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CHAPTER 23
Fuck, it’s hot. Damned Florida in summertime. Who the hell decided this was a good time for any kind of physical challenge? Alcohol is leaking out of every pore. No matter how much water I’ve consumed, I’m dehydrating faster than I can replace it.
The first round isn’t too bad. Dean and I are neck and neck. The second lap outside slows me down a little, but I manage to catch up.
“Yeah,” I yell, feeling like shit, but trying to ignore it. Then, as I start into the third round, I really start feeling like I’m dying again.
Dean completes his third set of half burpees, and races out the back door for his two-lap run. I’m not too far behind. Pushing myself to the brink, I burst out the door. Hundreds of people have lined the course, shouting our names, encouraging.
“Cat, Cat!” the crowd chants as I run past, attempting to high five me again. But I don’t respond.
Can’t slow down!
The assaulting heat and humidity are taking a huge toll on my already aching body. Sounds fade into the background until all I can hear is the pounding of my heart. My legs are moving almost out of sheer momentum.
I make it to the front door a sweaty mess, to find Dean already in his fourth round, working on jump ropes.
Trying to ignore the speed in which he’s tackling them, I start working on my full burpees. One burpee, two, three... I’m pretty sure death is eminent.Must have water.
Reese, who I’ve assigned as my water girl, runs to me and shoves the water bottle into my mouth so hard it splashes into my nose. I’ll take it. My body soaks it up before it hits my stomach anyway.
I keep going, envisioning myself opening the gym doors for the first time. Smiling, I see my name on the plaque that hangs at the entrance. “Catherine Eberhardt, Owner.”
Somewhere in the distance I hear Julie yelling something at me.No time to listen. Must burpee.
“Ten, eleven burpees,” I sing in my head, trying my best to ignore the cool sensation that suddenly crawls over my skin, and not in a good way. What comes after eleven?
Must keep going.
I swallow down the vomit.Please don’t vomit. Ten, eleven.
Where’d the room go? Am I still moving?
“Cat. Cat!”
“Is she going to be okay?” someone says.
“Mom. Momma, I’m here.”
Little by little my eyes open and everything starts to come into focus. There’s a very distinct pounding in my head that only becomes worse the moment I realize somehow time has moved on without me.
Reese is holding my left hand with a worried look on her face. Julie, and Dean are kneeling at my feet and Liz is by my head. A paramedic is at my other side, taking my blood pressure, while the entire gym hovers expectantly.
“Did I win?” I ask before I can stop myself.
They all look at each other, then down at me pitifully. “You gave it all you could, Mom” Reese says.
My eyes fly to Dean, the new owner of Maxx Boot Camp Key West. News cameras are pointed down, capturing every emotion that passes over my face as I come to understand that I lost. They’ve caught it all, every embarrassing moment from the time I met Dean, to my sinful confessions, and now my perfect crash and burn.
It’s too much. Not only have I lost, but the world has been witness to my failure.
Pushing the paramedic, I stand, nearly throwing up in the process.
“Mom, where are you going?” Reese cries out behind me as I plow through the crowd.
“Cat!” Dean grabs my arm to stop me. “You need medical attention.”
I pull my arm out of his hand and stare him dead in the eye. There is so much fury rolling off me, he takes a step back. Everyone does. Tears sting my eyes and it makes me angrier that I want to cry.
