I held Liam’s hand and followed him into the building, my heart pounding. The dim lights and the subtle scent of sweat and leather gave me a hint about where we were entering long before we even reached the main area.
It was a gym, but not just any gym. It was a boxing gym. The sound of gloves hitting heavy bags and the thud, thud, thud, of jump ropes filled the air. All around me was controlled violence.
Liam led me past rows of punching bags and weight benches until we reached the boxing ring in the center of the room. He stopped and turned to me, his eyes focused, determination and something deeper, something raw.
"This is where I come to clear my head," he said, his voice low and intense. "It's the only place where I feel like I can really be myself."
I looked around the room, ta
