“It’s a big deal,” I heard myself say.
He wasn’t a world-famous trainer. He wasn’t a loud social media presence or someone whose name was mentioned often anymore. But still, she was here to become stronger.
He didn’t ask what I meant. “It is.”
My gaze lingered on his profile. And when he turned, eyes locked on mine, I didn’t look away.
“That’s why,” he said quietly. “This isn’t easy money. But at this point in my life, I want to build something that matters.”
Then he walked away, and I was left wondering if I wasn’t completely making things worse by trying to understand him better.
He was in the middle of his session when the twins showed up, gym bags slung over their shoulders.
“I didn’t know you two were coming today,” I told them.
Lia hooked a thumb at Claire. “Her idea.”
I glanced at Claire. “It’s never your idea to work out.”
Claire held up her hands. “Not for that.”
My eyebrows rose. “For what then?”
Lia held up two fingers. “We wanted a glimpse at him because you’re still being awfully cagey, and two, Molly told us about your fight.”
“It wasn’t a fight, per se,” I hedged.
Claire set a hand on Lia’s arm. “We get it. And we’re not taking sides. I just wanted to check on you because we haven’t seen much of you lately.”
Standing from the stool, I joined them as they walked back toward the bags. “No taking sides, huh? You’re saying I’m the only one not thrilled at the prospect of seeing her.”
“If I thought she’d actually come, I’d probably need to medicate,” Lia said.
Claire smiled. “I could go either way. But I tend to agree.”
Aiden glanced over while I sat on the ground with them as they began stretching. But his client started a new rep, and he pulled his gaze from me and the twins.
“I’d just rather not think about her coming or not coming,” I told them. “I hate that hanging over the day.”
Claire wrapped her hands around the bottom of her shoe and leaned forward. “Just don’t fight that discomfort, you know? Ignoring your feelings about it will only make it worse.”
“Thank you, Miss Future Therapist.”
She smiled. “Plus, even if she does come, no one says you have to engage with her at all.”
Lia pressed her arm over her chest and stretched. “She’s not gonna show. No way she has the guts.”
When I shifted on the floor, Claire gave her twin a look. “We’ve got plenty of time to figure it out.”
Apparently, my desire to talk about Brooke was stamped pretty clearly on my face.
Lia snuck a look over her shoulder, where Aiden was guiding his client in some lunges. He pointed out something in her form, and she nodded, immediately adjusting. “Holy shit, is that Allie Catalano?”
I nodded.
She whistled. “I can’t wait to tell Jude.”
“How’s it going with him?” Claire asked carefully.
I gave her a look. “Perfectly fine, thank you.”
Claire smiled. “Has he talked about his wife much? I can’t imagine how hard it must be to start over like that.”
“Just once,” I said, watching him again. His eyes found mine and held.
Instead of looking away, like I might have before, I took a deep breath and gave him a small smile.
“Not really the kind of topic you can push if someone doesn’t want to discuss it,” Lia said. “Imagine if Logan lost Paige. He wouldn’t be able to talk easily about her either.”
The three of us went quiet. My heart went a little pinched, a little achy at the thought of it. He’d never be ready. Never.
Maybe that was the kind of marriage Aiden had too. The kind he’d never get over.
One day at a time, I reminded myself.
The twins left.
His client left.
A class started and ended while I continued to work.
And I found myself unable to stop thinking about what Lia had said. What this fresh start might mean to him.
As I thought it, a giant truck pulled up in front of the building and I hopped up off the floor to go to Aiden’s office.
“Got a minute?” I asked, popping my head around the corner.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “For you, yeah.”
My cheeks went warm, and in the light of his office, I thought maybe his did too.
“The guys are here to install the new sign.” I gave him a tiny smile. “Want to watch?”
He studied me. “If you’ll join me.”
Carefully, I nodded, and left his office while he followed.
AIDEN
I’d almost convinced myself that the invitation for her to join me meant nothing. Almost. Because as we walked side by side, a low, humming awareness arced between her body and mine even though we didn’t touch.
Nothing more would ever be possible with her, I’d come to realize. But it was tolerable, at least for my own sanity, as long as it didn’t progress past this.
It was that awareness that had me stepping just a little farther away from her, because the last thing I needed was to ruin the ease we’d found in the recent stretch of days.
“Lemonade?” she asked.
In my head, I laughed out loud. But I kept my face even as I answered. “Nope.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.