Page 49 of The Weight Of Falling
Five minutes pass. Maybe more. I keep telling myself to move, to stop staring. But I stay rooted, caught in his gravitational pull as I watch the way his muscles strain and coil with every lift. When he leans forward to grab another dumbbell,I glimpse the scar on his cheekbone flash beneath the bright overhead lights.
I finally manage to tear my gaze away, my cheeks hot with embarrassment from all my ogling. I turn toward the treadmills and walk straight into someone’s chest.
“Wow,” a familiar voice says. “I never thought I’d see you at the gym.”
Bobby.
He’s wearing gym shorts and a too-tight tank top. His eyes travel slowly down my body, lingering on my legs.
“Hi, Bobby.” I give a self-deprecating laugh. “I never thought I’d see myself here either.”
“How are you?” he asks carefully.
“I’m good.”
He crosses his arms. “People are talking, saying you’re engaged.” He pauses. “I don’t believe it. Not unless I hear it from you.”
I grip my towel a little tighter. “I guess nothing stays secret around here.”
“Is it true?”
“It’s true,” I manage. The lie feels jagged and wrong in my mouth.
His eyes widen. “To Joel Adams?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t get it. You barely know him.” His voice carries more confusion than judgment, but it still lands like an accusation.
“It happened fast,” I say. “A, uh, whirlwind romance.”
He stares at me in disbelief. “You? Whirlwind? Kenzie, when it comes to dating, you move at a snail’s pace.”
“It’s different with Joel.”
He frowns. “This isn’t you. What’s really going on?”
Before I can answer, Joel appears. He’s fresh from the free weights, towel slung over one shoulder, his T-shirt clinging toevery unfairly sculpted muscle. His gaze moves from my face to Bobby, sharp and unreadable, before settling back on me.
“Hey,” he says simply.
“Hi.”
“Everything okay?” His voice is calm, but his eyes tell a different story.
“Everything’s fine,” I reply, but I can feel my pulse jumping under my skin.
Bobby stiffens, looking up at Joel. “We’re talking here, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Joel says easily. “Carry on.”
“It’s a private conversation,” Bobby says pointedly.
“In a very public place,” Joel retorts. “And I’m her fiancé. Pretty sure that gives me a front-row seat.”
A few gym-goers glance our way. I can feel the ripple of interest around us, the gossip practically writing itself.
Spots of color flare on Bobby’s cheeks. “I’m just making sure Kenzie knows what she’s getting into.”
