Page 90 of Falling Backwards
He salutes me.
And once again, he’s gotmelaughing a little.
Perhaps I should be in a worse mood given how he was acting when he got to my apartment…and how I ended up feeling guilty about what I did when we were sixteen.Thinking about his aunt made me think about his dad because I know—or used to know—the only aunt Luke speaks to is his dad’s sister.And thinking about that filled me with remorse and embarrassment about those flyers.Those stupid damn flyers I put all over school out of anger….
I hadn’t simply figured they would hurt him, Ihopedthey would.He had stomped on my heart and I wanted to pay him back somehow.
All over again, here in the cold morning, guilt steals into my stomach.
But I told him I was sorry back at home—for trying to make him talk about his aunt, anyway.And that wassomething,wasn’t it?Especially since he accepted my apology?Paired with his returned apology, things felt settled after that, at least on the surface.That’s good enough, right?
I think so, and he seems to agree.
Couples are supposed to be like this anyway, huh?It’s natural for them to argue and make up, choose their battles, all that.We dealt with the fight we had earlier this week, though it did take a little time….So for a pretend-couple, I’d say we’re doing all right.
It’s also natural for couples to be comfortable around each other in different ways, so as we enter the store, I know it’s time to mention one other thing I’m shopping for.
I say, “Full disclosure: I also need to find a sports bra.”
Luke’s eyebrows go up—and I can see how hard he tries not to let his gaze drop below my chin.
I halfway expected this, but it still makes me blush something fierce.
Not wholly with shyness, though, because those eyes remind me of him saying he’s always been attracted to me, and…well, certain parts of me think he’s crazy, but all the others feel as crazily complimented as ever.
Looking away, he asks, “Regular bras aren’t a good choice, huh?”
I tsk, having learned that lesson over the last several days.“Not at all.”
“Makes sense.Need the right pair of shoes for running, need the right bra for…” he squints, “…what kind of workouts did you say you’re doing?”
“HIIT.High-intensity interval training.”We approach the women’s apparel section directly in front of us.“Jumping is a common occurrence.”
“Like jumping jacks?”
“Yeah.The stuff they do in those workouts is pretty varied, though.”
“Hmm.”
“Maybe you’d be interested in trying them yourself, like, between running days.I’ve decided I need to alternate HIIT exercise days and other exercise days.Walking at the park sounds nice.”
“That’s a good idea.I remember you saying HIIT is hard.”
He stops at a rack with some sports bras on it.He picks up a strappy, low-fronted pink one that doesn’t look like it’d offer much support, especially according to the research I’ve done.
But of course he turns a single lifted eyebrow to me, along with a blooming grin.
I shake my head in refusal.
“Why not?”he asks.“It would look awesome on you, and it’s cute, right?”
I snort at that first comment, my blush fast returning.Then I say, “Yes, it’s cute, but it doesn’t look like what I need.Does the tag say it’s for high-impact workouts?”
He snags the thing and reads it.“Mmm, nope.Low-impact.What does that mean?”
“That it’s better for stuff like yoga.”
“Ah.I get it.”Blowing a raspberry, he puts the hanger back on the rack.“Okay, then, let’s see….”
