SAVANNAH
I looked around the gym, my eyes scanned every corner—over the treadmills, around the weight racks, past the mirrors. Blake wasn’t there. I swallowed a knot of disappointment I hadn’t even realized had formed in my throat.
“Looking for someone?” Tyler asked, throwing me a knowing grin as he tossed his water bottle into a cubby.
I blinked. “No. Just… looking.”
“Right,” he said with a teasing smirk. “Looking for the weights, obviously.”
I didn’t reply, just rolled my eyes and made my way toward the front desk.
My instructor, a tall guy named Mason with a clean-shaven head and a reassuring smile, met me halfway.
“You made it,” he said, clapping his hands. “Bright and early.”
“I told you I would,” I replied, tugging at my hoodie sleeves.
“What’s the goal today?” he asked, grabbing his clipboard.
“Lose the fear,” I muttered.
He chuckled. “That’s a good place to start. We’ll go light—just a few steps, some movement, nothing heavy.”
Tyler popped up beside me like a tall shadow. “Mind if I join in?”
Mason shrugged. “More the merrier.”
Tyler turned to me, wiggling his brows. “Ready to sweat?”
I laughed despite myself. “Not when you say it like that.”
We started simple. Marching in place, side steps, light squats. My body moved awkwardly at first, like it didn’t quite understand why it was being punished so early in the morning. But then, as the music filled the space and Mason counted out the reps, I found a rhythm.
Tyler stayed right beside me, keeping things light.
“Did you see Mr. Langley’s new car?” he said between squats. “He parked it in the teacher’s lot like it was a museum.”
I shook my head, breathless. “I try not to look at his face, let alone his car.”
He laughed. “That man gives vampire energy. Like, I expect him to turn into a bat mid-lecture.”
“Right? And the way he says ‘photosynthesis’ like it’s a spell.”
“Photosyn-THE-sis!” he said, waving his arms dramatically. I nearly lost balance from laughing.
We moved through jumping jacks, shoulder rolls, and stretches. My muscles started to complain, but something about Tyler’s jokes and Mason’s encouragement made the pain bearable.
“You’re doing great,” Mason said, handing me a towel. “Seriously, this is a solid start.”
“Thanks,” I breathed out, wiping sweat from my forehead.
Tyler flopped onto the mat beside me. “Look at you, gym queen already.”
“I’m dying,” I said, collapsing beside him.
“Nah, you’re just glowing.”
I snorted. “That’s not glow. That’s sweat and determination.”
“Well, it’s working for you.”
I felt heat rise to my cheeks, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the exercise or his words. Before I could respond, Mason called out, “Alright, final set. You’ve got this.”
I nodded and pushed myself up. More step work, some light dumbbells. I powered through, barely noticing the time pass.
By the end of it, my chest was heaving. Sweat dripped down my temples, and my legs felt like spaghetti.
Mason grinned. “You did it. Honestly, not everyone gets through their first session like that.”
I placed my hands on my knees and nodded, too tired to reply. “Thanks…”
“Same time tomorrow?” he asked.
I stood upright, chest rising and falling. “Yeah. Same time.”
Just as I reached for my water bottle, the gym door opened. The bell above it chimed, and I instinctively turned toward the sound.
There was Blake. He walked in like he owned the place, all confident and cool. That familiar tousled dark hair, the lazy saunter, the way his eyes flicked casually over the room, but not once in my direction.
Then I saw the girl beside him.
Blonde, bouncy, full of energy. She practically skipped beside him, her arm brushing his every few seconds as if she couldn’t help it.
My breath caught.
She looked our age. Maybe even younger. She didn’t look like the girl I saw him with the other day—no, this one was different.
I turned away, forcing my eyes to the ground.
Blake’s footsteps drew closer, and I could feel it in the shift of the air. The presence of him made my fingers froze on my laces.
And just like that, he walked past me, like he didn’t see me. He didn’t even nod in my direction.
Wow.
I straightened slowly, refusing to glance over at him. I didn’t need to see him with another girl. Not again.
I turned instead toward Tyler, who was chatting with Mason at the water station.
When Tyler was done, he walked over to me, swinging his gym towel over his shoulder.
“Shall we?” he asked.
I didn’t answer. My eyes were already moving back to where Blake now stood by the treadmill. The girl was practically clinging to him, talking a mile a minute, hands flying as she giggled at whatever he said.
My jaw clenched.
“When did he come in?” I asked, unable to hide the irritation in my voice.
“A while ago,” Tyler replied, following my gaze.
Then he snorted. “He is nothing but a woman whore, Savvy. Another girl? Seriously?”
I remained quiet, watching them.
It was like Blake had an endless line of beautiful girls at his side, and I’d just been some random stop along the way.
“He’s got a type,” Tyler muttered.
I glanced at him sharply. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He looked a little startled. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Doesn’t matter, does it?” I muttered, waving a hand. “Let’s go.”
I was about to stand up when the girl moved to our side and waved at me shyly.
“Hi!”
I braced myself for whatever she was about to say. Tyler just stood beside me, arms crossed, like a bouncer ready to throw her out if she so much as blinked wrong.
She was beaming. “I’m sorry, I just—are you Savannah?”
I blinked. “Yes?”
Her smile widened, and she stuck out her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Brenda.”
I stared at her hand. Heard a lot about me? From who? Blake?
I almost laughed out loud. What could she possibly have heard? That I was the girl everyone called a cow behind my back? That I was the punchline to half the jokes in school? That I was that girl—the one Blake flirted with once and discarded like a used napkin?
I was about to brush her off politely when she added, “I’m Blake’s younger sister.”
I blinked, and looked at her hand. Then at her face, and my jaw slowly dropped.
Tyler made a choking sound beside me.
“What?” I whispered.