It’s the hard part of not having any family. No one that I can turn to and talk to about these kinds of things. It’s like I’m being left behind and I don’t quite know how to deal with that.
At least I have Zucchini. But she has to like me because I feed her and pet her.
Jabbing at the treadmill button, I increase the speed.
The pounding underneath my feet feels good. The burning and stretching in my legs and lungs keeps driving me forward.
This. This is exactly what I need right now.
Except it comes to an abrupt end when Noah stands in front of me, pulling the safety magnet off.
“What the fuck, man?” I glare at him.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
Looking around, I see that the other guys left.
“Why does anything have to be wrong? I’m?—”
“If you say fine one more time, I’m going to deck you.”
“Really? You would punch me?”
“Well, no, not really.” He shakes his head. “But everyone knows when someone says they’re fine, they’re not actually fine.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Hayes?” One of the team secretaries walks into the weight room, looking very out of place in her pantsuit.
“Yes.” I grab the towel hanging from the bar of the treadmill and drag it down my face, trying to make myself more presentable.
“This came for you.”
She thrusts a box into my arms before scurrying out.
“Thanks,” I call out, even though the door is closing behind her.
“What’s that?” Noah asks.
“Beats the fuck out of me.”
Too bad it wasn’t Coach Andrews needing me so I could get out of this conversation with Noah.
Grabbing one side of the box, I rip it open. A note addressed to Casper sits on top of two neatly wrapped items in pink tissue paper. I grab the card and open it to an unfamiliar scrawl.
Casper,
I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I’m hoping you might still be feline a connection and this will break the ice…again.
<3
Bella
“Who the fuck is Casper?”
I drop the note into the box, trying to hide it from Noah who’s reading over my shoulder.
“Mind your own business.”
Setting the package down on one of the benches, I take out one of the items and unwrap it. A box of Frosted Flakes. Another note is taped to the front.
