AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Getting up from my seat, I grab my keys and stuff my feet into my shoes as fast as possible. “I can’t fuck this up like that. She can’t get hurt because of me. I need to fix this.”
Levi is standing by the stove cooking some eggs as he watches me fly around the room, gathering my things. “Just make sure you’re honest with her and she knows how much you mean to her. Oh, and maybe actually ask her to be in a relationship with you rather than this bullshit dating. Girls don’t want that. They want commitment.”
I freeze at the front door. A relationship? How could I even be in a relationship with someone when our time together has an end date already? Do I want to be with Emree?
The thought of ending what we have, or could have, completely has my heart clenching. She’s everything someone would want in a woman, and for some fucked-up reason, she chose me. She could have anyone in school, and she wants to be with the one guy who can’t have what he wants.
While our time may have an expiration date, I know breaking it off with her isn’t an option for me right now. It may be selfish, but I need more time.
More days. More nights spent together. More laughs. Just…more.
1
EMREE
“My legs don’t bend that way. You’re stretching me too much,” I say through the pain.
“Just relax. You’ll enjoy it.”
I roll my eyes. “Nobody would enjoy this. For real, get my feet out of the straps. I’m not ready for something this advanced.”
“Em, seriously, relax and let me do what I need to do.”
“Jules, you’ve been doing Pilates for years. This is my first time. You need to get my legs out of these straps before I pull something.” Currently, both my feet are locked into some torture contraption, and she has my back on a sliding board. I must have gone too far down because there is a burning pain on the inside of my legs.
She rolls her eyes. “You are such a baby. Blaire is handling this like a champ.”
I look over at my best friend, and she is on her side, pulling the straps up and down as she lifts her legs to the side. She has a smile on her face, and I want to punch her for that.
Jules releases me from what I can only describe as my own personal hell.
“Good for her. Now, I’m going to go grab some more of that cucumber water and drool over the men in the kickboxing class. Maybe those sweaty, shirtless bodies will help me forget the burning feeling in my thighs.”
As I’m leaving the room, Jules calls out to me, “You’ll never get to enjoy it if you quit on the first day.”
Not stopping, I wave her off without turning around. “Hot, sweaty bodies, Jules. Hot, sweaty bodies.”
Blaire laughs as I round the corner and head toward the front to the reception area. Hope Gym is unlike anything I have ever seen. Past the front, it looks like an everyday gym with its machines and weights, but beyond that, there are several rooms that host different types of classes. On the right side of the building, there are Pilates, yoga, and Zumba classes. Toward the back are kickboxing, cycling, HIIT, and CrossFit. While I have never been someone who partakes in the gym, the fact that this place offers more than the usual boring stuff intrigued me. That is until Jules locked me into a torture machine and then proceeded to call it exercise.
Once I have a nice, chilled glass of cucumber water in my hand, I smile at the sweet teenage receptionist and make my way to the back. Several men are letting out unnecessary grunts as they lift weights in the open area, and there is a row of people using the treadmills and other cardio machines. The place is packed for a Saturday afternoon. I would think more people would want to be out, enjoying the sunshine and touching some grass.
It is March in Florida and while some states are still stuck shoveling their driveways in the morning, we get to enjoy the most perfect seventy-degree weather. The water is still too cold to swim in, but being outside at this time of year is perfect. Spring break is approaching, and I can’t think of anything better than seven days in the sun, working on my tan.
While not every room has a window from the hallway, I have been blessed that the kickboxing one does. Fifteen beautiful men are facing away from me as they punch and kick some kind of large bag. The music is loud and I can hear it through the closed door. There is an instructor on the other side of the room, and when he spots me, a smirk graces his chiseled face. I have been caught, and I’m not even ashamed. Who says a woman can’t ogle some sexy men? They’re just putting themselves on display with their low-hanging shorts and shirtlessness. A girl’s eyes have a mind of their own sometimes.
For the next few minutes, I sip on my delicious water and enjoy the view. All too soon, the instructor ends the class and the group of men walks to the side of the room. Many of them grab shirts from their bags and cover their beautiful bodies. I may have pouted.
The instructor looks over at me again, and now I feel like a creeper still hanging around when the class is over. I drain the rest of my water and toss the cup into a nearby trash can. The men in the class begin to exit the room. A few look my way and some smile. While I thought my bright-pink leggings and tank top with a cat lifting dumbbells on it were cute for a day in the gym, now I’m wondering if I look absurd.
Just as I’m about to walk back to my friends, the instructor comes out and stops when he sees me standing there. He looks at me from head to toe and smiles, showing off a picture-perfect smile. He is an attractive guy. A few years older than me, maybe late twenties, with jet-black hair hanging in his face and a full beard. His beautiful, dark-bronze skin glistens with sweat.
I must have been staring for too long because he heads over toward me, wiping the sweat from his face with the white towel resting on his shoulder. He’s tall, much taller than my five foot four, and his legs are long as he strides over.
“You enjoy the class?” he asks, still showing the most perfect set of teeth. His lips are full and now that he is closer, I can see a dimple in his right cheek hidden behind his beard.
Ducking my head, I try to cover my blush at being caught. “A room full of half-naked men? Who wouldn’t enjoy that show?”
He laughs, and it’s a deep, manly sound. “I’m pretty sure that’s why they put the kickboxing class in one of the few rooms with a window. Helps me gain a lot of new clients.” He smiles. He’s looking at me like a guy who is attracted to a girl, and I can’t help but feel good inside.
