Page 131 of Tricky Girls

I hope she doesn’t bring that stuff to the party. Doubt she will; Haz would have her neck.

‘So when are you back at uni? You’re doing Lit, right?’

‘The fact you can still fucking talk,’ she grinds out, ‘means you’re not pushing hard enough.’

‘Or maybe I’m just fitter than you.’

She glowers, stabbing the button on her machine and upping the speed.

I follow suit with mine.

She doesn’t know I did cross-country at school. That I would run and run and run until my teachers had to make me stop. That running was the only way I could outpace the pain of ruining everybody’s lives.

I snort internally. Nic would have a fucking field day with that. Better I just show her instead.

I take a deep breath, encouraging the air into my lungs and dispersing it slowly. My body tingles, filling with energy. Yeah, I know all the tricks. Nic won’t have me beat on this.

We run for a long time, our gasping breaths loud in the gym without the usual music playing. From the corner of my eye, I see Elly approach. She watches warily, eventually saying, ‘Alright, ladies, time to chill it. You’re both beasts.’

We don’t chill it. We go harder, our legs a blur beneath us. My feet pound the mat, making the machine shake. I don’t glance at Nic. I don’t risk falling. If I did, it wouldn’t be pretty with the speed I’m going.

I hear Nic gasp out afuck, seeing her in my periphery brace both legs on the edge of the machine, the mat zooming by under her.

I smirk, winding mine down to a cooldown.

I glance at her, trying my best not to rub it in her face. No need to with Nic. I can tell she’s her own harshest critic.

She’s breathing hard, mopping the back of her neck with a towel. Flicking it over her shoulder, she runs a hand through her hair. ‘Mainland have it fucking coming to them,’ she mutters.

I blink, watching her locate the water fountain. Did she just compliment me?

Fuckingwin.

‘That was ace,’ Elly says. ‘Super fucking dumb, but ace.’

‘Thanks. I’m wiped.’

‘Same.’ She gestures with her head. ‘Come with me a sec.’

I smile at Haz as we pass. She’s lying on a weight bench, paused like she was watching us too. She winks at me, teeth showing in a grin, before resuming her pressing. I watch those muscles flex until they’re out of sight.

Yeah, those two would so have my back.

Flicking the lid on my water bottle, I drink from it deeply. ‘Where are we going?’

‘Wanna go shower?’

I wrinkle my nose. ‘I literally never shower at the gym.’

‘That’s okay. Thought we could go get wet in a different way.’

‘Ohhhh.’I slap myself on the forehead. ‘Wow, I am slow today. Yeah, a shower sounds super good.’

There are two at the gym, both big wet rooms with a few cubbyholes for towels. There’s a bench beneath them that Elly tosses our water bottles and bags onto.

‘Fuck, those tiles are cold,’ I gasp when she pushes me against them.

She reaches out and flicks on the shower.

---