Page 12 of Fall

"Really?" she asks, a little taken back.

"Really." I smirk at her as she smiles.

"Thanks. I mean, you don't have to be so, well, nice to me," she says quietly, and I glance over at her.

"I don't, but I know when someone has had a hard time and needs someone to be nice for once," I say, looking away as I drive the rest of the way to work in silence.

I watch Tilly as she looks around the gym when I open all the doors. I can’t take my eyes off the way her red hair shines in the morning sun and how little bits of stray hair move with the light wind. The way her bright eyes seem to understand me with one look as she smiles at me. Tilly is something to be stared at, she is so beautiful.

"Here is where you will be and right down that corridor, at the end, is my office." I point it out to her before leading her around the desk.

I quickly show her how to work the computer and show her the diary. I show her how to log people in, as that’s the only complicated part.

"If anyone new joins, just call my office and I’ll sort them out if you have any issues." She nods at me.

I turn to say hello to some of the early regulars coming into the gym and nearly growl when a guy winks at Tilly, making her smile. Maybe this wasn't a good idea.

"I'm going to my office," I mutter to Tilly, who gives me a small smile before I turn to leave.

Chapter Six

Tilly

“Can you tell Harley I need to see him?” a woman asks as she leans over the counter, smiling at me.

She is older than I am, I would guess she’s in her mid-thirties, and she is stunning with light-blond hair and a body that shows she uses the gym a lot. She has a small crop top on, which her large breasts are nearly falling out of, and I bet they would if she attempted to run on a treadmill.

“He said no one other than family is allowed to interrupt him today, sorry,” I explain, and she narrows her eyes at me. “I can take a note,” I say.

“He will want to see me, don’t worry about it,” she says and then walks off down the corridor toward Harley’s office.

I get up and go to follow her, but I suddenly feel sick. Instead of walking any further, I open the door to the bathroom near me and run to the nearest toilet. I don’t know how long I’m puking before I feel a warm hand rubbing my back and pulling stray bits of hair away from my face.

“Here,” I hear Harley say to me before he passes me some tissue, and I wipe my mouth as I stand up.

Harley surprises me by taking my hand and nodding his head toward the bathroom door. He walks us out and straight to his office, opening it for me. I walk in and look around at the massive, wooden desk and the big chair behind it, there is a bookcase and a filing cabinet also in the room. This is an impressive office.

Harley walks over to the mini fridge on top of the filing cabinet after shutting the office door, getting out a bottle of water for me.

“Here.” He offers it to me, and I nod, accepting the drink as he pulls out the chair by the desk.

“Please sit, Tilly,” he says, and I do, only because I still feel like crap.

Harley sits on the end of the desk, watching me closely, his mind no doubt figuring things out as I drink the water slowly.

“I think–”

“Don’t. Please don’t say anything you think you know or say it out loud. I just can’t–” I mutter, interrupting him. I look down at the ground and stay still as silence fills the room.

“Why are you running, Tilly?” he asks me gently.

“Because I don’t want to remember,” I answer quietly, lifting my head to meet his gaze.

“I understand that.”

“How can you? How can you be so scared of your past that you can’t even say the words out loud? That you can’t even think about it without shaking or wanting to run,” I end up snapping out, and he tilts his head to the side as we stare at each other.

“Because my past keeps me up at night, too,” he tells me, shocking me into silence as I see the truth in his eyes.

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