Alix: You blew Dane off, and now I need to know if it’s because of Dylan. Dane is insisting it’s because of Dylan.
I sigh, dropping my head back against the seat.
She’s not wrong. I have been ignoring her.
Not because I’m hiding. Not because I’m guilty. I just… don’t have the bandwidth. I have deadlines. Work. Homework. Campaigns stacked back-to-back. I don’t have time to explain my emotional life to someone who wants answers I literally don’t have. She would laugh, knowing that I’m not even talking to Dylan, and then she’d shove Dane in my face again.
I scroll farther back. More messages. Concern wrapped in frustration. Loyalty to her brother bleeds through every word.
She has a point, though.
I always liked Dane. I always wanted him. There was a version of me that could’ve said yes, that could’ve bent my no-boyfriend rule and tried to date Dane.
But rules exist for a reason.
Dating takes effort. Emotional maintenance. Time.
And right now, every ounce of effort I have goes into my work.
That’s the part I don’t say out loud.
I don’t reply.
Instead, I start the car and drive home.
The rest of the weekend blurs into productivity.
I sort photos. Flag favorites. Edit until my eyes ache. Upload content. Respond to emails. Schedule posts. Catch up on homework late at night with my legs tucked under me on the couch.
I don’t think about Dylan on purpose.
That doesn’t mean I don’t think about him at all. This is the same thing that happened after we had amazing sex. He just disappeared for a week. And today makes a week.
Monday morning, I waltz into the gym ready to take on the day. Gavin at the front desk greets me, and I give him a high-five.
“You should reconsider the social media job we have. We need you, Ce.”
I smile. “I’m so sorry, Gav. I’m just too busy.”
Gavin leans down. “What if you taught a class once a week?”
My smile tightens, and then Marina walks over with two of her friends.
“Hey,” Marina says. “I brought company if that’s okay.”
I look over at Madeline and Rose and nod with a smile. “Yeah, totally.” And mentally, I’m trying to calculate how much of my time it’s going to eat if we’re all working out together. “Madeline and Rose, right?”
They nod.
Madeline says, “I hope it’s okay that we’re here.”
Rose adds, “We don’t want to intrude.”
I shake my head. “It’s no problem at all. Ready to get started?”
Gavin taps the counter. “Have fun, ladies. Cecily, think about what I said.”
We walk over to the mirrors and begin warm-ups. I mentally plan a full-body workout, rotating through each of us. I help them with form and guide them verbally in a professional voice.
