I got recognized almost everywhere I went, which was why I barely went anywhere outside of the gym and my apartment. Visiting the bar two blocks away was one of the only exceptions, but everyone who frequented that hole-in-the-wall knew me, or as much of me as I permitted, which wasn’t much. Keeping to myself had been my golden rule. There were times when some drunk asshole tried to pick a fight with me, but they never got past the first rude comment before Sal, the owner, booted them out.
Every time my feet hit the pavement, the vibration was like a sedative to my soul. The repetition helped to drown out the doubts and self-loathing that constantly swirled around inside me. I wondered if running had the same effect on Sophie. Was she able to shut off her brain, or did her turmoil plague her as well?
I embraced the silence between us, thankful she didn’t bombard me with idle chitchat or a bunch of questions. The woman didn’t have a filter, but I couldn’t say I hated that about her. She definitely kept things interesting, that was for sure.
Two hours later, we were headed back to the gym, Sophie keeping pace with me on my left. She was much smaller than me,but she never fell behind for long, increasing her strides to keep up.
Once I cleared the pathway, I slowed down, and she followed suit. Her flushed skin and heavy breathing suggested she might need the cooldown.
“I’m normally not this bad,” she panted, wiping the sweat from her brow. “But you’re so damn tall, I had to practically sprint just to keep up with you.”
“You act like I’m a giant,” I said.
“Compared to me, you are.”
“You should’ve told me. I would’ve slowed down.”
“Nah. That’s okay. Pushing myself was what I needed today.”
My response was a simple nod before I pointed straight ahead. “We’ll be back in no time.”
More silence ensued as we trudged back toward the gym, Sophie falling into step beside me. As soon as the building came into view, her steps faltered, and when I turned around to find out why, alarm pierced my chest. Her eyes were the biggest I’d ever seen them, and she looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack.
I stepped in her direction. “What’s wrong?”
“I… I can’t.” Her focus wasn’t on me but on something behind me. I turned to look but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“What’s wrong?” I repeated, stepping into her personal space. “I’m right here.”
“No” was the only word she spoke, her sawing breathing intensifying.
One moment passed. Then another. She wasn’t any closer to letting me in on what was going on, but when I returned my attention toward the gym, it was then I saw a police officer standing near the entrance, talking on his phone as he assessed the area.
Had something happened I should be aware of?
Was he here to talk to me?
Or one of the guys?
“I should check out why the cop is here.”
I didn’t take two steps before Sophie latched on to my arm, her grip borderline bruising. If there was ever a time I could feel someone else’s fear, it was now, her fright traveling from the tips of her fingers and burrowing into my flesh.
“Please don’t go over there, Jackson. He’s not here to see you. He’s… that’s…he’s here to see me.”
“Why? What happened?”
The muscles of her throat worked to swallow her nervousness. “That’s Mitch.” She briefly averted her eyes. “My ex.”
“That was fast,” I muttered, more to myself than to her. “Why don’t you head on in there?” I said, pointing toward a nearby café. “And I’ll get rid of him.”
Her face was a roadmap of indecision and worry. She’d told me she didn’t want me involved in her situation, and I was sure she had her reasons, but there was no way I’d allow this guy to threaten her or do whatever else he had in mind. Clearly, he wanted to intimidate her, and it was working, even without her being in his presence.
Her grip on my arm tightened, and I had to literally pry each of her fingers off. I gently gripped her shoulders and turned her toward the café, but she didn’t budge from her spot, the desperation behind her eyes morphing into something else altogether.
Was that resolution?
Strength?
