AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterOne
NATALIE
What sane person wants it to be Monday already when it’s only Thursday!
Oh yeah, that would be me. Ughhh.
Everyone else is too busy waiting for Friday to arrive so they can let their hair down.
Yet I can’t wait for this weekend to be finished, even though it hasn’t even started yet.
I’m standing in the gym with Xavier, waiting for our last client of the day to finish stretching. My anxiety level’s already high, knowing what’s in front of me on Saturday, and it’s something I’d rather skip. Or so I keep trying to tell myself anyway.
It’s going to be the type of weekend where you’d rather crawl up on the couch with a tub of ice cream, in front of a good rom-com or a movie where you need copious amounts of tissues at the ready for the climax before the happily ever after hits you at the end.
But if I don’t go, I can just imagine the slew of texts I would get.
Where are you?
Why aren’t you here?
If you don’t walk through the door in the next five minutes, we are coming to get you!
Get your sweet ass over here now so I don’t have to suffer these lovebirds all by myself!
And that would just be from Lilly, my new almost sister-in-law— I guess that’s what you would call her.
Since my brother Xavier started dating Alesha, I’ve been adopted by Alesha and Lilly’s family too.
Lilly’s full-on all the time, and the sassiest woman I know, completely different to me, but I really like her. And the Stevenson brothers, holy shit! There should definitely be a law against that level of good looks and raging testosterone all in one family.
Thank God they’re all in relationships. Well, almost, with one brother still trying to convince my stubborn best friend Zara that she’s spoken for. I mean, he has her caught but hasn’t put a ring on it yet. Otherwise, I have a feeling Lilly would have been trying to hook me up with one of her brothers.
It would be hard to tell her no, especially when I can’t explain why I’m not in the market for love.
I should be… but I’m just not.
Xavier’s boisterous voice jolts me out of my thoughts. “I can’t believe we’re already into the start of the new NFL season and Jordan didn’t even make it home in the off season for a visit.”
Xavier is almost bursting like an excited kid. He’s placing the weights back on the rack after our session with our last client for the day. Oh, the joy of being a personal trainer. You get to do the packing up after they leave. You feel like you’ve done ten separate workouts by the time you get through with all the different clients. Dealt with four different personal crises, three huge egos, been hit on by a few guys around the gym—and that’s all just before breakfast. Then during the day, we have a couple of people who just need you to make them believe in themselves mixed in. They’re the ones I love the most. Seeing them blossom when they finally find their inner strength and realize that the world sees the beauty in them so it’s time for them to see it in themselves. We have so many different clients, but it makes the day interesting, should I say—except for the flirting, that got old fast.
“I’m glad we’re one of the first away games for his team this season, so at least we get to see him early on.”
My heads whirls just thinking about that meeting. Trying to stay in the moment, I block my panic out—which makes me a snappy bitch.
“Seriously, it’s like you have a bromance with Jordan going on. Is there something you need to tell Alesha before she falls too hard for you? Mind you, I think it’s a bit too late for that anyway.” I still find it hard to believe that Xavier has found a woman who he wants to settle down with, and also, that there is anyone in this world prepared to take on my brother. She is nothing like what I expected he would look for in a partner, yet they seem to be perfect together.
“Shut up! I’m just excited for him to meet Alesha, plus you know I miss him being around. Aren’t you happy to see him too? It’s been a while.”
I’m groaning in my head. It hasn’t been long enough in my opinion, but I can’t admit that out loud.
“I know he’s still kept in contact with you, but a visit face to face is always more fun. Don’t you agree?” Xavier’s looking at me like I should be jumping out of my skin like he is.
My head is screaming the words,Fuck no!
But I know saying that out loud would raise way too many interrogating questions.
His curious eyes are looking at me like I should be totally agreeing with him.
