Page 26 of Forbid It

He runs his hand through his hair. “Well yeah, I have to maintain a certain level of fitness.”

“Your level is already pretty good, I’d say.”

“I don’t always cycle. Sometimes I run.”

“That’s insane,” I say, reeling. “That’s basically a triathlon. Aren’t you coming back from an injury?”

Robbie glances out the windscreen. “What are you, my PT?”

“Do you have a PT?”

He nods stiffly.

“And what do they think about you doing all this extra exercise?”

He looks at me perplexed. “Sorry, are you saying I work out too much?”

I nod. “You literally just told me that you do a workout after your job, working out.”

“I’m an athlete, Cassie, it’s almost like it’s part of the job description.”

“Do you enjoy it?” There have definitely been times that I’ve come home after a long day and gone straight to my surfboard, but that’s because I love it. Because there’s literally nothing else I’d rather do. I’m only limited by the tide and the weather and even then I don’t really care.

“I enjoy football.”

“And the bike?”

Robbie shrugs exasperatedly. “I don’t know Cassie, do you enjoy brushing your teeth? Some things you just do.”

“So what do you do for fun?”

“Football.”

I bark an incredulous laugh. “Okay, are you messing with me now?”

“What?” His eyebrows scrunch. “I’m so lost.”

This man is so frustrating. One minute he’s snapping at me and telling me to leave him alone and the next he’s offering me a ride. Then he’s telling me I have good style and can do with being inspired, but as soon as I try to get to know him, he shuts me down. There’s no way that all he does is soccer. Is he allergic to fun? The man literally just compared it to brushing his teeth.

“Okay.” I try a new tack, considering the last one got me nowhere. “What do you do to escape? To get away from it.” I gesture with my hands as if I can encompass the endless pressure and training and schedules into a ball in the air. Robbie squints at me like I just asked him why he puts his socks on before his shoes. “Actually, forget it.” Frustration boils in my chest and I put my sunglasses over my eyes with a huff. “I have many better things to enjoy in my life than watch a man be bored to death.”

With that, I hop out of the car and storm to my front door, not waiting to hear his car drive him back to his boring life.

I fumble with my keys, but I don’t hear the telltale sign of an engine roaring off. I can sense his car lingering behind me and glance back to check. He doesn’t have family over here, and as far as I can tell he doesn’t have many friends either. He won his game today and he’s going to celebrate at home by himself. The lock clicks under my hands, but just before I step over the threshold, I spin on my heels and march back towards the car.

I yank the car door open. Robbie turns in his seat, his arm resting over the wheel and his eyes on mine.

“Forget something?”

“Come on.” I gesture at him to climb out.

His eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

“Get out the car, Bert.”

His hand drops to the seatbelt and in a matter of seconds he’s rounding the car without even a single follow up question.

I don’t wait for him before turning and heading back into the house.