Chances

Chapter 40

Lily doesn't want to get over Carina in any way. She doesn't even want to think about trying to see anyone else because there's no way in hell that she can simply move on without so much as second thought. She remembers how Carina told her that although they may not be together anymore, she will still always be hers.

Well, Lily can say the same thing.

Carina places her hands on her knees, leaning over as she struggles to catch her breath. Her throat and lungs are on fire as her legs and abdominal muscles burn with a satisfying soreness. Her entire body hurts and it's begging for her to let it rest, but nothing can compare to the deep ache she feels in her chest. She needed something to get her mind off of Lily and their break up, so she went down to the track where she pushed past any limits she thought she had.

She pulls up the bottom of her shirt to wipe her sweaty face and forehead, the cool air hitting her exposed stomach. Then she swipes up her water bottle and takes a long, refreshing swig from it, immediately relieving her dry mouth.

"You're going to pass out if you don't tone it down," a familiar, deep voice appears from behind her.

Carina knows who it is even before she turns around. "I'm aware," she says flatly as she looks up at Daniel. He's dressed in his workout clothes too with his earphones hanging over his shoulder.

Carina hasn't spoken nor really seen the other girls and Daniel in some time, or at least she hasn't hung out with them in a while. She's really just cramped herself up in the room except for when she was in class. It's not that she didn't want to be with them, she just didn't want her friends to see her in the state that she was in and she didn't want them to be worried about her.

Daniel scrutinizes her for a second and his face shifts from the friendly smile to a slight look of confusion and concern. "What happened?"

Carina shakes her head, still breathing heavily to compensate for the lack of oxygen her lungs were so deprived of during her intense workout. "Nothing. I'd rather not talk about it."

The last thing she wants is to be pitied and frankly, she isn't in the mood to repeat yesterday's events. It was hard enough going through it the first time. Thinking about it would just make her cry again, like it did earlier while she was in class. She had to leave early and run back to her dorm because she didn't want anyone to see. That was when Lily came in.

Daniel frowns, but he silently wraps one of her arms around her shoulders and brings her against his chest in a warm hug. "Okay," he whispers quietly. "I hope you feel better soon."

Carina closes her eyes as the side of her head rests against his muscular chest. She never knew how much she wanted a hug until now. "Thanks, Daniel."

He pulls away just a bit and gives her a small smile. "Anyway, how long have you been here for? You're just a tad bit sweaty."

Carina laughs as she brings the bottle up to her mouth again. "Don't remind me. I know I sweat easily. But I've been here for like... actually, I'm not even sure. What time is it now?"

"After 5."

Carina eyes widen in surprise. She didn't expect it to be that late already. "Damn, I guess I've been here for about three to four hours now."

Daniel furrows his eyebrows. He's not oblivious. He knows that there is something on Carina's mind and it's clear he wants to ask her about it, but he's biting his tongue back out of consideration. "I think you should take a rest now. Too much exertion isn't good."

Now that she's thinking about it, her runner's high has disappeared and she feels nothing but horrible pain in her quads and calves. She grimaces a bit, her legs suddenly feeling like they weigh a thousand pounds. "I think you're right."