ESCAPE [Completed] (NOT EDITED)

Chapter Twelve

A pair of yoga pants flew towards my head, interrupting me, mid-read. "Nina!" I shrieked, pulling it off me and giving her my best glare. She quirked an eyebrow and then hurled a t-shirt at me. I caught this one before it hit me on my head. "What is your problem?"

"My problem is you." She responded. "You can't avoid him forever, babe." I rolled my eyes at her and went back to reading my book. Nina stomped towards me and snatched it out of my hands. "Get changed. You're coming to the gym with me."

"I'm not ready to see him, Nina."

"It's been over a week!" She reminded me. It had been nine days to be accurate, since I walked out of Lincoln's apartment. He had been asking Nina about me constantly at the gym and I was getting the sense that it was starting to piss her off.

"So?"

"So...your thighs are getting big again." My eyes widened in horror and I looked down at my thighs and then back up at her again. She met my stare, challenging me to say something. Groaning, I got up and started changing.

"I can't believe you just used that on me. You know how I get about my thighs."

"Well, I need my gym buddy back so it had to be done." She smiled. "Hurry up. We leave in five." Nina placed my running shoes next to me and then pranced out of the room in triumph.

*

I reluctantly dragged myself out of my car. The double doors to the gym made my stomach feel queasy with anxiety of what was to come. Turning around, I had planned to walk back to my car but I bumped into Nina instead. Uncrossing her arms from her chest, she forcefully turned me around and pushed me through the doors.

"We're inside. Now that didn't kill you did it?" I looked at her blankly. Nina didn't take notice and pulled me towards the treadmills. "Now get to working, fatty." She taunted me. I sneered at her and mumbled a 'fuck off' whilst stepping up onto the machine. Focusing my thoughts on working out, I put the machine on incline and started at a brisk walk then proceeded to run. Forty minutes later, I stopped the treadmill. My lungs were burning so I sat down with my water bottle and waited for my heart rate to slow down.

"I didn't think you'd come back." God, I missed that voice. Lincoln's trainers were in my view and I studied them as he shuffled a little closer to me. My eyes started blurring and I shook my head to clear my vision again. "Ava-" I looked up at Lincoln. He was shirtless...again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I moved to get up but my head swam and I lost my balance.

"Whoa." Lincoln's arms flew out and grabbed me. I felt light headed all of a sudden and my breathing was still irregular. Lincoln put a hand to my forehead. "Fuck, Ava. You're burning up." Next thing I knew, I was horizontal and being carried somewhere. I heard Nina's voice in the distance asking what happened before my vision went black.

My eyes fluttered open and the first thing that came to view was Lincoln's handsome face. Was I dreaming? I looked around, confused.

"Hey, you're awake."

"What happened?" I croaked, taking the wet rag off of my forehead and moving to sit up from the massage table.

"Careful." Lincoln advised, putting a hand on the nape of my neck for support and grabbing my hand with the other as he helped me up. I looked around again and confirmed that I was in one of the physiotherapy rooms at the gym. "Here." Lincoln held a glass of water in front of my mouth. "Drink." The look on his face told me not to argue so I didn't. His hand went under my chin as I drank down the contents of the cup. After I finished it, he got up and threw it in the trashcan and I wiped the water around my mouth with the back of my hand. Lincoln moved back to stand in front of me. "You don't feel dizzy still, do you?" I shook my head. He nodded and sat beside me on the table. "You fainted." Lincoln told me. Oh.