“I will say, for Poxton Beach trash, he definitely has more than a few talents hidden beneath that scowl of his.” They all giggled at that and my fist tightened around the strap I was holding fast to. I knocked into the woman a little harder than necessary as I passed her and she stumbled a bit.

“Excuse you,” she scoffed before returning to her posse. I kept walking, and she kept being a bitch. “It’s kind of a shame. He’ll never be more than a good lay, but I guess there are worse things to be.”

Those were the last words I heard before I stepped into the training room the women had just left. I didn’t have to look hard to find Rhodes. He was sprinting on the treadmill, its unsteady tracks rocking each time his feet made contact. He stared straight ahead, his mouth pursed, his face hard, and my heart squeezed.

I had no idea what Mrs. Nose Job said to him, but if his strained jade eyes were really windows to his soul, I could see how badly they’d bruised him. He already felt like he was nothing, and these women knew exactly what to say to him to keep those thoughts in place.

“Hey,” I said timidly, dropping my bag to the ground in front of his machine. He continued running, keeping his eyes trained on the window ahead of him, but he slowed his pace. “Ready to train?”

It’s as if those words snapped him out of his daze. “Yep.” The word popped off his lips and he dropped down hard next to me, motioning to where he’d just been. “Hop up. We’re starting with cardio.”

I tried not to analyze it, but Rhodes remained quiet throughout the entire training session. I wanted him to apologize again, to say I didn’t deserve his silent treatment, to say it wasn’t my fault — but he didn’t. After two hours and one of the most grueling sessions we’d had yet, I attempted to break through.

“Are you busy Saturday night?”

“Probably.”

I stuttered at his bluntness, but tried to swallow the embarrassment. “Oh. Well, it’s Willow’s going away party. I was sort of hoping you would come with me.”

“No.”

“No?” I asked, but Rhodes just grabbed his water bottle and took off in the opposite direction. I followed. “Why not?”

“Because I might have plans.”

“Might? You won’t make plans with me, your…” I trailed off. What was I to him? “You won’t make plans with me because you might have plans?”

“Damnit, Natalie.” Rhodes huffed, looking around at who might be listening. We were the only ones in the training room, so I dared him to try to make that excuse. “I’m not going to your friend’s party. Or on any dates, for that matter.”

I wouldn’t exactly have classified Willow’s party as a date, but hearing him say that derailed my thoughts. “Why not?”

“Because you’re my client.”

“That’s it?” I asked, my voice breaking. I could feel my heart close on its heels. “We’re back to this again?”

He didn’t answer, and his silence fueled my anger.

“Really. Huh. Well, I guess you just decided to toss in your extra services free of charge then, right? So gracious!” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth, but my pride wouldn’t let me take them back.

Rhodes stopped mid-stride. He was walking away from me, but my comment had cut that motive short. For a moment, he just stared at me, his eyes hollow, and almost questioning. It was like he couldn’t believe I’d said that to him, like he wasn’t prepared for that hit — not from me. I thought I saw him wince, his mouth opening slightly before he closed it again.

Then, he smirked — but not in a friendly way. Rhodes smiled in a way that made me want to cower in the furthest corner of the room.

“Yeah, Natalie, I guess so.” He shook his head. “You’re welcome. I hope I lived up to my reputation.”

I sighed. “Rhodes,” I started, feeling like a fool, but my apology was cut short. One of the women who’d been with the pack earlier sidled up beside Rhodes. His eyes had intensified to almost a neon green and they remained fixed on me as he threw his arm around her shoulder.

“Ew,” the small blonde said, swatting at him playfully. She was the shortest of the group I’d seen earlier, but by far the prettiest. “You’re all sweaty.” She laughed a little before appraising me, her smile faltering just slightly. “Who’s this?”

“This is Natalie. She’s a client.” He said the words so harshly, as if they were the nails to drive his point home. His eyes were wild. They mirrored my heartrate. “And we just finished up. See you tomorrow?” He asked me the question, but we both knew he didn’t expect a response.

“Rhodes,” I blurted out, boldly reaching for his arm. He shrugged out from beneath my touch as if it offended him. “It’s me. Please. Don’t do this.”

The woman under his arm looked bored, and she pulled out her cell phone to type out a text. I thought I saw Rhodes falter, I thought I saw him soften, but he frowned so quickly that I couldn’t be sure if I’d imagined it.

“Do what?” His jaw tensed.

I moved closer, whispering so only he could hear me. “Don’t leave with her. Please, Rhodes. This isn’t you. You can’t do this. Not after everything we’ve done… everything we’ve become.”

His nose flared and his eyes wouldn’t meet mine. He waited. For what, I wasn’t sure. Clearly, nothing I could say would stop him now. He had given me the final push, throwing me to the cold hard ground, and even though it killed me, I didn’t try to get back up again.

I could let him walk away from me, but I couldn’t bear to watch this time.

So I turned first.

My feet numbly carried me through the club and to my car. I started the engine, put the gear in drive, and the rest was a blur. My mind raced, thoughts blending together in a colorful disaster as I drove. Rhodes was going home with that woman tonight, and I felt physically ill at that realization. Even worse, I’d pushed him there. I knew he was upset, I knew those women had said something to him, but instead of giving him space or trying carefully to help him when he pulled away, I threw his way of life in his face. I brought up his services, making fun of him, letting him think I saw him the same way everyone else did.

Now I felt sick for a completely different reason.