Despite growing up together, Catherine Simmons and Mattis Reed were never close.
Cat was inseparable from Mattis' younger sister, Chloé, while he was busy running around on the football field.
But when Cat's new dream drags her across the country du...
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Midway through my second week at Columbia, I feel like I'm getting the hang of campus. I now know where all my classes are, and I can find my way back to the dorm from almost everywhere. It helps that Ava has been here for a year and knows everything worth knowing about this place.
So when I asked her where to go for a workout, she pointed me toward the gym. I have gone on a few runs since being here, but I need some quality time with a punching bag.
I start with fifteen minutes of jump rope and then forty sit-ups before I begin boxing. There's this thing that happens when I start wrapping my hands. It's like the whole world goes quiet, and it's just me and the punching bag. All the worries and commitments I face every day fade away. It's why I love boxing. Nothing else has ever turned my mind off quite so effectively. It also means that I tend to forget that there are other gym goes around me, so when a hand lands on my shoulder, my heart damn near jumps out my throat in shock.
I turn, pressing a hand to my chest as I breathe heavily, both from exertion and surprise.
"Ginger!" Emmy is beaming down at me, his brown eyes crinkling as he takes in my frazzled demeanor. "Sorry if I scared you."
"Oh, hi, Emmy. No, I'm fine," I say, wafting a hand in the air as my heartbeat settles down. "What are you doing here?"
The second the question leaves my mouth, I want to kick myself. What do you think he's doing at a gym, Cat?
"The same thing as you, it seems." He gestures to the punching bags.
"You box?"
It shouldn't surprise me. I had assumed he was into some pretty vigorous exercise to be as bulky as he is, although I had thought football or something. But his physique does match that of a boxer.
He nods, placing his duffel bag on the benches by the mirrors.
"Cool, say the word if you want some tips." I wink at him before returning to my workout as Emmy starts his.
I have always liked boxing because it's an individual sport; I can get in the zone without being bothered by others. Yet, there's something pleasant about having a partner. And Emmy really knows his stuff.
I started twenty minutes before him, so I linger after finishing my workout. Since I prefer to shower at the dorms, I sit on the bench checking my phone and conversing with Emmy when he's in between exercises.
Once he's done, we exit the gym together. It's late afternoon, and the air is chilly against my sweaty skin.
"So, what are your plans for tonight?" Emmy asks me.
"Ava and I are going out for dinner. Wanna join us?"
I don't think Ava will mind. She's a true extrovert and thrives on social gatherings.
A grin lights up Emmy's face. "That sounds great! Meet at your room?"
"Yeah, just come by in an hour or so," I answer and wave at him as we part ways after entering the dorm building. Emmy lives on another floor than us.
