight more and make more money. She wanted him to take the heavyweight fights even though the fighters were much more experienced and known to play dirty.

“All of this because she didn’t like the idea of her boyfriend not having his own apartment.”

My eyes open in shock. Swallowing hard, I ask, “Did you love her?”

He shakes his head immediately. “No, I cared about her, sure. But she almost got me killed. Gelissa convinced this guy Gunner to tell me an upcoming fight was a lightweight one, but it wasn’t. The asshole almost killed me. I ended up in the hospital right after.”

He rubs one hand up and down his bouncing leg. “I found out she was cheating on me with him, and they both intended to rob me if I won the fight.”

I have to physically force my mouth closed at his revelation.

“After I was released from the hospital, I went back to Morgan’s apartment and packed up my shit.” He stifles a small laugh before he continues sarcastically, “He put up quite the fight, too. Practically throwing my clothes into bags and shoving me out the door.”

He shakes his head. “Not that he was a dick.” He pauses another second to think about it. “Okay, maybe he was a bit of a dick.” He shrugs. “Turned out, having his homeless best friend snoring on his couch didn’t go over well with the ladies he brought home.”

He laughs again, but louder now. “Especially for a guy named, well, Morgan.”

Taking a sip of his coffee, he changes the subject. “Enough with the past. Let’s talk about the present.” He places his coffee down and rubs his hands together in anticipation. “Let’s play a game called dare or dare.” He holds back a laugh. “It’s truth or dare, without the truth.” I stare at him with a really? look on my face, but he continues to try and convince me. “It’ll be fun, I swear. We each pick a dare that the other has to do. No backing out, or else.”

“Or else what?” I shake my head, waving him off. “This game sucks.”

He shrugs. “You’re right, it does. But I still think we should do it.”

He thinks about it for a second. “How about this...” He clears his throat. “As a trust-fall of sorts, we each have to do one thing the other says, but it can’t be now. We won’t know what it is until it’s announced, and then we have to do it, right then and there. No exceptions. We say the words trust-fall, and that’s how we know it’s time. In the meantime, we trust that the other person won’t take advantage of their power. And to show appreciation of that noble character, we do whatever the hell it is they want.” Tossing his coffee in the nearest trash can, he takes out a pack of Big Red, winks, and pops a piece in his mouth.

It’s actually not a bad idea. I get to choose whatever crazy thing I want him to do.

But knowing he has this over me, and trusting him enough to not put me in a compromising position, would be a testament to how far I’ve come. I check my phone, it’s almost ten o’clock at night. I could let him sweat a bit more but decide against it.

“Fine, let’s do it.” I agree.

He reaches out a hand for me to shake, so I roll my eyes and place my palm in his.

Suddenly, thunder rumbles in the sky, and all the people around us scatter. I look up and feel a raindrop land on my cheek. As Jaxon and I get up to leave, the skies open up, and floods of water begin to fall.

Jaxon grabs my hand and runs. I can barely see through all the rain drenching my glasses and the darkness from the night. I’m glad he can somehow. His bike is blocks from the park entrance, and the inside of the carousel has been closed for an hour now.

Wherever we’re going, I hope it has some type of roof. I’m slipping on the muddy grass in my boots, slowing us down. Jaxon notices and turns around, scoops me up over his shoulder, holding onto the back of my legs with his arms, and sprints towards shelter. I remove my glasses, so they don’t fall and hold both them and my bag as tight as possible.

“I’m sorry, Nyx, but those little legs can’t keep up!” he yells into the rain.

“Where the hell are you going?! I’m getting soaked!” My question dies along with the feeling of rain on me when we enter a small enclosed gazebo.

A bolt of lightning in the sky lights up our little bunker in flashes, and it’s clear this storm may take some time to pass. With his back towards me, Jaxon spits his gum outside and removes his hat, twisting the water from it.

I squeeze out my hair and can’t help but laugh at the situation we’ve found ourselves in. I continue my giggle fit while I wipe the water off my face with my hands. That’s when I look over and find Jaxon staring at me with a look I’ve never seen before. Is he mad?Did I do something wrong? He looks away as if he’s ashamed, but when his eyes are back on mine, desire is written all over his face.

I become all too aware of my body and look down to cover whatever I can. That’s when I see it, my red lace bra under my very white, very wet, t-shirt.

Damn it. I knew I should have packed more bras!

Embarrassed, I cross my arms to cover my chest. When I look down, I notice the cleavage from my overly proportioned breasts spilling from the top of my now skin-tight white t-shirt, making me a human push-up bra. Jaxon groans then shifts uncomfortably.