— Hey. You awake? —
Mason.
The next day was miserably gray and humid with thunderstorms rolling through off and on all day. It matched my mood perfectly and I found myself wishing the sun wouldn’t show at all. Dale had to go into town for some banquet, so he offered to drive me to my training session. I stared out the window and thought about my phone call with Mason the night before.
He just called to check on me, but it was the first time we’d really talked since the break-up. I think I’d almost forgotten how badly he’d broken me until I heard his voice saying my name the way he used to. And then saying Shay’s in the exact same way. It killed me to hear him talk about her, even though I knew in his head he was doing what he thought was right. He was showing me sympathy and mercy, but I didn’t want it. Training with Rhodes was thickening my skin and numbing my mind. I liked numb. Numb didn’t hurt.
I sighed, resting my forehead against the passenger side window of Dale’s Corvette. It was raining, so I had no idea why he chose that car in the first place. It’s not like he could put the top down. But then again, that was Dale — he liked to show off his toys.
“I heard you on the phone last night,” he said, stirring me from my thoughts. I glanced at him and he was staring at me carefully. I just sighed again and put my head back on the window. “Was it Mason?”
“Yep.”
He paused, gripping the steering wheel a little harder. “And?”
“And he talked to me about his new girlfriend.” I swung back to look at him, hoping my eyes would convey that I didn’t want to talk about it. The truth was that it stung, and I realized on the phone with him that I wanted him back even more than I realized. I didn’t want to hear him talk about Shay because I wanted to be the only girl in his world.
Dale frowned, but nodded. “How’s training going?” he asked, changing the subject.
My stomach did a small flip when I thought about Rhodes and the night before. The dinner paired with Mason calling made for an interesting night. “It’s good,” I said, smiling.
He appraised me carefully. “I can see a difference already, you know,” he said. “I know it’s just been a little over a week, but you can tell. In the way you carry yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
Dale grinned, shaking his head. “I don’t know, I can’t really explain it.” He glanced over at me again. “You’ve always been beautiful, Natalie, but the confidence you’re gaining with this training takes you to another level.”
I smiled, trying to take the compliment but not really feeling up to the challenge. My self-esteem was low, and though Dale always seemed to see the best in me, I just couldn’t see it myself. Adjusting the messy bun on my head, I smirked. “Let’s just hope taking it to another level doesn’t mean another level up on the treadmill because I don’t think I can handle that.”
He laughed as we pulled into the parking lot of the club. Rhodes was standing outside beneath the overhang, sheltering himself from the rain. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against the brick. His signature pose. I swallowed at the sight of him and unclicked my seatbelt, my eyes still on his.
“Come here,” Dale said as he threw the car in park. He pulled me in for a long hug, squeezing me tight, and when he pulled back he leveled his eyes with mine. “You’re an amazing girl, Natalie. Don’t ever forget that. You can do anything you want to do. Talking to Mason hurts right now but one day you’re going to wake up and not even care about what he’s saying or doing because you’ll have moved on from him.”
“Isn’t it Mom’s idea to get me back together with him?”
He waved his hand at me. “Your Mom and I don’t agree on everything.”
Grinning, I leaned over the console and grabbed my gym bag from the tiny backseat. “Thanks for the Dadvice, Dale.”
“Always.”
“Don’t forget I’m staying the night with Willow tonight. She’s picking me up after my session,” I added.
“Got it. Have fun tonight. You deserve it.” He threw me another wide smile as I stepped out of the car, opening my large bubble umbrella as I did. I returned his smile, feeling a little more like I could conquer my training session, and waved him off before turning to Rhodes. When I did, my feet wouldn’t move.
Rhodes was staring hard at the Corvette as it pulled out of the lot, his green eyes piercing through the rain like laser beams. I glanced back and saw Dale glaring at Rhodes with the same disapproval. When I turned back toward Rhodes, he shifted his gaze to me in an instant and kept the same dark expression as I moved toward him.
“Who was that?” he snapped.
“My step-dad?” I answered hesitantly. “Why?”
He blanched. “That’s Dale Poxton?”
I nodded. Most people in this town knew who Dale was, but hardly any of them knew what he looked like — not unless they were in his circle. Dale liked to keep to a certain type of crowd.
Rhodes still hadn’t moved. His eyes were hard for a moment more before he shook his head, kicking off the wall and making his way toward the gym. “Let’s head back.”
“Wait,” I said, jogging a little to catch up with him. “Why? Why did you ask who that was?”
“It’s nothing. He just looked at you funny, I wasn’t sure...” His voice faded to a low murmur and he shook his head again. “Nothing. I was mistaken. How are your muscles today? Are you still sore?”
I eyed him cautiously, but let him change the subject. I was ready to work, too. “I feel a lot better. A little sore, but I can move.”
“Good,” he said, patting the treadmill as we entered the gym. “Hop up and turn the incline to six, speed to four.”
I groaned, but tossed my bag down in the corner and did as he said.
We worked in mostly silence for just over an hour as he moved me around the gym. He had set up an obstacle course similar to the one the week before, complete with the ropes and all. When I bent low in my squat to do the snake in the grass move, I shivered at the memory of his arms around my waist when he showed me how to do it before.
“So what are you doing tomorrow night?” I asked as I lunged across the gym with two plated weights in my hands. My leg muscles felt stronger, steadier, far from the shaky mess they were the first time I did a lunge.
Mason.
The next day was miserably gray and humid with thunderstorms rolling through off and on all day. It matched my mood perfectly and I found myself wishing the sun wouldn’t show at all. Dale had to go into town for some banquet, so he offered to drive me to my training session. I stared out the window and thought about my phone call with Mason the night before.
He just called to check on me, but it was the first time we’d really talked since the break-up. I think I’d almost forgotten how badly he’d broken me until I heard his voice saying my name the way he used to. And then saying Shay’s in the exact same way. It killed me to hear him talk about her, even though I knew in his head he was doing what he thought was right. He was showing me sympathy and mercy, but I didn’t want it. Training with Rhodes was thickening my skin and numbing my mind. I liked numb. Numb didn’t hurt.
I sighed, resting my forehead against the passenger side window of Dale’s Corvette. It was raining, so I had no idea why he chose that car in the first place. It’s not like he could put the top down. But then again, that was Dale — he liked to show off his toys.
“I heard you on the phone last night,” he said, stirring me from my thoughts. I glanced at him and he was staring at me carefully. I just sighed again and put my head back on the window. “Was it Mason?”
“Yep.”
He paused, gripping the steering wheel a little harder. “And?”
“And he talked to me about his new girlfriend.” I swung back to look at him, hoping my eyes would convey that I didn’t want to talk about it. The truth was that it stung, and I realized on the phone with him that I wanted him back even more than I realized. I didn’t want to hear him talk about Shay because I wanted to be the only girl in his world.
Dale frowned, but nodded. “How’s training going?” he asked, changing the subject.
My stomach did a small flip when I thought about Rhodes and the night before. The dinner paired with Mason calling made for an interesting night. “It’s good,” I said, smiling.
He appraised me carefully. “I can see a difference already, you know,” he said. “I know it’s just been a little over a week, but you can tell. In the way you carry yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
Dale grinned, shaking his head. “I don’t know, I can’t really explain it.” He glanced over at me again. “You’ve always been beautiful, Natalie, but the confidence you’re gaining with this training takes you to another level.”
I smiled, trying to take the compliment but not really feeling up to the challenge. My self-esteem was low, and though Dale always seemed to see the best in me, I just couldn’t see it myself. Adjusting the messy bun on my head, I smirked. “Let’s just hope taking it to another level doesn’t mean another level up on the treadmill because I don’t think I can handle that.”
He laughed as we pulled into the parking lot of the club. Rhodes was standing outside beneath the overhang, sheltering himself from the rain. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against the brick. His signature pose. I swallowed at the sight of him and unclicked my seatbelt, my eyes still on his.
“Come here,” Dale said as he threw the car in park. He pulled me in for a long hug, squeezing me tight, and when he pulled back he leveled his eyes with mine. “You’re an amazing girl, Natalie. Don’t ever forget that. You can do anything you want to do. Talking to Mason hurts right now but one day you’re going to wake up and not even care about what he’s saying or doing because you’ll have moved on from him.”
“Isn’t it Mom’s idea to get me back together with him?”
He waved his hand at me. “Your Mom and I don’t agree on everything.”
Grinning, I leaned over the console and grabbed my gym bag from the tiny backseat. “Thanks for the Dadvice, Dale.”
“Always.”
“Don’t forget I’m staying the night with Willow tonight. She’s picking me up after my session,” I added.
“Got it. Have fun tonight. You deserve it.” He threw me another wide smile as I stepped out of the car, opening my large bubble umbrella as I did. I returned his smile, feeling a little more like I could conquer my training session, and waved him off before turning to Rhodes. When I did, my feet wouldn’t move.
Rhodes was staring hard at the Corvette as it pulled out of the lot, his green eyes piercing through the rain like laser beams. I glanced back and saw Dale glaring at Rhodes with the same disapproval. When I turned back toward Rhodes, he shifted his gaze to me in an instant and kept the same dark expression as I moved toward him.
“Who was that?” he snapped.
“My step-dad?” I answered hesitantly. “Why?”
He blanched. “That’s Dale Poxton?”
I nodded. Most people in this town knew who Dale was, but hardly any of them knew what he looked like — not unless they were in his circle. Dale liked to keep to a certain type of crowd.
Rhodes still hadn’t moved. His eyes were hard for a moment more before he shook his head, kicking off the wall and making his way toward the gym. “Let’s head back.”
“Wait,” I said, jogging a little to catch up with him. “Why? Why did you ask who that was?”
“It’s nothing. He just looked at you funny, I wasn’t sure...” His voice faded to a low murmur and he shook his head again. “Nothing. I was mistaken. How are your muscles today? Are you still sore?”
I eyed him cautiously, but let him change the subject. I was ready to work, too. “I feel a lot better. A little sore, but I can move.”
“Good,” he said, patting the treadmill as we entered the gym. “Hop up and turn the incline to six, speed to four.”
I groaned, but tossed my bag down in the corner and did as he said.
We worked in mostly silence for just over an hour as he moved me around the gym. He had set up an obstacle course similar to the one the week before, complete with the ropes and all. When I bent low in my squat to do the snake in the grass move, I shivered at the memory of his arms around my waist when he showed me how to do it before.
“So what are you doing tomorrow night?” I asked as I lunged across the gym with two plated weights in my hands. My leg muscles felt stronger, steadier, far from the shaky mess they were the first time I did a lunge.
