Like Gold

07.

07.

"AND LEFT!" I called out. The group readily followed my instructions, slowly moving to their left. The water swished with the movement, and my eyes roamed over greying old ladies and balding men until they landed on Jace.

His eyes met mine before darting away, his head spinning to the left to avoid my stare. I frowned.

Ever since yesterday, he'd been avoiding me.

I came to class early, hoping to clear the air, but he'd come five minutes before the start, and spent most of his time in the changing rooms. Before I started class, I approached him, but he threw himself into a long conversation about the weather with Jake, a fellow attendee in his late sixties, just to avoid saying hello to me.

And now, for the entire class, he'd been avoiding my eyes.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, vibrating against my thigh. I released a breath, bringing my whistle to my lips and blowing on it with a sharp screech. The sound bounced off the walls and the class came to a stop.

"Class is over!" I shouted, my frown only deepening as Jace made straight for the steps.

I sighed, grabbing my clipboard and stabbing the page with my pen, filling out the timesheet and attendance.

I just had to go and open my big mouth yesterday, didn't I? Idiot. Sticking myself into his business for no reason.

But I'd been worried.

I'd seen how painful it was for him to walk without his crutches. I'd seen the limp in his leg. I saw history repeating itself, and I couldn't let it happen. Worse, everyone around him seemed to be fooled by his acting.

I knew how that felt too.

I released a huff, spinning on my heel and tossing the clipboard onto the office desk on my way out. Fine. If he wanted to ignore me for giving him advice, then fine.

Unwarranted advice, a voice said in my head.

It was still advice, I muttered back.

But I knew what it was like. I remembered people approaching me a year ago – people I barely even knew. Jasmine, you should try this new yoga. You should try this tea. Try a juice cleanse.

It was like I had been permanently branded as The Depressed Girl. Like I was walking around with a sign on my back that said, "Help me! I'm depressed and can't walk! Please, cure me with your teas and herbs!"

I groaned, pushing out of the physio centre and grabbing my bike, tightening my grip around the handlebars. Okay, so maybe I was slightly in the wrong here.

How was I supposed to apologise to him if he was avoiding me? And what would I even say?

God, this was what happened when I opened my mouth. I put myself into situations that would've easily been avoided if I kept to my own business – if I just kept smiling and moving through my daily routine without complaint, the way my mother wanted me to.

Life was fine like that – without any interruptions.

I stood from unlocking my bike, only to pause, my body tensing.

Jace stood a few steps away, waiting at the edge of the footpath like the first week we'd met.

His shoulders were squared, though he leaned heavily onto his good leg. His hair shone brown in the sunlight, and it hit me then how tall and broad shouldered he was. His muscles poked through the back of his shirt and I had the urge to run my fingers over them.