“Let’s gooooo,” Victor teases.
I start jumping along with Victor, no way I can keep up with his pace. He’s finished with his sets before I am. He didn’t even break a sweat. I, however, barely finish, panting hard. I place my hands on my knees and bow my head. A few drops of sweat fall on the blue mat, and I smile. Although I’m breathless and I can’t talk, I am connected to life, to Victor, and to this moment. I have no desire to be anywhere else.
“Now, Tia,” Victor’s voice is deep with a note of playfulness, “let’s see what you’ve got. When you’re under attack, your body will be exhausted, your muscles will be sore because of the stress and adrenaline kicking in. You’ll tense up and you’ll feel like you do right now. So do the moves again.”
I bring my head up and straighten up my posture. We finish up with this round of exercises and head for the showers.
When I’m in the locker room, I check the time on my phone. An hour. Probably one of the best workouts I’ve had yet. We both rush through getting a shower and dress at the gym since we don’t want to get home too late after seeing his mom, so as not to raise questions from my brother.
In the car, we fall into a comfortable silence and I doze off as he drives to his mom’s place.
“Tia?” Victor’s deep voice coaxes me awake. “We’re here.”
My eyes flutter open slowly and adjust to the light.
“How long did I sleep?”
“About forty-five minutes.”
Victor runs around the car and opens my door.
“Thank you.”
He bats his eyes at me in a heart-stopping way.
I’m in trouble.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Victor’s mom’s apartment complex consists of four two-story buildings with several apartments within each. The front doors open to a narrow quad in the middle with grass and colorful flower beds.
Victor takes me to a blue door on the first floor. It swings open before he can even put up his fist to knock. The smallest lady, so petite, launches herself forward and hugs Victor. Her head barely reaches his chest.
“Let me look at you.”
I smile at her sweet voice.
“Ma, you saw me last week.”
Victor wraps his arms around her slender back and the contrast in body sizes is startling. How did Victor get so huge? Maybe my theory about genetically modifying him is true.
“But now is probably the last time I get to see you before you leave for Vegas.”
I gulp at the reminder. She releases him and tilts her head up to examine his face.
“After the fight, I’ll stop by one more time before moving out of state.” Victor’s voice trembles. He has her green eyes. And the look she’s giving him right now is familiar to me—sometimes Victor looks at me with the same sparkle. Her gaze shifts from Victor to me, and her smile grows wider.
“Hello, Tia.” She shakes my hand. “I’m Doreen.”
“Hello. Nice to meet you.”
She gestures for us to come in. Her apartment is small but tastefully decorated. The light green paint on the walls is warm and the furniture is cozy, with a nice touch of fluffy pillows and toe-tickling rugs.
This whole apartment is barely as big as a single room in the house on my dream board. But there’s more love and happiness in this apartment than inside the cold walls of my dream house. Even without the big pool and the huge back yard, I’d prefer to live in an apartment like this, if it means I get to be with the one I love, surrounding myself with happiness and love, not with items.
“Tia, don’t you dare look at these.”
Victor is laughing and his mom steps near me. I move closer to the wall with a picture gallery of Victor. They’re organized in chronological order, from a cute baby to more recent times.
