Page 54 of Facing the Line

I do, and he continues. “Do solemnly swear that I won’t tell a soul what Jonas is about to show me.”

Grumbling under my breath, I repeat his words and raise a brow. “Well?”

“Okay so. Have you ever seen an athlete from any of the college teams working out at the Rec Center?”

I haven’t thought about it before. “I guess not?”

“Right. Because the rumors are true, and we have a super secret state-of-the-art facility that’s under lock and key.”

I gasp, playing it up for him. “Oooh. Although technically, the Rec Center is locked, too.”

“Shh.” He puts his finger on my lips, and I have a weird desire to suck it into my mouth and make him squirm “Do you want me to show it to you or not?”

“I definitely do.”

“Okay, follow me.”

The student Rec Center is amazing from the outside—newly renovated with floor-to-ceiling windows show off the rows of treadmills and equipment on three stories. But the building Jonas jogs to is downright boring.

A nondescript brick building, it barely has a sign or any identifying factors. It’s a few blocks from Hockey Hall and the arena. I’ve probably walked past it a hundred times and not noticed. Which I suppose is the goal if it’s top-secret.

The air is heavy, pressing on my skin, and it smells humid. Thunder rolls in the distance and lightning flashes on the horizon, but it’s been hot and dry for so long, it’s probably a result of the heat and not an impending storm.

I don’t admit it to him, but when Jonas scans his student ID and lets us in, the welcome rush of cold air on my skin is amazing. He’s right—the place is fantastic. We walk by two pools, a weight room, sauna, changing rooms, and finally, he shows me the ellipticals. I’ve always wanted to try a Precor, but not even my dad would buy me one.

I pick my jaw up off the floor as Jonas gestures to it with a smug grin on his face. “What do you think?”

“It’ll do, I guess.”

He scoffs, stepping onto the one next to me. “Do you like to watch TV or listen to music when you run?”

“If I’m outside, I’ll listen to music or an audiobook. In the gym like this, I usually watch TV.” I hold up my phone screen, but he grabs a remote and points it to the wall in front of us. I didn’t notice at first but the entire surface is comprised of individual TV screens.

“Wanna watchLove Island?” he asks, fiddling with the streaming options.

“You don’t mind?” I find my tempo and settle into the warm-up rhythm.

“I’d hate for you to watch it without me.” He smiles, and I miss a step. Grabbing the handles, I right myself as my cheeks heat. But god, his face when he smiles. It takes my breath away.

He chuckles. “You okay, Hads?”

“Yep, I’m good. Just getting used to this machine.”

We banter back and forth during the show, betting on who will couple up and who will get kicked off. I honestly can’t believe he likes watching this dumb show with me, but he’s as into it as I am.

As the episode wraps up, I start my cool down, and Jonas follows. While it wasn’t as enjoyable as running outside, it was fun to have Jonas by my side. I got my heart rate up, endorphins are making me happy like Elle Woods recommends, and the Precor elliptical was amazing.

“Worth ten thousand dollars,” I say, patting it as I dismount.

Jonas’s eyes go wide as he hands me a paper towel and sprays both machines. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. I tried to talk my dad into buying me one, but I’m not a future hockey player.”

He swallows. “That’s a big chunk of change.”

“Nah,” I say, shrugging. “Not to Daddy.”

I spin to walk away and jump at a crack of thunder. It echoes in the empty building.

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