Page 69 of Ellie Hayes and the Himbos
“Let’s add weight.” He nods to the ten-pound plates on the floor by my bar.
“That’s a twenty pound jump on top of whatever you already had on there,” I point out.
“You’ve got it.”
“If I fall over, it’s your fault.”
“Hayes, I can bench two of you. If you fall over, I can deal. Put. Them.On.”
Every word is a command. And damn it all, I want to do it. Whether to please him or in spite of him, or, perhaps, in response to the jolt my libido had given at his direct tone, but he’s thrown down the gauntlet, dammit; I’m going to pick it up.
Also… he can bench two of me? Can we test that?
Once the bar is loaded, Ian nods, then clears his throat. “Approach. Brace. Slack. Lift.”
I follow the steps one by one. It’s tougher going this time—I’m feeling every one of those additional twenty pounds—but then, I’m at the top of the lift.
“Bring it back down,” he says, with all the enthusiasm of someone reading off stereo instructions.
The weights clatter to the floor.
“Dizzy?” Ian asks, voice quiet.
It takes me a moment to make sense of the question. Then—
“No?”
“You just PR’d by thirty pounds, Ellie.”
I gasp. “It was that heavy?”
“You probably could have done more, based on your form—”
“I didn’t get dizzy! I’m fine.” Relief ricochets around my torso, bouncing off the walls of my rib cage. “You were right!” I jump at him for a hug, and he catches me easily. He holds me as I crush my arms around him, my anxiety and terror fleeing my system,replaced by giddy relief. He squeezes me to his chest, pressing a shuddering breath out of me. “Oh, my God. I’m okay.”
“You’re okay.”
I nod into his shoulder. Tears sting my eyes. I hadn’t realized how scared I was until I didn’t have to be anymore. I sigh. I’m okay.
“I’m okay,” I repeat aloud. The words replay in my mind on a loop.I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay!
“And you PR’d,” he adds, like it’s anywhere in my awareness.
I barely have the breath to let out my laugh. “You tricked me with the metric system.”
“And it worked. Do—” He clears his throat. “Do you need a second?”
I nod again.
“Should I leave you alone?” His hold on me loosens almost imperceptibly, and I tighten my grip on him on instinct.
I shake my head side to side, still pressed to his chest. “Stay? Please.”
“Okay.”
No hesitation. He’s here. Staying.
He cares.
