Page 19 of The Weight Of It All
“Henry, you’re smiling at your phone,” Anika said. I looked up to find them both staring at me.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. I told you before, I am one hundred percent not interested. He’s a nice guy. He understands what I’m putting my body through, and so what if he texts me to see how I’m doing. Isn’t that what all personal trainers do?”
Anika and Sean shook their heads slowly. “Not really,” Sean added. “Unless he’s a life coach or well-being mentor or whatever they’re calling themselves these days. Is that what you signed up for?”
“Well, no.” I hesitated. “He’s just my personal trainer.”
“Who has your number and texts you,” Anika prodded.
“Yes. To see how I’m holding up, that’s all. I thought it was nice.”
Sean grinned. “Next thing you know he’ll be accidentally running into you in the supermarket.”
Oh God.
“Oh my God,” Anika said, a slow grin spreading across her face. “He has already? Jeez, he’s moving fast!”
“What? No! It wasn’t like that,” I protested quickly. “He lives close by, apparently. It’s our mutual supermarket. People are allowed to have a mutual supermarket. He suggested I go shopping for my new diet plan before I went home because he knew I wouldn’t be able to get up once I sat down.”
Anika side-eyed me. “So, he knew you were going to be there? And just so happened to turn up as well? Interesting.”
I shook my head. “It’s not interesting. It was just a coincidence.” Anika pursed her lips together, and before she could say one more thing about it, I added, “Please don’t go there. I’m so not ready for that. My heart is broken, and I can’t see myself ever being ready for that. I mean, Graham might not love me anymore, but I can’t just turn my heart off.” I swallowed hard. “And anyway, if you saw Reed, you’d understand why you’re being completely absurd. He’s… well, I’m hardly his type. I don’t even know if he’s… inclined to be interested. Not that it matters, because I’m on the island of indefinitely not interested.”
Anika’s face softened. “Oh, Henry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push. Of course it’s too soon.”
Sean turned the empty glass in his hand. “Don’t sell yourself short, Henry. Graham was a dickhead for leaving, and it’s his loss. And it will be some lucky bloke’s gain, just you wait and see.”
Anika stared at Sean, as did I. It was the most heartfelt thing I’d heard him say. “Awww,” Anika cooed. She nudged his shoulder with hers. “You’re so getting lucky tonight.”
He turned a deep-pink shade of embarrassed, and while they were looking all lovey-dovey into each other’s eyes, Istood up, only merely wincing in pain. “Being nice to me and sickly in love doesn’t count. You’re still paying.”
They laughed as they followed me to the maître d’s table where Anika cheerfully handed over her credit card. The drive home was kinda quiet, though I felt a lot better than I had this morning. When Anika pulled up out the front of my place, she turned in her seat. “I’ll call you tonight, okay?” She waited for me to nod. “And if Graham replies to that text, call me before you do anything, okay?”
Oh. I’d already forgotten about that text… “Sure.”
With my better mood suddenly deflated, I faced my dining table full of Graham’s belongings, and I felt more than deflated. I was back to square one.
And although I’d hoped, and although I checked my phone a dozen times, he never replied.
Five
My sullen moodfollowed me into the gym on Sunday morning. Reed was his usual bright and cheery self, grinning when he saw me. “Hey!”
“Hey,” I replied back.
He clearly picked up on my lack of lustre, and his brow furrowed for a second. His smile slid away. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, trying to smile. “Just feeling sorry for myself. Ignore me.”
He seemed a little unsure of what to say next, and I hated that I’d made him uncomfortable. “You sure?”
“Yep. What torture are you going to put me through today?”
“That depends. How are you feeling? Still sore?”
“I’m actually not too bad. I’m either getting better, or I’m just used to the pain.” To be honest, I did still hurt, but with my broken heart giving one last hurrah, it kind of paled in comparison.
I’m certain Reed saw right through me because he didn’t push me too hard. He had me do the usual treadmill and elliptical hell, then we did weights on the cable and pulleymachine. If Reed wasn’t with me, standing beside me, he was watching me.
