Page 136 of The Clinch
Sled pushes. Battle ropes. The kind of work that strips the rest of the lies out.
I get harnessed in and drive. First push, legs complain. Second push, lungs start scraping. Third push, the room loses detail until there’s nothing left except the strip of turf in front of me and Ray’s voice behind my shoulder.
“Keep moving.”
I lean harder into the straps. No room left now for vanity, distraction, or Liz by the ropes with her hair down, looking half horrified and half wrecked watching me work.
I had no business liking that as much as I did.
I push the sled to the line and turn.
Ray hands me the battle ropes. “Thirty.”
They snap in my fists, heavy and unforgiving. Shoulder burn turns white-hot. Sweat stings my eyes. I keep moving.
“Time.”
The ropes hit the floor. I just stand there breathing.
Then I think of her again.
Not here.
At home.
At my counter with my coffee in her hand. Reading the note on the fridge. Probably annoyed by how much of her day I already tried to solve before leaving.
Moving through my apartment like she belongs there.
A month ago that thought would have read as a problem. Now it just feels true.
Ray tosses me a towel.
“You done bleeding poetry into the canvas,” he says, “or you want one more round?”
“I’m done.”
He takes me in, decides that’s enough. “Good. Go eat.”
Lukas pushes off the bucket. “Tell your girl she still owes me a chance to prove Eden wrong about me.”
I start toward the locker room. “Not my problem.”
Behind me, he laughs.
When I grab my phone from the bench, there’s already a text waiting.
LIZ
Still alive?
I lookat the screen and lose the fight with my own face.
LEO
Barely. You home?
Her answer comesbefore I make it out of the locker room.
