I chewed slowly, considering. “Excited, yeah. And terrified. And sad. It’s a whole cocktail of emotions.”
She nodded, picking at a pepperoni. “I get it. It’s a huge step. But… Why so sudden, Val? I mean, I know you’ve been talking about a change, but… this fast? Did you even give yourself time to think?”
I hesitated. “I know it sounds crazy, I just need you to trust me,” I pleaded, choosing my words carefully. “It’s been building for longer than I want to admit. This city… This house… it just feels like it’s holding me back now. Like there are too many memories, too many shadows. I need a fresh start. A place where I can just be me, without all the baggage.”
Her gaze was searching, empathetic. “Is this about Mark?”
I flinched, surprised she’d even considered it. I hadn’t explicitly said anything. “Partly,” I admitted, looking away,fiddling with the crust of my pizza. “More than partly, actually. After everything with James it just… it was an added reminder, you know? Even when you think you’re moving forward and bettering your life, there are always these little things still trying to pull you back into the mindset. A feeling of being unsafe, of being a target. I just… I need to get out of here to truly leave it behind, and there’s nothing here to hold me back.”
Summer reached across the counter and squeezed my hand. Her grip was firm, reassuring. “I know it doesn’t seem like it but I get it, Val. Truly. And I’m proud of you for making this decision. It takes guts to pick up and start over, especially when it feels like you’re running from something.”
“I’m not running,” I corrected, a little too sharply. “I’m movingtowardssomething. Towards the next step. Towards bettering myself, a new gym, new challenges. This is about growth, not retreat.”
She smiled, a small, knowing curve of her lips. “I know. And I’ll be there, every step of the way. Even if I’m not physically there.”
A lump formed in my throat. I squeezed her hand back. I knew it was going to be hard leaving my ride or die behind but I didn’t think it would bethishard. “I do. But it’s going to be weird without you. No more late-night runs to grab ice cream, no more random lunch dates to complain about things, no more…us.”
“Hey,” she said, her voice softening. “We’ll still be us. Just with a few hundred miles in between. And seriously, I’m already planning my first visit. I’m going to road-trip out there, find a cheap motel, and watch you kick some ass in your first big Colorado fight.”
My eyes welled up, despite my best efforts. “You mean it? I mean it will take time and you aren’t staying in a cheap motel.”
“Are you kidding?” she scoffed, pulling her hand away and walking around to the other side of the counter so she couldthrow an arm around my shoulder, and pull me into a side hug. “Of course, I mean it. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. You think I’m going to let you go off and become a famous MMA fighter without me there to cheer you on, and then brag I knew you when?” She ruffled my hair playfully. “Besides, I’ve already scoped out some cool hiking trails near Denver. You think you’re just going to train all day? Nah, we’re going to explore.”
We spent the rest of the evening alternating between packing, eating pizza, and planning her first visit. We talked about her work, my new potential gym, and did research on the trainer who had caught my eye. We laughed, and then, inevitably, we cried. The tears were a mix of sadness for what I was leaving behind, and excitement for what lay ahead.
By the time Summer finally left, the wine was gone and the pizza box emptied. The house was still a mess but at least it was acontainedmess. More boxes were taped shut, labeled with shaky handwriting.
The airstillsmelled of cardboard, but now it was tinged with the faint, sweet scent of Summer’s perfume, a comforting reminder. Even though miles would separate us, our bond wouldn’t break.
I stood in the middle of the room, now truly alone.
The walls, stripped of their decorations, seemed to echo with a quiet emptiness.
The past few weeks had been a blur of anxiety, anger, and fierce determination. Now, with everything packed away, the reality of my departure settled over me like a heavy blanket. By morning the movers would be here and the car would be packed. I had my essentials organized in my car and would leave first thing in the morning, the movers meeting me at my new place on Sunday morning.
The goodbyes had already been said, and the only thing left now was the drive.
Fourteen
Kaden
I leaned back against the grappling dummy and stared at the ceiling as sweat rolled down my skin.I need to do this more often. My thoughts were quickly diminished by Arlo’s boisterous laugh, echoing through the gym.
??He slowly jogged over and hovered. “Man, you look like shit.”
I rolled my eyes. “You try looking like a model after a workout.” ????Arlo posed like he was standing on the end of the catwalk and didn’t say a word. I continued to stare at him unsure of what he was going to pull out of his ass next, but when he remained silent I tossed my sweat rag and nailed him right in the cheek. “Hey, what the-?”
????“Quit playing around man, what did you come in here to tell me?”
Arlo furrowed his brows. “What makes you think I have anything to tell you?” ??
Now it was my turn to laugh. “You just came in here laughing like you had just heard the coolest news ever.”
“Right.” Arlo drew out the word, to buy himself a bit of time to remember what he had originally come in to tell me. “Right,we have a potential new member, Valerie St. Clair. She goes by Val. She’s interested in checking out the gym but also getting in with a trainer.” He winked. “However, the appointment time she booked online is at the same time as my dental exam, so I need you to cover.”
????Glancing over at the wall clock I realized I had no time to shower and prepare for an appointment. “Bro, I’m a mess. Can’t you just reschedule with her?” ????He shook his head in annoyance.
“It’s a gym. It’s not like she’s expecting a tour with someone dressed to the nines. I’m pretty sure the guys will practically sell the membership for you.” Both men glanced around at the guys who were already engrossed in their training for the day.