low and duffel bag slung over her shoulder. The only light comes from the exit s

ral, but this suspension? This is worse. This is punishment w

oken to Ivy s

hed and Ivy glaring like she wanted to eat her alive. Or how Rey had shouted something she half-regre

nk. Busted-up leggings. She starts stretching. Hamstrings, shoulders, back.

he hea

g. Not

free

e. A treadmill humming to life

head s

of c

cou

Ra

One earbud in. Running like she's trying t

ly groan

seen. No reason to stick around. No reason to share air

Ivy loo

s h

n't stop

t even

ge her. Not a smirk. Not a middle finger. Not even a raised eyebrow. Just t

bs a ju

standoff, she's n

arts j

mi

w

nst the floor syncs with

hate

stretches lo

reaks

're being chased," she s

t stop. "M

s. "By wh

s her at

t gleaming down the side of her neck. He

e, breathing hard.

t we

nce

he's a

nfuri

in that brutal, cold-weather way. Like a mountai

lamming it into the ground. Over and o

her shirt, revealing a strip of t

s your time slot," I

's

y are yo

esn't

ewing on guilt like it's gum she can't spit out. That she replayed th

"Didn't know the gy

. "You jealous o

the ball.

d help her-

nd Rey feels it in her stomach, low and ho

tle and takes a long dr

in. They work in silence for a while. It's not exactly comfortable

eside her. "You always th

mid-curl.

yes still on her own stre

wn harder than she nee

ear

car

y for a beat. "Y

ing from the reps. "I think you ca

flinch. "Tha

n't

looks. And for once, there's no sm

ean to. But I did. I thought I was protecting her by not dragg

s. Her thro

ays, just as quiet.

kno

e clos

cl

e's trying not to blink too long. There's a heat between them that wasn't the

now what make

t's the

fact that they're both stripped dow

ou always smell

inks.

m or whatever. I

"You trying to flir

lease. If I was flirti

d. "Bold of you t

reath s

joke. P

ing in Ivy's eyes.

s feel shaky, but n

d go," s

ods.

of the

ns. Grabs her ba

st before she reaches

ses. Lo

be here tom

rugs.

just slightly. "The

licks shut

night with a stupid, flut

a cr

itely

. butt

m r

bab

efu

help