Page 53 of Piece By Piece

I brush those worries to the side, convinced I’m being sensitive. It’s early in the morning and my heart is still racing from my orgasm. This day is already full of turns. So what if Aliena isn’t in the mood to let me return the favor right now? That’s completely fine. As long as she doesn’t already regret anything, I’m good.

When Aliena emerges from the bathroom forty minutes later, during which I read a bit to drown out my doubts, she looks fresh and happy. I set my book down and give her my undivided attention.

“So, do you have any plans for your day off?” I ask.

“Nope. I’m very open to suggestions, though. I hate being bored. What is your to-do list for the day?”

I could tell her what certainly wasn’t on my to-do list; sitting in my bed so long after waking up. I should have started my day forty minutes ago, but I had to see Aliena again before leaving for my run. I was worried that things might get weird if we didn’t see each other for hours yet.

Maybe I just wanted to see her to be sure she was fine.

“Well, I should already be halfway through with my run by now so that’s up next, I guess. I should work out after that since I’ve been slacking. Then comes lunch. I have two classes in the afternoon and then I’m free. If you’re bored, you can run with me?” I propose unsurely. To be honest, I have no clue what her relationship with sports is.

When she groans, I have my answer. Not a fan, then. At least not of cardio. “There’s no way I can possibly keep up with you but if you’re willing to run a few circles around me so I can tag along, I guess it’s worth a try. The last time I was supposed to run from a stranger in the night, I cursed myself for not working out more.”

The unwelcome reminder of the time I had to pick her up unconscious after she was robbed is like a bucket of ice over my good mood. “Good point. Do you have running shoes?” I ask, hiding my impacted attitude as well as possible.

She blows out a breath. “Yeah. In one of the boxes that remain untouched to this point. I’ll go look for them in my room,” she says, already heading out.

“Good, and hurry!” I yell after her. So much for no longer slacking. I’m sure inviting her to join me on my run won’t lead to a more efficient workout. Still, I’ve noticed how restless Aliena is and if she wants a distraction, I’m happy to provide that.

Another twenty minutes later, my roommate and I are finally leaving my house. We barely talk. I, because I’m anxious to finally get on with my day, and Aliena for whatever reason. I’m glad for the silence this once. Not because I don’t care about what she might have to say or bethinking but because I’m still busy sorting out my own thoughts.

No matter how hard I try not to, I’m stressed out about my father’s possible reaction when he finds out I’ve been neglecting his carefully constructed workout plan. It’s ridiculous, really. I’m a twenty-three-year-old man, for fuck’s sake.

Still, some part of me can’t shake the lingering fear of his disapproval and reproach. He drilled that into me from a young age and some of that just sticks.

On top of that, I’m unsure whether or not I should address what happened this morning with Aliena. I mean, we shook on being friends. Those lines might’ve already been blurring with every night she spent in my bed, but this morning, something significant happened. Something way out of those drawn lines. I’m confused about where that leaves us.

No matter how attracted I am to Aliena and how much I care about her, I haven’t changed my mind about entering a relationship. I haven’t forgotten all the cons speaking against it.

Still, I get excited at the prospect of maybe repeating what happened this morning. The only problem is that I don’t know where my roommate stands on all this.

For now, I allow myself to focus on the burn of my muscles and the strain on my lungs as I try to motivate Aliena while running my route through the woods. It’s a lot more fun than I thought, seeing her struggling to breathe when all she clearly wants to do is snap at me. My challenge for the duration of the run is to not let her catch her breath enough to give me hell for proposing she joined me.

“If you’re down, you can always join me in the gym afterward,” I tell her, half-joking because she certainly doesn’t look in the mood for more exercise right now.

“I. Will. Murder. You,” she gasps in between deep breaths. And to think I’m already slowing my tempo down enough to be running backward.

“Bap, bap, bap. Less talking, more breathing, Sweetheart. We wouldn’t want you to pass out, now, would we?” I reproach playfully. She glares at me but shuts her mouth, taking deep breaths through her nose.

“That was the worst idea I had in my entire life,” Aliena exclaims as the elevator doors shut behind us. I walk inside to get two bottles of water, amused when I find her slouching on the floor when I return from the kitchen. She’s still catching her breath.

“You were right, you really do need to do more cardio,” I tell her, handing her a bottle.

“If you think I’ll ever run with you again, you’re sorely mistaken,” she declares instantly. I just keep smiling.

“All right. I’ll always have my phone on, then. In case you need any picking up in the middle of the night again.”

She gasps. “You didn’t just joke about that!”

“Oh, but I did. Too soon?” I ask. She simply bursts out laughing and shakes her head.

“Just right. I hate taboo topics. Coping with humor is my favorite deficit. There’s nothing worse than being treated with kid gloves.”

“All right, good. Now, I’m going downstairs to the gym, okay? You know where to find me, right?” I ask.

“Walk all the way back there, then take the stairs, right?” she recites before adding, “I can’t believe there’s a third floor to this monstrosity of an apartment.”

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