Smile Like You Mean It (Charlotte Reynolds Book 1)

by Willow Hadley

  I want to cry, but I don’t let myself. How could the boys purposefully set me up and put me into such an embarrassing situation? They knew I was already nervous and that I was most likely going to make a fool of myself. I know I haven’t known them long, but I thought they all felt the same way about wanting to be friends with me. It hurts my feelings so much that I naively walked into their scheme so willingly, all over a stupid bet they made with their asshole of a trainer.

  After a few minutes of wallowing in self-pity, I hear somebody coming down the hallway. I’m too afraid to look up. I hope it’s just an employee, because I don’t know what I’ll do if it’s one of the boys.

  “Figured you wouldn’t have gone too far.” Adrian sighs in relief as he sits down on the bench beside me.

  I turn my head just enough to glare at him. “I still don’t want to talk to you.”

  Adrian smiles and says, “You know, you’re the first person who’s managed to catch me off guard enough to get me on the ground in a fight since I started working as a trainer here.”

  I sit up and slap my feet down onto the floor as another wave of anger comes over me. “Oh, so that was a lie too? You don’t have some stupid rule about only training somebody if they can get a hit on you?”

  He frowns and shakes his head. “I do have a rule. I won’t waste my time training somebody unless they prove to me that they want to be here. But those boys of yours have been talking about you nonstop every time they’ve come in here the past week, and they were all so goddamn insistent on betting that you’d kick my ass. I got carried away, and I’m sorry for that. But you more than proved yourself, kid.”

  I’m still too angry and hurt to accept his apology, so I turn my head away from him and don’t bother replying. After a few moments of silence, Adrian chuckles quietly. “I’m pretty sure the guys are ready to piss themselves right now. You should have seen their faces when you walked out.”

  I swallow and keep my face turned away from him. My voice comes out sounding quiet and pathetic when I say, “They lied to me and used me for a stupid bet.”

  “Guys are stupid.” Adrian laughs. I finally give in and turn to meet his eyes. He gives me a crooked smile and adds, “We never really grow out of it, unfortunately. But they had good intentions.”

  Maybe they did. I mean, at least they bet on my side. But I still don’t think it’s okay. I shake my head. “That was so embarrassing. It took me so many tries before I was able to hit you, and I’m sure I looked so weak and stupid. Every time I fell down, I wanted to disappear. It made it so much worse that they were all watching.”

  Adrian nudges my shoulder and grins broadly. “I promise that you did not look stupid. You looked fucking fearless and determined, kid. You should be proud of yourself. If you still want to learn to fight, I’d be honored to train you.”

  I can’t help the smile that slowly creeps onto my face, and I hesitantly ask, “Really?”

  “Absolutely! You have a crazy amount of potential.” He gives me another smile and holds his hand out toward me. “So, am I forgiven?”

  I stare at his tattooed hand before raising an eyebrow condescendingly. “Fine, but you’re on probation.”

  Adrian laughs as I finally place my hand in his.

  “First lesson starts now, if you’re up for it. I can kick the guys out of the training room if you’re still pissed at them.”

  I nod my head slowly, wishing I could control the blush rising on my cheeks the same way I can control my expression. I’m excited to train and learn how to legitimately fight, and I’m definitely willing to give Adrian another chance after he came out here to talk to me like this. But I am still angry at the boys and I’m not ready to face them yet.

  Luckily, Adrian seems to understand. He stands up and beckons for me to follow him, an easygoing smile on his face. Despite his size and all of the tattoos, somehow he doesn’t seem all that intimidating anymore. We walk side by side down the hallway until we reach the door of the training room.

  As soon as we walk in, I’m surrounded by the guys. They’re looking at me with pitiful, apologetic eyes and talking all at once so I can’t even understand what any of them are saying to me. I cross my arms and silently glance over at Adrian. He’s smiling in amusement, but snorts loudly when our eyes meet.

  “Get the fuck out of here, you twats!” he shouts in a loud, booming voice and points at the door.

  The guys go quiet and stare back and forth between me and Adrian. I have to force myself not to look at them. I’m already starting to feel bad, and I know I’ll end up forgiving them if I meet any of their eyes now. Grayson, Liam, Sebastian, and Elliot take a few hesitant steps toward the door, but Remy gently touches my arm and brings his other hand up to my chin, tilting my head up to meet his eyes.

  “Charlotte...” His artist eyes are as intense as always, pleading with me. And his voice is lower and deeper than usual, making my heart flip.

  I let out a short breath and mumble, “I’ll talk to you guys when I’m finished training with Adrian.”

  Remy nods, slowly lowering his hand and taking a step back. I keep my gaze trained on the punching bags lining the wall and don’t turn around until I hear the training room door open and close.

  Adrian starts laughing wildly, and I spin around to glare at him with my hands on my hips. “What are you laughing at?”

  He gives me a teasing grin and shakes his head. “Nothing, nothing at all.” When I continue to glare at him, he says, “Alright, let’s start with the basics. Most of the punches you threw weren’t bad, and you’re quick. But your footwork is sloppy and you hesitate slightly every time you throw a hit. Except when you’re angry, which is why I started goading you earlier.”

  I smile. “Okay. What’s first?”

  An hour and a half later, I’m lying flat on my back on one of the mats of the training room. There are a few other people in here now. Some are using the punching bags, some are on the mats, and there are two people fighting in the sparring ring. I ignore them and groan at Adrian.

  “Just kill me now.”

  He laughs and holds his hand out to help me up. I groan again before grabbing his hand, and I frown as soon as I’m standing in front of him. I’ve been bruised and pretty beat up after fights before, but this is a completely different feeling. All of my muscles are screaming at me and I seriously want to collapse and never get back up again. I didn’t even get hit! Adrian had me work on my stances, footwork, and the correct form to use when throwing punches at both him and the punching bags. It was a lot of fun, but I didn’t realize I’d be hurting this much after a little training and no real fighting!

  “You just need to build up some muscle and endurance. You did great though!” At the miserable look on my face, Adrian laughs again. “Seriously, this is pretty normal for people after their first class. I’m surprised you haven’t thrown up yet. Ask Liam or Elliot to help you come up with a thirty-minute workout routine for you to do four days a week just before MMA lessons with me. I’m assuming you’ll be coming in with Sebastian and sticking to the same schedule he does, right?”

  I hadn’t really thought about it, honestly. But I guess that makes the most sense, so I nod. Even if the idea of feeling like this four days a week really sucks right now. Adrian pats me on the back roughly, tells me to go drink some water, and promises to say goodbye to me and the guys before we leave.

  As soon as I step outside of the training room, somebody grabs my arm. I jump in surprise and look up into Sebastian’s mismatched eyes. He looks so worried and guilty, and he pulls his hand away from me once he has my attention.

  “Charlotte.” He says my name in a quiet, raspy voice and clears his throat. “Are you alright? Are you...are you still mad at us?”

  Oh, right. While I was training with Adrian, I’d somehow forgotten that I was angry at the guys. I’d been so focused that they were pretty much the last thing on my mind. Now I feel sort of bad. They’ve probably been worried and panicking ever
since I had my first ‘fight’ with Adrian. Although, I guess they do kind of deserve it.

  I want to tell Sebastian I’m not angry anymore, but I also need to tell him and the other guys that what they did wasn’t okay. While I’m trying to decide how to answer, my gaze travels over to the window looking into the training room.

  I blink and furrow my eyebrows, and the question comes out of my mouth before I even think about it. “Were you watching me?”

  Sebastian’s face turns red and he reaches up to run his hand through his hair. “I, um, yeah, but not in a creepy way! The guys and I were taking turns checking on you, that’s all!”

  I shake my head and let out a quiet giggle. Without another word, I start making my way to the water fountains like I was going to do before Sebastian stopped me. He only hesitates for a few seconds before following me, but he doesn’t say anything else.

  When I finish taking a long drink of water, I’m not surprised to find Elliot standing beside Sebastian only a few feet away from me. He looks guilty and nervous too, but he’s smiling at me. “Hey, gorgeous. Did you have fun training with Adrian?”

  I let my eyes wander over him. He’s a lot sweatier than Sebastian is, and he looks really hot. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Sebastian looks really good like always. But now I’m excited to see how sweaty the other guys are after working out too.

  I force myself to stop thinking about that, even though I’m sure I’m blushing. I grin excitedly at Elliot. “Yes, I did! I feel like crap right now, and I’m exhausted. But it was still pretty awesome. Adrian said I should ask you and Liam to help me come up with a thirty-minute workout to do before training with him from now on. Is that okay?”

  Elliot’s eyes light up and he nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, of course! Liam is better at that sort of thing, but I’ll definitely help if I can.”

  “Better at what?” I turn my head to see Liam, Grayson, and Remy walking over to join us.

  Elliot answers Liam. “Adrian told Charlotte that me and you can help her come up with a workout to do before MMA lessons whenever she comes in here.”

  Liam gives me a small, apprehensive smile. “So, you’re not mad anymore?”

  I take a moment to meet each of their eyes. My boys. It’s hard to explain, but I feel both nervous and relaxed surrounded by all five of them. Maybe they messed up earlier, but I still truly believe all of these amazing boys are my kindred spirits. They were meant to be my best friends, like Elliot’s always saying.

  “I’m not mad now, but I was definitely mad earlier. You guys really hurt my feelings.”

  They start apologizing at the same time, making it impossible to make out clearly what any of them are actually saying. I roll my eyes and wait for them to shut up before explaining myself further.

  “I don’t know why you guys had to lie to me or set me up like that. I was already so nervous to meet Adrian and to prove myself to him without all of your stupid betting bullshit! You could have just asked me to fight him or warned me that he was going to test me. You have no idea how stupid I felt during that entire fight with all of you watching.”

  They’re quiet, probably afraid to piss me off by talking over each other again. After a few beats of silence, Grayson clears his throat. “We’re really sorry, Charlotte. We knew you were nervous, but we didn’t think about it like that or from your perspective. We just wanted to prove to Adrian that you’re stronger than you look and that you’re the coolest, most badass girl we’ve ever met!”

  Remy nods his head in agreement. “And we bet on everything. I know it’s fucking stupid, and I swear we’ll never do anything like that again.”

  I smile shyly and shrug. “I don’t mind the betting. It’s just, if we’re going to be best friends, then I want to be included in the bets too. It’s not fair for you guys to leave me out just because I’m a girl or because I’m new.”

  Sebastian laughs and gives me an adorable crooked smile. “You want to be included in our stupid ass bets?”

  At my nodding and giggling, Liam smiles broadly. “Deal!”

  Elliot takes a step closer to me with a soft smile on his face and tugs on the end of my ponytail. “Did you still want to go out tonight? I know you’re probably pretty wiped out right now.”

  Sebastian furrows his eyebrows and asks, “Did we have plans?”

  I nod and smile at Elliot, and then Sebastian. “It’s Elliot’s punishment for throwing me into the pool the other day. We’re going to the movies later. I picked the absolute girliest thing I could find!”

  Sebastian gives me a long look, but it’s impossible to read his expression. “Just the two of you?”

  I can practically feel Elliot tense up, and Grayson quietly hisses at Sebastian to be quiet. I don’t really understand what the big deal is. Elliot and I have been texting pretty much constantly whenever he’s not over at Arthur’s house with us. Remy and Liam too, and Grayson usually texts me before we go to sleep after he’s gone home for the night. Elliot said he wants us to hang out without the other guys so we can get to know each other better, and I totally agree! I have so much fun with all of them, but it can be distracting with so many people in one group. I feel like right now I probably know Sebastian better than the other guys because I spend the most time with him at home.

  “Yeah, why?” I finally ask. I feel bad for leaving Sebastian and the others out, but I’ve been looking forward to hanging out with Elliot since he asked a couple of days ago.

  Rage flashes across Sebastian’s eyes and he turns to glare murderously at Elliot. I barely have time to react before Sebastian faces me again and angrily breathes out of his nose. “Does Arthur know? You’re supposed to tell him where you’re going and who you’re with at all times.”

  Remy and Liam shake their heads, but Grayson groans and covers his eyes dramatically. Elliot is still standing tense at my side. I ignore them to glare back at Sebastian.

  “As a matter of fact, Arthur does know. I asked him last night. But he said I only need to tell him who I’m with and where I’m going unless I’m with you or the guys. Last I checked, Elliot is one of the guys, and there’s no rule about having to ask your permission, Sebastian.”

  Sebastian’s eyes widen and his face flushes once again while the other boys snicker, clearly amused and surprised by my comment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. Please, Charlotte, I can’t stand having you angry at me.”

  These boys seriously need to learn the difference between angry and irritated. I thread my fingers through Sebastian’s and squeeze his hand lightly. “Are you guys ready to go? I don’t mind waiting if you’re not.”

  Sebastian squeezes my hand back and smiles in relief, despite the blush still prominent on his cheeks. “Yeah, we’re all good to go!”

  Elliot

  I’m just about to walk out the front door when my step-mom’s shrill voice calls out, “Elliot!”

  I roll my eyes and take a deep breath before I turn around to face the direction she’s calling me from. “Yes, Victoria?”

  Her heels click against the hardwood floor as she walks into the foyer with a sour look on her face. She’s dressed like she’s ready to go to a cocktail party, but I have no idea if she and my dad actually have plans or if she’s just dressing up for his benefit. I couldn’t really give two shits either way, honestly. When she keeps looking at me like I’m personally offending her, I raise my eyebrows questioningly.

  “Did you finish your chores? Your father will be home soon, and I don’t want him getting into a bad mood.”

  I force myself to smile and nod. “Yes, I did. Can I please leave now?”

  She narrows her eyes at me. “Are you going to be home late?”

  I don’t even think about it before I say, “I’m going to stay at one of the guys’ houses tonight.”

  Victoria doesn’t smile—I’ve only ever seen her smile when my dad’s in the room—but she definitely looks relieved. She’s never tried to hide the fact that she despises having
me around, and I’ve overheard her telling my dad more than once that he should send me to boarding school and some type of military academy.

  I don’t really get why he hasn’t yet. He seems to hate me almost as much as Victoria does. I’m pretty good about avoiding him most of the time, but whenever we’re both home, nothing I do is ever good enough and he’s constantly badgering me about school, football, and every other stupid tiny aspect of my life.

  Victoria flicks her hand towards the door and sneers. “That’s fine, I suppose.”

  That’s probably the closest I’m getting to having her permission, so I don’t waste another second before walking out the front door. Luckily, I always keep a bag of spare clothes in my truck. I’d normally ask Sebastian if I can crash at his house, but I’m pretty sure he’s still pissed at me for asking Charlotte to go to the movies.

  He texted me right after we all left the gym earlier to tell me that I’m a hypocritical asshole. I told him it’s not a date, but it doesn’t matter. I knew he’d be pissed. That’s why I didn’t tell him or the other guys in the first place that Charlotte agreed to hang out with just me tonight.

  The entire fifteen-minute drive over to Sebastian and Charlotte’s house, I’m feeling uneasy and nervous. I always feel miserable after talking to Victoria, even if it’s for only a few minutes. Dealing with her isn’t as bad as dealing with my dad, but it still sucks. Aside from that, I’m honestly fucking nervous to hang out with Charlotte alone. I know I just said that it’s not a date, and I made sure to let her know that when I’d asked her, but a part of me can’t help wish it could be a date.

  As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I mentally slap myself. I’ve been telling both Remy and Sebastian that nothing good can come from that sort of thing with Charlotte, and I need to listen to my own advice.