-Vaughn Blackmore:
The second my back slammed against the training mat, pain exploded through my entire body so hard it knocked the breath straight out of my lungs.
For one horrible second, all I could hear was the impact.
The loud sound of my body hitting the floor.
The rough scrape of the mat against my arms.
The sharp ringing in my ears afterward.
Then air finally rushed painfully back into my chest, and I sucked in a harsh breath while staring up at the ceiling lights above me.
What the fuck—
Noise erupted around us almost instantly.
"Yo!"
"What the hell?"
"Dude—"
"Stop!"
Boots moved rapidly against the rubber flooring nearby while instructors started shouting over everybody else, but all I could properly focus on was the pressure of Kieran still hovering over me for half a second too long.
Like he enjoyed it.
Like he enjoyed seeing me on the fucking floor.
My jaw tightened immediately.
Anger hit me much faster than pain did.
