Riley
The room was filled with the sharp scent of sweat and the faint hum of the ventilation system. I stood a few feet away, watching Lucas carefully as he positioned his foot, eyes focused on the next step. The tension was unbearable, but this time, something was different. The movements came smoother, more confident. His knee bent just a little more than before, the instability almost gone.
“Come on, Lucas, you’re so close,” I encouraged, voice steady but full of hope. “Just one more step forward. You’ve got this.”
He inhaled sharply, then shifted his weight. His foot moved deliberately, landing solidly on the mat. Another step. And then another. I could hardly believe it when he took a full stride—wobbly, sure, but completely controlled.
“That’s it! That’s perfect!” I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face. “You did it!”
Lucas glanced over, eyes wide, a flicker of disbelief mixed with pride lighting up his face. I could see the weight lifting off his shoulders in that moment.
Without thinking, he closed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around me in a sudden, instinctive hug. I froze—surprised, unsure, my heart pounding in a way I didn’t expect. The hug lingered longer than it should have, warm and familiar, stirring feelings I’d tried to keep buried.
“Boundaries, Rivera,” I finally whispered, pulling back gently.
His smirk was half amused, half apologetic. “Right. Forgot you laminated those.”
I laughed softly, shaking my head, but inside I was a mess. That hug had cracked something open I wasn’t ready to face.
That night I sat alone in my room, replaying that moment over and over. How his arms felt around me. How his breath had been warm against my neck. How my own hands had instinctively reached back. I hated myself for it. I hated how much I still wanted it.
Zara walked into the room with that mischievous grin that meant she knew exactly what I was thinking.
“So, how was the big moment? You look like you just lost a battle with your own heart.”
I rolled my eyes and snorted. “I can’t be falling for him again, Zara. I have bills. And sanity. Mostly bills.”
She laughed and nudged me playfully. “Well, I’m here when you need a reality check or an emergency pizza delivery.”
I smiled, grateful for the distraction but not quite ready to admit what was really going on.
Back at the training facility, Lucas was pushing himself harder every day. His determination was fierce, sometimes stubborn, and it pushed me to be just as relentless.
During one grueling session, I barked instructions, my voice sharp. “Faster. Engage the core. Don’t stop now.”
He grinned through the strain. “You think too highly of yourself.”
I shot back with a smirk, “And you think too much. Period.”
That earned me a half-hearted eye roll, but the grin didn’t last. As we packed up, the silence between us stretched, not uncomfortable—just heavy. Then, almost like he couldn’t hold it in anymore, Lucas exhaled hard, voice dropping low.
“The media’s been brutal lately,” he said. “Fans already calling me washed up.”
There it was.
Honesty, raw and unguarded.
I swallowed hard, crouched next to him. “You’re not. And even if you were, I’d be the first to say it. Loudly. With charts.”
He huffed a laugh, but his eyes lingered on mine, searching.
“They just want to tear me down before I can prove them wrong,” he said.
I placed a hand lightly on his knee. “Then let’s prove them wrong. But we do it my way. Smart. Slow. Solid.”
Lucas held my gaze for a beat too long. “Whatever you say… bossy.”
My fingers twitched, tempted to stay there longer, to trace the line of tension in his thigh. But I stood quickly.
“Same time tomorrow,” I said, walking toward the door. “Don’t be late.”
“You’ll miss me if I am,” he called after me.
I didn’t turn around.
Mostly because I knew he was right.