Chapter 9: first steps

The alarm clock's shrill beep pierced through Ava's dreams at 5 AM. She groaned, rolling over to silence it. The boys were already exercising like they did every morning. She slipped on a tight-fitting dress—something she could still move around in—and made her way to the gym. Her nerves buzzed with a mix of excitement and frustration. Today, she had a mission.

The house was quiet as Ava tiptoed down the stairs. She knew the boys would be in the gym by now – their daily routine was as predictable as clockwork. Standing outside the gym door, she could hear the clanking of weights and low murmurs of conversation. Her heart raced. Was she really going to do this?

"Now or never," Ava whispered, pushing the door open with a bang.

The moment she burst through the gym doors, the noise inside the gym stopped abruptly. The boys’ eyes turned to stare at her, a mix of surprise and curiosity on their faces. Ava lifted her chin, trying to project confidence she didn't feel. That was exactly the reaction she had hoped for.

“I want to lose weight,” she announced firmly, avoiding meeting any of their eyes. “I think Gabe left me because I’m fat. If I lose weight, maybe he’ll consider getting back with me. I know it.”

For a moment, the room was wrapped in awkward silence. The tension hung in the air, thick and uncomfortable, until Noah, always the charmer, broke it with his usual lightheartedness.

“I’ll help you, cupcake,” he said with a grin, his voice warm and encouraging. “Anything for my cupcake.”

Ava managed a small smile, grateful for his support. “Thank you, Noah.”

Ava noticed Ethan. Unlike the others, he hadn't said a word. His face was unreadable as he stood up and walked out of the gym without a backward glance. Ava’s heart sank a little, but she shook it off. This wasn’t the time to care what Ethan thought.

“Come this way,” Noah said, guiding her toward the equipment. “Where do you want to start?”

Ava blinked, clueless. Her only experience with gyms had been walking past them on her way to the café, where she would order ice cream or a hamburger.

Noah seemed to sense her hesitation. "Okay... let's start with the treadmill," he suggested, pointing to a machine that looked more like a torture device than exercise equipment.

Before Ava could ask for help, Noah had wandered off to continue his own workout. She stared at the treadmill, trying to figure out how it worked. There were so many buttons and settings. Which one was she supposed to use?

Taking a deep breath, Ava climbed onto the treadmill. She pressed a button at random, and suddenly the belt beneath her feet began to move. Slowly at first, then faster and faster. Ava's eyes widened in panic as she struggled to keep up. Her feet slapped awkwardly against the belt, her arms flailing as she tried to maintain her balance.

Just as she was certain she was about to fly off the back of the treadmill, a strong hand gripped her arm, steadying her. Liam reached over and hit the emergency stop button, bringing the machine to a halt.

"You okay?" he asked, barely containing his laughter.

Ava nodded, her face burning with embarrassment.

Liam turned to Noah, who was watching from across the room. "Is that the coaching you're doing over there?" he called out. "You should have let Ethan handle this."

“Good luck to you both,” Liam chuckled, patting Ava’s back before heading out of the gym room.

Noah at least had the grace to look sheepish. "Sorry, cupcake," he said, jogging over. "Which exercise are you good at?"

Ava wanted to sink into the floor. Good at? She wasn't good at any of this! "I... I don't know," she admitted.

Noah's face lit up. "I know! Let's try weight lifting. That should be easier."

As they moved toward the weights, Noah glanced at his watch. His eyes widened. "Oh no, I'm late for work!" he exclaimed. "Sorry, cupcake. You've got this. Just do some light exercises, okay? Don't push yourself too hard." And with that, he was gone, leaving Ava alone in a sea of unfamiliar equipment.

So much for having a coach.

Ava stood there, feeling lost but still determined. She moved from one machine to another, trying to figure out how they worked. Some were straightforward, but others were completely foreign to her. Still, she didn’t care. She just wanted to keep moving. Her body was already protesting, her muscles aching, and her stomach growled fiercely, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since the night before.

By the time she checked her phone, it was already 8 a.m. Her body ached in places she didn’t even know could hurt, and her stomach growled, protesting her skipped breakfast. She limped to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, gulping it down as she leaned against the counter, feeling utterly exhausted.