“I’ll send you a text.”
Lifting my chin, I walk the two of them to the door, giving Olivia one more hug. I stand in the doorway as they load into Anna’s car and smile at Olivia when she makes a funny face at me through the back window. Once they back out of the driveway, I walk inside my small two-bedroom house and go through the living room, picking up the coloring books, toys, and other randomness Olivia dragged out of her bedroom over the last week and put it all away. I do a sweep for dishes, shoving them in the dishwasher, then half-ass fold the laundry that’s piled up, not even bothering to put it away. When the house is somewhat back to normal, I pack a bag and head to the gym where I’m meeting Colton for a workout before I go to Aria’s place for dinner and to spend the night.
When I arrive at the gym fifteen minutes later, I park next to Colton’s truck, shut down the engine, and get out, grabbing my water bottle. I head towards the building and scan the room when I get inside, noticing Colton at the weights, with his eyes on one of the smaller rooms in the back and a frown on his face.
“What’s going on?” I greet him, taking off my hoodie, and he turns to me, shaking his head.
“Gia’s got it in her head she needs to lose her baby weight, so she dragged Aria here to take one of the spin classes today.”
“What?” I look at the room and spot Aria on a stationary bike, wearing a pair of tight leggings and a cut-off shirt that’s hanging off one shoulder, with Gia at her side and a few other men and women scattered around the room. My jaw twitches when I see the guy next to her turn and smile at her, saying something I can’t hear. The male instructor in front of the class encourages them to stand and squat as they spin like he is. Watching Aria’s ass as she follows along, I look around, noticing a few of the other guys working out are watching what’s going on as well.
“You look how I feel,” Colton says, and I drag my eyes off Aria’s ass and glare at him. “Welcome to the world of jealousy.” He starts to lift the weights he’s holding, and I pick up two fifty-pound dumbbells and follow suit. I want to deny that I’m jealous, but fuck me he’s not wrong, and the emotion is completely foreign to me, making me feel itchy and on edge.
“How do you deal with that shit all the time?”
“Jealousy?” he asks, and I grunt. “Swallow it down and get over it. I also know Gia is oblivious to men when they are coming on to her, and she’s mine, so that helps,” he says, then raises a brow. “Is Aria yours?”
“She’s mine, but I’m not sure she knows that.”
“What?” His brows dart together in confusion.
“I didn’t want to freak her out by moving too fast, so I told her that we could take things slow and keep things casual.”
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
“Thanks, motherfucker.” I sigh.
“You need to talk to her. I know that’s not something you’re used to doing, but you need to actually have a conversation that includes real words so she knows what’s happening between you two before shit blows up in your face.”
He’s right. I do need to talk to her about us. I just hope the last few weeks of us being together is proof enough for her that this can work.
“Christ.” His eyes meet mine in the mirror in front of us. “You’re worried she won’t want to be with you.”
“She just got out a fucked-up marriage, and her relationship with her parents is a mess,” I admit, something she’s opened up to me about recently. Her parents are the thing that makes her the most anxious, even if she won’t admit it.
“Yeah, and your ex you have a kid with is not a Disney princess spreading joy all over the place. Everyone brings baggage into a relationship; it’s about how you two help each other deal with shit that’s important.” He sets down his weights and picks up his water, taking a swig before pinning me in place. “No one’s relationship is perfect. There is always going to be shit to work through and deal with. It’s coming out on the other side together that makes you stronger.”
“You’re right.”
“I know,” he agrees, glancing at the windows where the girls are. I do the same, noticing the guy next to Aria talking to her again while the instructor has gotten off his bike to stand next to Gia with his hand on her back. “Do you feel like crashing a spinning class?”
“So you’re not going to swallow down the jealousy with the knowledge that Gia is yours?” I ask sarcastically.
“Fuck no, not when there’s a man touching her,” he says, and I grin, setting down my weights.
“Let’s go.” I motion for him to head into the class ahead of me, and when we walk through the door, no one notices our presence over the loud-as-fuck techno music playing.
We both get on bikes cattycorner to both girls and start to spin while the instructor heads back up to the front of the class. When the guy in front of me tries to get Aria’s attention again, my first instinct is to get off my bike and make it clear that she’s not available. But I settle when I notice she’s trying hard to ignore his presence and seems irritated rather than happy about the distraction.
By the time the class comes to an end, I’m surprised how fucking hard the workout was and wonder how the fuck I’m going to get off the bike without falling on my face. Judging by Colton’s expression, he’s feeling the same. Both Aria and Gia hop off their bikes with ease, and when they turn to grab their towels, both look surprised to see Colton and me behind them.
“What are you doing in here?” I hear Gia asks as Aria walks toward me, smiling while putting a zip-up hoodie on over her shirt.
“Colton said you were going to work out with him. I didn’t know you were going to do this class too.”
“It wasn’t part of the plan.” I get off the bike, wincing. “And I’m not sure I’ll take this class again.”
“That seat is killer.” She grins knowingly at me, then turns when the guy who was trying to talk to her earlier rests his hand on her shoulder.
“I know this is kinda forward.” He glances nervously at me before focusing back on her. “But I was wondering if I could get your number, and maybe we could get dinner or something some time.”
“Oh… well—” She fidgets with the zipper of her sweatshirt looking nervous.
“She’s not available,” I cut her off, not even attempting to hide my annoyance.
“Figures.” He walks off, and I glare at his back as he goes, then focus on Aria.
“You’re not available,” I tell her, watching her cheeks darken. “Not even a little.”
“Okay,” she agrees, looking unsure, and I shake my head, pretty sure that when Colton said I needed to have a talk with her about where I see our relationship going, he didn’t mean for me to tell her that she was mine like a fucking Neanderthal.
“Hey,” Gia cuts in, giving me a one-armed hug. “We’ll meet you two outside.”
Aria nods at her, then turns to me when she walks away. “So.” She clears her throat. “Gia, Colton, and I were talking on the way over here about all of us having dinner at their place tonight. Is that okay with you?”