Page 44 of Expiry Dating

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It had been a week since their date and things between Alice and Brady were finally moving forward. Opening up about her past had been the first step to letting him in. They also weren’t confined to his house anymore. Some nights he would stay at her place while other nights she would come over to his.

For all intents and purposes, they were a couple. Not that she’d ever admit it. But now that she’d gotten more comfortable with people seeing them together, she had started allowing him to take her out in town. Sometimes for lunch at the diner, other nights they’d have dinner at Mickey’s, and he’d even gotten her to agree to a date at the local French bistro next week.

Despite all the progress, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t good enough.

“One more,” Steve bellowed as Brady attempted one more leg press.

Sweat dripped into his eye, causing him to squint. “Fuck!”

Today’s physical therapy session had been the hardest one yet. His mobility and flexibility had almost doubled since he’d first started. But instead of being proud of just how much more his body could handle, he was frustrated. Every muscle ached. He found himself comparing this supposed workout to the ones he was used to as a marine.

“Again,” Steve ordered, crossing his bulky arms.

“I can’t. No more.” Brady had hit his limit. As much as he wanted to do more, be more, everything hurt.

“You can, come on. One more set.”

“I told you, I fucking can’t.” Brady pushed himself off the machine, grabbed his towel, and dabbed the sweat off his brow.

“Brady, come on, we’ve been through this. You can do more, your body can handle more.”

“No, it can’t.” He didn’t care that he was shouting or that the two other people in the gym were now staring at him. “This is it, Steve. This is all I can fucking do. How many goddamn times do I need to tell you!”

Adrenaline had turned to rage, and it was pulsing through him with a vengeance. He was angry as hell. At Steve. At himself. At the damn Marine Corps for throwing him away like seventeen years meant absolutely nothing.

He couldn’t contain it anymore.

“Brady—”

Steve’s next words were cut off by the crashing of the metal chair slamming against the wall.

Brady’s physical therapist didn’t look amused. In fact, the big, brawny man looked about ready to kill him. But his mouth apparently didn’t get the memo. “Fuck you, man.”

“Enough!” That voice he recognised, and it managed to slowly turn his fury from boiling to simmer.

Alice charged straight over to him, but when she reached him, she didn’t shout or scream at him like he deserved. Instead, she calmly placed her hand over his chest that was just about ready to explode. “Brady, baby,” she said, her voice soft. “Why don’t we get out of here? Let’s go to my office for a bit, yeah? Come on.” She took hold of his hand, and he silently followed her out the gym without looking back.

His pulse was still worryingly out of control as she locked them inside the therapy room. He started mentally preparing himself for a lecture, but she didn’t say anything. She just went to him. The next thing he knew, her arms were wrapped around him as he tried desperately to catch his breath.

“It’s okay,” she whispered as she let her head lay against him. “It’s gonna be okay.”

He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but it was everything he needed. She was everything he needed. He realised right then that it didn’t matter whether he was good enough for her or not, as if he had the luxury of choosing who he fell for. It was too late. His heart belonged to her. He’d fallen in love with Alice Hart.

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