Chapter 32

Celeste

The persistent hum of the treadmill was the only thing I could focus on as I tried to block out the world around me. I kept my head down, fingers gripping the handrails, and ran, hoping to get through my workout unnoticed.

Lost in my thoughts of avoiding Matt and trying to prove to myself that I could handle this workout alone, I almost didn’t feel the sudden sharp impact against my ankle.

But it was followed by a searing pain that made me lose my balance. The treadmill’s rapid pace threw me off, and I hit the ground hard, the shock of it leaving me breathless.

Pain seared through my ankle, and an involuntary cry escaped my lips. Gasping for air and clutching my hurt ankle, I forced my teary eyes open, only to be met with the unmistakable smirk of Sabrina.

My gaze followed her line of sight, and I found the culprit of my fall: an exercise ball.

“Why?” I whispered more to myself, the sheer malice of her act incomprehensible.

Before I could process further, strong hands cradled me, and I was being lifted gently into a sitting position. I looked up, my heart pounding, and locked eyes with Matt. He was crouching beside me, his fingers pressing lightly against my injured ankle.

A warmth almost seemed to spread from his touch, making the pain recede, and my breathing slowly returned to normal. I was momentarily captivated, not just by his nearness but by the unexplainable ease that his touch brought to my pain.

As he gently pulled his hand away, I blinked, stunned. The pain... It was gone. My ankle felt fine.

“Hey, you okay?” Matt asked, genuine concern lacing both his words and his handsome face.

I nodded, still trying to understand what had just transpired. “I... I just tripped.”

Matt’s eyes, no longer sleepy but now filled with worry, followed my pointing finger to the exercise ball.

Sabrina had disappeared, likely hiding after her spiteful act.

“You should be careful, Celeste,” he advised before I could say anything else, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

I blinked up at him, not expecting the reprimand. “It wasn’t my fault. Someone threw that at me.”

“No one else is here, Celeste,” Matt said, looking around. “Just you and me. You don’t think that I threw that, do you?”

I quickly shook my head, my face turning red. I couldn’t tell Matt that Sabrina had done it… The very thought of bringing her up to him almost made my stomach churn.

My mind was still laced with the images of him dancing with her at the ball, and despite the texts that he sent explaining it away, it still burned.

He sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair.

“Well, either way… You need to focus more on your balance, especially when you’re on these machines. And maybe you should reconsider wearing such baggy workout clothes. They can easily get caught.”

Though his words were true, they stung. All my newfound confidence shattered. My gaze dropped to my oversized, stained shirt.

“I know,” I mumbled, feeling vulnerable.

Matt seemed to notice my dejected state and, with a hint of guilt in his eyes, said, “I’m just looking out for you, okay? Here.” He pointed to a red button on the treadmill. “Next time, if you feel like you’re losing balance or something's off, hit the emergency stop. It’ll shut the machine down instantly.”

“I didn’t know,” I admitted sheepishly, thankful for the advice but still hurt.

Without another word, he stood. He held his hand out for me, helping me to stand as well. “Ankle okay?” he asked.

I nodded slowly. “Yeah,” I murmured, still confused. “I guess I didn’t hurt myself as much as I thought. I feel fine.”

“Good.” Matt flashed a slight smile. “It happens sometimes. You can think you hurt yourself, but then you come to your senses and realize that you’re fine. Just be careful, okay?”

“I will. Thanks, Matt.”

With another slight smile, Matt grabbed his gym bag and began walking away. All I could do was watch him go, mixed emotions swirling within me.

But then, terror set in. If he told Jack… I was doing so well at the gym. I didn’t want it to end.

“Um… Hey, Matt?” I called out, my heart racing.

“Hmm?” Matt asked, turning back to face me. I felt a heat creep into my cheeks at the sight of him, his head cocked slightly to the side so that his dark hair fell into his eyes. The sleepiness had returned somewhat.

I cleared my throat. “Would you… would you mind not telling my brother?”

Matt furrowed his brow. “Tell him what?”

“About… All of this,” I murmured. “About seeing me here. About my fall.”

For a moment, Matt was silent. He seemed to be processing, considering my question. I felt my heart rise into my throat, wondering if I had just made matters worse by requesting that he keep my presence here a secret.

But then, recognition flashed through his eyes. He seemed to understand, and nodded solemnly.

“Of course,” he said, gripping the strap of his gym back more tightly. “It’s our little secret.”

My face flushed an even deeper shade of red than it already was. Our little secret… If only he knew that the gym wasn’t our only secret.

“Thanks.” I managed a weak smile. Matt, without another word, left the gym. I was alone once more.

The gym’s ambient noise slowly seeped back into my consciousness. The only other patron who had been here when I entered was gone now, having finished his workout. But I couldn't shake off what had happened.

Fingers trembling, I touched my ankle. It felt perfectly fine, not even a hint of pain. How was that possible? And why did Matt’s touch seem to alleviate the pain?

“You can think you hurt yourself, but then you come to your senses and realize that you’re fine.”

Matt’s words swirled through my head. I supposed that what he said was true, but still… Something felt strange. Maybe I hit my head during my fall. That had to be it.

I was imagining things. Maybe I mistook the pleasure of Matt’s touch for some sort of healing power, the warmth creeping into my body from excitement for something… supernatural.

With a deep breath, I decided to finish my workout. Not because Matt had told me to be more careful or because I wanted to prove anything to Sabrina. I wanted to finish it for me.

But as I continued, my thoughts kept drifting to Matt’s touch. How he had been there, and how strangely comforting it had been. The memory, coupled with the lingering emotions, made the rest of the workout a blur.

By the time I stepped out of the gym, the sun had risen fully, casting golden hues everywhere. I thought back to the incident, to Sabrina’s malicious smirk, to Matt’s admonishing and concerned voice, and to the inexplicable warmth of his touch.

For a moment, I let myself dream. Dream of a world where Matt saw me as more than just his friend’s little sister. Where Sabrina didn’t exist. And where my ankle never got hurt.

But reality had a way of pulling me back. Jack would be waking up soon, and I had to get home before that happened so he wouldn’t be too suspicious of my absence.

I sighed, my thoughts heavy. If the universe was trying to send me a sign, it was doing a confusing job of it.